reposted from the Baja Report blog 2/2/2016
Franko Gringo famously stated “I’m free I’m free I’m free” after eating a Mexican Hot Dog. Why was that? What is Hot Dog Satori? (see The Journey of Franko Gringo in BAJA STORIES)
The Mexican Hot Dog, or Hot Dogs in Latin America in general, are part of what I call United States Coca Cola Diplomacy. As soon as a nation begins to emerge guess who show up first to take part in that country’s flowering (spending). Coca Cola has historically been the forerunner emissary of El Norte. Right behind Coca Cola would be the U S Consulate, Ford Dealerships, and The Hot Dog. But unlike Coca Cola or Ford the Hot Dog is not a corporate product. It is a food of the people. It is morphed by the natives of its adopted home in the hotter climes and the world over into a new thing based on an older concept. The Hot Dog, like the concept of democracy, becomes localized wherever it is adopted.
The Hot Dog is really just a sausage in a handy wrapper. The sausage of Germany and the Slavic nations has been around since early times. The infamous Borgia Pope, Callistus, may have written in a Papal Bull the memorable phrase “Deus Cupido Sausages” (God Loves Sausages). And Julius Caesar, when remembering the sausages of the Germanic tribes, possibly reminisced “Vini, Vidi, Vici Sausages.” This oft repeated phrase could be badly translated in the modern vernacular as “I came, I saw, I got a sausage”
The invention of the hot dog bun in the U S in the late 19th century changed the sausage into the Hot Dog. The bun, coupled with the ubiquitous tube steak, creates a condiment delivery system. The character of the adopting nation food culture is in the condiments and the presentation. From Japan to Uruguay and of course Mexico they are all different.
Now the Mexican tube shaped mystery meat Dog itself is another matter:
Here are the ingredients: xxxxxx,xxxxxx,xxx,xxxxxxx,xxxx and XXXXXXXXXXXX.
I x’d out the ingredients because YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW! Continue reading “1 Baja Hot Dog, 2 Baja Hot Dogs”
Walls all over the world are the blank canvases of culture. Building walls and vertical surfaces of train cars, trucks, overpasses, sound walls, are, in many ways, public spaces. Individual expression, urban art, commissioned murals, graffiti, political frustration, social movement, are on the walls for all to see. A common forum used often in unique ways.
Businesses use this available space for advertisement of their shops. Baja biz usually does not go to the sign shop and order a sign to hang on the building. They get a sign artist to come out and paint, in the largest format and in bold colors, the business sign on the business.
And the walls are used for political campaigns and protests of political campaigns. Driving through the back streets of Cabo you will see painted signs for a candidate for office that may be many years old. Or half painted over by the next round of candidates. The wall is the permanent running fence of Mexican politics and social consciousness. Everywhere you look.
And art. There are wonderful art pieces on the walls in La Paz and Cabo. Typical of Mexican art and architecture in general much strong color is used. And if you google street art of Mexico City you will be amazed. Public art. For all to see.
