Go To La Cantina

In 1580 the illegitimate grandson of King Charles V of Spain was born

. His mother was the King's secretary, and therefore the child was allowed a privileged life. The boy, Francisco Gomez de Quevedo y Santybanez Villagez, became a talented writer of song and poem, which only increased the jealous attention of his peers. Many children of the Spanish court reviled Francisco, but still the gentleman continued writing about the New World and his favorite pastimes.

Francisco spent much time in cantinas. He wrote many of his most successful works while perched on a worn wooden stool inside a cantina. The Italian word "cantina" spread into Spanish and French use unchanged. "Sutler" was a French word that referred to the merchants that sent supplies to the military while they were on the battlefield, but eventually the word was replaced with "cantina" - including alcohol. Gradually cantinas grew into stationary spots for refreshment in villages and towns, and ceased being traveling supply shops. As the cantina became a sort of public house or tavern, it became the subject of many a drinking song and poem.

Here is a translated a sonnet about a cantina, as written by the Spanish poet Francisco: "This wine-cellar covered with a face; this wine-harvest [clad] in filthy habit; this wine-skin, which, with just a sip, is happy to exchange it for a [whole] vat."

Cantinas in Spain were simple, with plain wood tables and chairs. No one expected anything more than the one item that was on the menu. Yet according to Francisco's prose, it was a place with good refreshments of which anyone would be happy to drink a "whole vat".

The Spanish had a large influence on the regions that they colonized, as is commonly known. There are innumerable elements in the modern Mexican culture that owe their origin to the Maya, Aztec, Spanish and English traditions. One can find la cantina all over Mexico and it has Spanish roots. They can be elusive, or just unrecognizable, but cantinas are certainly around. Small cantinas can be found anywhere, between several resorts, or tucked next to a Catholic cathedral. The humble interior and simple offerings are not meant to indicate the type of clientele visiting the cantina; people of all backgrounds and employment enjoy refreshments there on occasion. It is a part of Mexican culture.

Today, visitors to Mexico can expect to be served simple food with their cantina beverages. Wonderful local Mexican food and a cerveza, otherwise nothing fancy. The experience of eating at a genuine Mexican cantina is unlike any experience at a resort or hotel. It is raw, unadorned and completely Mexican. Try it, you might just like it!

by: Robert Nickel

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