Literature and Food / Pulquerías and Cantinas in Poniatowska's Hasta no verte, Jesús mío

By: Editorial Team / Photos: Mediateca

Cantinas bring back memories of a Mexico that no longer exists—a neighborhood Mexico of aguardiente and forgotten stories. In the poignant pages of *Hasta no verte, Jesús mío* by the eternal Elena Poniatowska, cantinas and pulquerías come alive as intruders, as characters in their own right. They stand as silent witnesses to the joys and sorrows of Jesusa Palancares, the resilient protagonist, and her fleeting encounters.

Poniatowska transports us to smoky, stifling corners filled with laughter and shared sadness. Jesusa Palancares leads us through dives where tequila and pulque flow like rivers amid the stench of urine, and where life stories intertwine with arrabalera music.

I recall Jesusa describing the cantinas, with their melancholic musicians singing songs of love and heartbreak while patrons drowned their sorrows in tequila. It was a place where life was celebrated, where lost loves were mourned, and where toasts were made to a potentially better future.

Pulque, the ancient drink of the gods, was much more than a simple, slimy beverage. It was a symbol of identity, resistance, and tradition. In the pulquerías, politics, religion, and love were discussed and whispered, even if not fully understood. People sang, danced, laughed, and cried. It was a refuge for the common folk, the real people, offering solace and comfort.

Today, cantinas and pulquerías are dwindling, fading, and disappearing. Gradually forgotten, censored, and sometimes even denied. The postmodern, often inauthentic and artificial new places have replaced them with "sophisticated" venues. Yet, in the pages of Poniatowska’s work, these places remain alive as a testament to an era where life was lived intensely, where music and alcohol were the soul of the party, and where people gathered to share their stories and celebrate life.

Here's to the cantinas and pulquerías of Mexico! Cheers to Jesusa Palancares and all those who found refuge and joy in those lively corners! Let us toast to a character that Elena listened to in reality, to the way reality transforms into letters, cantinas, and nostalgia.