We saw many things in Oaxaca but the most exciting thing to me was a bug call ed Cochineal (coach-in-EEL). Just 14 miles south of Oaxaca in the village of San Bartolo de Coyotepec you will find the Cochineal Farm. The official name of this farm is Centro de Difusion de Conocimiento la Grana Cochineal Tlapanochestli . A lot of the textiles are dyed with the blood (actually carminic acid not really blood) of the Cochineal. Including the robes of Cardinals in Europe. Listen to Señor Vicente telling us about the Cochineal. Did you get that? Don't you just LOVE his voice? Basically the bugs have this thing for the Nopal cactus (prickly pear) that is abundant in much of Mexico. They raise the bugs on this cactus (which looks like fungus), dry them out in the sun to make them muerte (that's dead), and then harvest them. Grind the dead bugs up for the red pigment. Nopal cactus (pri...
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