Who Is Who On Our Streets: An Aromatic Bean

By Natalie Taylor

Every day of the week—including Sunday, Paco makes his rounds through the Centro, his backpack over his shoulders, and a couple of bottles of dark liquid in his hands. His route begins when he gets off the bus near Mesones, winds his way toward the Biblioteca, up Relox Street, zigzagging along the different streets, crisscrossing the Jardin, and then onwards. To anyone he meets, he hawks his trade: “Vainilla?” he asks, lifting one of the bottles, hoping they will buy it. And many do. The “vanilla guy” is a staple on our streets, and those who have tried his product like it so much they look for him to buy again when their supply goes down.

Paco’s full name is Francisco Bautista García, and he came here some 40 years ago from the town of Papantla, in the state of Veracruz. He is a descendant of Totonacs, the ancient people of the region who were there before the Aztecs. The Totonacs are the original cultivators of vanilla, which has been Paco’s family’s craft for many generations. What exactly is this fragrant liquid that is such a favorite of bakers and pastry makers around the world?

The vanilla plant is an endemic, American orchid with pods filled with aromatic seeds, and the climate of Papantla is ideal for its growth. Paco said he tried growing vanilla in San Miguel, but it did not thrive because the plant needs a tropical or semi-tropical environment, with lots of heat and humidity. The pods are collected while still green, then placed in the sun to dry. Once dry, the seeds are gathered and boiled down until the fragrance and flavor is extracted. A taste gives a hint of sweetness, but Paco says that’s natural because no sweeteners, nor alcohol are added. This has been the work of his family, and the ancient tradition of the Totonacs. Paco comes from a large family, with five sisters and one brother, and many family members still live in Papantla. Almost every month his mother makes the long trek to San Miguel bringing large quantities of vanilla extract, which he then repackages in small bottles. Sometimes, as this week, she brought toy replicas of the Papantla flyers for sale.

Paco has an 18 year old son who also lives in San Miguel, and works in construction as an apprentice albañil—a brick layer. That was Paco’s age was when he, his parents, and an uncle came to San Miguel for the first time in 1982. He decided to stay.

Aside from the manufacture of vanilla, the town of Papantla is famous for a totally different skill—la Danza de los Voladores—the dance of the flyers of Papantla. Part of an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony, it supposedly originated in central Mexico as a ritualistic request for a good crop. The Aztecs believed that the dance was a symbol of their culture. The performance has five male dancers—more acrobats than dancers—who climb a 30 meter pole, from which four of them launch themselves, tied with ropes, and descend to the ground. In the meantime, the fifth remains on top of the pole dancing (without the safety of a rope!), as he plays a flute and a drum. One of Paco’s brothers is such a performer in Puerto Vallarta.

During all his decades of living in San Miguel, Paco has seen many changes, but he accepts them, and finds a positive angle. He says that his daily route—which he never varies—has led him to meet and befriend many locals and expats. Many of them he considers good friends. He has a permit for his “street business,” and has to pay a monthly fee to the city for the privilege. This fee has, of course, increased over the years, but it is not a prohibitive sum even today.

When asked what he would like the people of San Miguel to know about him, he simply smiled, showing a silver tooth. He is friendly and loves to engage people in conversation, and genuinely proud of the work he does and the service he provides. And, as I pointed out to him, he has created a job which brings him outdoors every single day, it is commerce and exercise all in one swoop.

You can find Paco any day of the week in Centro, but if you need to get in touch, his phone number is 415 100 1157

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