Welcome to POCTLI - a shop specializing in Mexican Culinary goods.

Poctli means "smoke" in classical Nahuatl, one of the 281 indigenous languages of Mexico. The cuisine of a country is a symphony of ingredients, influences, techniques and weaves an elaborate story. Mexican cuisine is distinct in that its roots delve deep into pre-Conquest heritage and savoir-faire which transcend modern borders. And smoke is an ever present flavor in the notes of Mexican gastronomy. From charred chiles to earth-pit ovens, this subtlety is ever present.

Traditional Mexican tortillas and salsas are cooked on a clay comal (comal de barro), a more gentle method of cooking. The flavors of this slow food cooking technique allow for the heat to penetrate the ingredients with much more control. Clay comales are handmade and follow thousands of years of traditional techniques, not easily found outside of Mexico.

I received my first comal de barro from a Mexican friend living in New York. He bought it on the side of the road in Toluca and brought it all the way back on the plane as carry on luggage. I’ve had for 10+ years and I use it weekly - it’s still intact!

Gracias por visitarme.

New in the Shop:

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Sal de Jamaica / Hibiscus Rimming Salt
$6.00
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Sal de Muchos Chiles / Chile Rimming Salt
$6.00
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Oaxacan Chocolate - Sabor a Vainilla 250 grams with Chocolate Whisk Option
from $15.00
Cal - 1 oz
Cal - 1 oz
$3.00

POCTLI /poːktɬi/

Classical Nahuatl:

Noun

  1. Smoke, fog, mist.

New on the blog:

Featured
RECIPE: Guacamole Do's and Don'ts
RECIPE: Guacamole Do's and Don'ts

Guacamole - the quintessential Mexican avocado dip. It seems simple enough, but like getting tortillas to puff properly, can be tricky. Here are the do’s and don’ts of the classical dip.

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How to Get Corn Tortillas to Puff
How to Get Corn Tortillas to Puff

A proper tortilla puffs into a fluffy pillow after the cooking on the 2nd side. When you rip a tortilla in half, it should be two separate layers. You know when you go to an authentic taqueria for totopos (tortilla chips) and guacamole and the chips are so crispy and crunchy? Those tortillas have two layers - look closer next time you dive into some bomb guacamole!

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Clay Comal vs Carbon Steel Comal
Clay Comal vs Carbon Steel Comal

This is a great question and I often get asked what makes clay so special. This article will explain the whole story.

Well before the Conquest of modern day Mexico, the indigenous peoples were using slow cooking methods, earthen pit ovens and ceramic pottery to cook their food. This ancestral method allowed for more gentle cooking - think braises, soups, stews, pit smoked BBQ etc. The comal cooked, toasted, roasted and blistered ingredients in a fashion similar to a modern griddle with dry heat acting as the main energy source. Copper may have been used for cooking, but was much more prized for its beauty aesthetic in jewelry than cooking. It wasn’t until the Spanish Conquest of 1519 that steel made its appearance - for better and worse.

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