Tequesquite facts for kids

Tequesquite (pronounced teh-kes-KEE-teh) is a special natural salt found in Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word tequixquitl. This salt is a mix of different minerals like common table salt (sodium chloride), sodium carbonate, and sodium sulfate. People in Mexico have used it for a very long time, even before the Spanish arrived, mostly to season their food.

You can find tequesquite naturally in central Mexico. It often forms a crust in places that used to be lakes, where the water has dried up and left the minerals behind.

Tequesquite is an alkaline rock, meaning it's a bit basic, like baking soda. It's mostly made of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and common salt. But it also has other minerals like potassium carbonate and sodium sulfate, plus some clay. It looks a lot like regular table salt, but it's usually a bit more grayish.

There are four main types of tequesquite: mousse, confitillo, husk, and dust. The mousse and confitillo types are considered the best. They are collected when lake waters go down. The husk and dust types form naturally on the ground and often have more dirt in them.

Sometimes, tequesquite is confused with "nitro tequesquite salt," but they are chemically very different.

What Is It Made Of?

Tequesquite is a natural mineral salt. It is made up of several different compounds. The main ones are:

• Sodium chloride: This is the same as common table salt.
• Sodium carbonate: This is a type of soda.
• Sodium sulfate: Another type of salt.
• Sodium bicarbonate: This is like baking soda.
• Potassium carbonate: Another mineral salt.

It also contains some clay, which gives it its grayish color. The exact mix of these minerals can change depending on where the tequesquite is found.

Where Can You Find It?

Tequesquite is mined in several places across Mexico. These areas often have a history of being lakes or wetlands. Some of the places where it is found include:

• Lake Texcoco in the State of Mexico
• Tequixquiac and Tequexquinahuac in the State of Mexico
• Laguna Tequesquitengo in the state of Morelos
• Nopalucan and Tequexquitla in the state of Tlaxcala
• Tequisquiapan in the state of Querétaro
• Tequesquite in the state of Jalisco
• Totolcingo lagoon in the state of Puebla
• La Salada in the state of Zacatecas

A Look Back in Time

Tequesquite has a long and interesting history in Mexico.

During the time of the Aztecs, this special salt was mostly gathered from Lake Texcoco. This lake had salty water. When the dry season came, the water level would drop. As the water evaporated, the tequesquite salt would be left behind as a sediment in certain wells. It also appeared as a natural crust on the soil, rising up through the ground like moisture.

Another important place for salt was Iztapalapa, which was a big trading center for it. For the Aztecs, salt was quite valuable. It was considered a luxury, so people from lower classes could not easily afford it.

Even today, tequesquite is still used in Mexico. You can buy it in markets in some towns. It remains an important ingredient in many traditional dishes. While baking soda and regular table salt can be used instead, many people believe that the unique taste of tequesquite cannot be truly replaced.

Cooking with Tequesquite

Tequesquite is a key ingredient in many traditional Mexican dishes. It has several special uses in the kitchen:

• Flavor Enhancer: It is mainly used in foods made from corn, like tamales. It helps to make their flavor stronger and more delicious. Corn is often boiled with tequesquite.
• Keeping Colors Bright: When cooking vegetables like nopales (cactus pads), tequesquite helps them keep their vibrant green color.
• Softening Beans: It can be used to soften dried beans, making them cook faster and become more tender.
• Meat Tenderizer: Similar to how baking soda works, tequesquite can be used to make meat more tender.
• Leavening Agent: It can also help dough rise, much like baking soda or baking powder.

To use tequesquite as a leavening agent, you can prepare it like this: 1. Boil a solid piece of tequesquite stone with the shells from about ten tomatillos in one cup of water. 2. Let the stone dissolve and the water boil. 3. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down. 4. Once it's cold, strain the liquid. 5. Add this liquid to your masa (corn dough) when you are preparing it.

Other Uses

Beyond cooking, tequesquite has other interesting uses. It is used in making special colors for art. For example, it helps create the beautiful cobalt blue and orange colors. These colors are used to decorate handmade pottery, especially in Puebla Talavera, a famous type of Mexican ceramics.

See also

In Spanish: Tequesquite para niños