An Experience with La Abuelita’s Favorite Remedy: The Uses of Tagetes lucida (pericón)
An Experience with La Abuelita’s Favorite Remedy: The Uses of Tagetes lucida (pericón)
by Jaime Trujillo
In March 2015, I visited Guatemala. There are some negative aspects of international travel. For example, if you have a weak stomach, you may suffer from gastrointestinal issues. As I have lived in Guatemala and visit this beautiful country regularly, gastrointestinal upset is an expected occurrence. This time was no exception – I got sick with gastrointestinal troubles.
A couple of days later, my family and I were invited to dinner at the home of some friends. The table had a spread of Guatemalan cuisine for us to devour. La Abuelita had heard of my gastrointestinal complaints. Doña Maria Evelina Díaz (La Abuelita) is lanky, with snow white hair and raisin skin that has been damaged by the strong altiplano sun. She quickly ordered her grandson, Luis Pedro, to make some pericón tea for me. “Pericón?” I asked. La Abuelita explained that pericón was good for the stomach – that it would reduce my cramps and settle the stomach. As we had dinner, I sipped my tea.
Soon after arriving back at our hotel, I became curious to learn more about pericón. This curiosity led me to perform a basic internet search. The first link was from Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana or Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine. This website has a professional monograph on pericón. This information was helpful and insightful as it cemented my belief in the ancient wisdom and practices that La Abuelita was sharing with me. This is why I wanted to write a monograph on Tagetes lucida (pericón). [Editor’s Note: With respect for the tradition of La Abuelita, we will use the regionally appropriate common name “pericón” throughout the article.]
An Experience with La Abuelita’s Favorite Remedy: The Uses of Tagetes lucida (pericón)
by Jaime Trujillo
In March 2015, I visited Guatemala. There are some negative aspects of international travel. For example, if you have a weak stomach, you may suffer from gastrointestinal issues. As I have lived in Guatemala and visit this beautiful country regularly, gastrointestinal upset is an expected occurrence. This time was no exception – I got sick with gastrointestinal troubles.
A couple of days later, my family and I were invited to dinner at the home of some friends. The table had a spread of Guatemalan cuisine for us to devour. La Abuelita had heard of my gastrointestinal complaints. Doña Maria Evelina Díaz (La Abuelita) is lanky, with snow white hair and raisin skin that has been damaged by the strong altiplano sun. She quickly ordered her grandson, Luis Pedro, to make some pericón tea for me. “Pericón?” I asked. La Abuelita explained that pericón was good for the stomach – that it would reduce my cramps and settle the stomach. As we had dinner, I sipped my tea.
Soon after arriving back at our hotel, I became curious to learn more about pericón. This curiosity led me to perform a basic internet search. The first link was from Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana or Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine. This website has a professional monograph on pericón. This information was helpful and insightful as it cemented my belief in the ancient wisdom and practices that La Abuelita was sharing with me. This is why I wanted to write a monograph on Tagetes lucida (pericón). [Editor’s Note: With respect for the tradition of La Abuelita, we will use the regionally appropriate common name “pericón” throughout the article.]
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