Posh a sacred beverage from the Highlands of Chiapas: usage & tradition
In the state of Chiapas, beautiful embroideries are woven, organic coffee is produced and a rich drink of pox is drunk.
Pox (posh) is an alcoholic beverage distilled from a fermented piloncillo and endemic corn of Chiapas. The pox is always present in festivals or religious ceremonies and is of great importance to the community in the Highlands of Chiapas. The majority of this product comes from the region of San Juan Chamula. The word pox in the tzotzil language means "medicine" and said liquid is also used in healing rituals.
For the elaboration of this drink you need: spring water, corn, sugar cane, wheat and brown sugar. Subsequently, all these ingredients are left to ferment for approximately a week and finally their distillation is carried out. Simple disitillation, if you want to get a 36 degree alcohol distillate, and double if you want a higher degree. Originally this typical drink was transparent in color, currently, seasonal herbs and fruits have been added to the recipe so the pox reaches other textures and colors.
The posh encompasses many religious and social aspects. The elder local people say that "the Posh is something that was created to make you feel good, it is a medicine." Families come to church to celebrate their rituals, pray to the saint of their devotion, show respect for their tradition while healing the soul.
The posh is part of the ritual. When someone offers you the drink, do not reject it. Insted, you need to thank and offer it to the saint or to the earth. "Kolaval" (thanks in tzotzil) is always well received after drinking it. If you have an impediment to drinking alcohol at that time, then store it in a container for later use.
The sale and distribution of posh is a very strong economic activity, since the drink is present in every social event, it gives social positioning to the people who dedicate themselves to it.
To understand the spirituality that this drink has for local people, we invite you to get to know the traditions more closely during the personalized tour with Chiapas Experiences. Contact us!
Fragments of this article are collected from the text "Que es el pox y cómo se consume?" from the page of Gourmet de Mexico combined with our own text by Rudy Robles.
In the part 2 that will follow soon, we will give you some information on elaboration of pox. Follow us on social media, so you know when new articles are published.
