BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD Like what you see? Become the Master of your own Universe!

Tecuitlatl (teh-KWEE-tla-tl)

by hughpierre
Tecuitlatl is a tiny blue-green algae that grows wild in the salty lakes, so as to not compete with other possible food sources.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Tecuitlatl is sold in several south central markets as a staple and eaten with maize or a sauce made of chili peppers and tomatoes. Alternatively, they can be fashioned into slimly loaves that taste like cheese.

Manufacturing process

Harvesting

  1. Look for thick, green films floating on the surface of brackish or alkaline lake waters during the dry season
  2. Use fine-mesh nets, baskets, shallow reeds, wooden boards or any other flat tool to skim the surface
    • gently scoop or scrap the algae from the lake, careful not to disturb the bottom
  3. Place the collected algae into woven baskets or cloth sacks to allow excess water to drain off as it is carried back to shore
    • At this stage, it is still watery and needs further drying
  4. The tecuitlatl is spread over flat stones, woven mats or plastered surfaces to dry in the sun into thin flakes for a day
  5. Once dried, it is then scraped off in thin sheets, crumbled or shaped into cakes and stored in clay vats or cloth bundles for transport

Significance

Tetzcotzinco

The primitive-looking sludge is considered highly nutritious and has been the life line for families during periods of famine. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory that is prescribed by doctors to treat over-worked labourers.

Alternate Name
  • Stone Dung
    Item type
    Consumable, Food / Drink
    Current Location
    Manufacturer
    Related ethnicities
    Owning Organization
    Rarity
    Common
  • Ahuauhtle
    Item | Jan 15, 2024

    Comments

    Please Login in order to comment!