The Traditional Holiday Favorite
Before New Mexico was new, maize was a sacred crop for the Aztecs and inhabitants of Mesoamerica. Pozole was prepared on special occasions and mentioned in the journals of Spanish missionaries. The dish is is named from a Nahuatl word meaning foamy. Pozole is traditional in many senses but very commonly prepared around the holidays. Many families enjoy the large serving size, familiar spicy flavor, and how nothing beats the cold weather like warm broth.
Like any stew, there are a plethora of ways to prepare it. The most important ingredient is hominy/posole corn with common additions including chile, protein, and a variety of garnishes. The hominy is where New Mexico stands out from the rest of pozole crowd, though. In the Southwestern U.S., posole corn is dried and is not served as soft as pozole. Posole is also distinguished in New Mexico for being served with red chile and less commonly green. Read more about these distinguishing differences from Steve Sando's Rancho Gordo article, Posole or Pozole? A Rose By Any Other Name.
In short, posole is New Mexico's way of doing pozole. This, like the state itself, is not new and is not Mexican.
Regardless of how you spell it, you can enjoy a bowl at Duran's. Get it with a handmade tortilla and let it take you back to all the holiday memories you made in New Mexico.
Happy New Year to all of our patrons, patients, and pozole lovers!