🌸The First Day of Spring Brings a Mathematical 'Magic' of the Vernal Equinox 🌿. Which is basically when the sun☀️ aligns with the equator, and day and night become equal in length - every where - around the world 🌎…
When i was growing up, it seemed to ‘always' fall on the 2lst each year, which / thought was a fixed date. But now as a grown up, I've learned that it ain't. It actually shifts between March 19-21annually depending on Earth's orbit...
👆🏽📸 [original photos by me ,TFG] Spring reveals renewal in many ways, especially in the culinary cosmos! Sprouts of all kinds push up through the soil, symbolizing growth, abundance and potential. This season brings delicate pea shoots, tender greens, vibrant radishes and ramps, young asparagus, edible flower blossoms, and the first wave of wild nettles—all signaling the freshness of Spring’s bounty.
CULTURAL, CULINARY (& COCKTAIL!) CONNECTIONS:
🌞 An Ancient Equinox Mystery in Mexico:
📸 Once upon a time, I climbed (and climbed! 😅) each of the (91!) steps all the way to the top of “El Castillo”—the Mayan Temple of Kukulcán, a Mesoamerican step-pyramid at the center of the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán — way back when us ‘modern’ humans were still allowed to do so!
Now for some insight into seasonal markers and ancient alignments—🗞️NEWSFLASH ⚡️: Today—March 20th—the annual Spring Equinox alignment returns — Just like every year, (twice a year in fact —for each the vernal or spring equinox and the autumnal one too) the sun ☀️ hits a Chichén Itzá pyramid in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula at the same precise angle, creating that famous 'serpent shadow' said to be most optimal to see during the same 45-minute window (3:45 PM–4:30 PM EST) that the equatorial alignment takes place.
A mesmerizing interplay of light and stone will cause a serpent-shaped shadow to appear to slither down the Northern-side steps of the Temple of Kukulcán (pictured below—+ me after miraculously making my way to the top! 😆).
This serpent shadow has appeared on every Spring (and Autumn) equinox for well over a thousand years! 🐍 This celestial spectacle was designed by the Maya to mark the changing of the seasons with cosmic precision. Which was particularly fitting last year since 2025, which was the Year of The Snake! 🐍🧧. But i digress…
[I share the link to a time-lapse video clip of what it looks like in today’s PATREON POSTed publicly 👀👈🏽] + a baked goods BONUS TIP related to World Flour Day
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HERE’s (& CHEERS!) TO THE COCKTAIL PART:
So all this got me inspired to not only raise a glass of mezcal — Eléctrico of course! — to all this ancient amazingness but to DESIGN a DELICIOUS (if i must say so ma’self) DRINK to do so! …One that’s connected to earth’s current seasonal (& celestial) cycle of course — yet and still shaped by time and tradition….
So without further ado, I present to you :
The ELÉCTRICO EQUINOX!
A sultry slightly smoky sip of Spring in a glass:
This Simple yet Mez-merizing Mezcal Sipper is Made With Just The Right Amounts of:*
✨The Eléctrico Equinox: a satisfying sipper whether under the spring sun — or a starry spring night 💫…
🟡 ⚡️Eléctrico Mezcal Distilled with Lemongrass+ 🌼Essence of Edible Flowers + 🍊 Orange Blossom Honey 🍯 + a Seductive Citrus Twist 🍋
A nod to the timelessness of great taste…Full of flavor for all the possibilities ahead!
DM me or Contact Me if you want TFG DRINK DEMOs & Recipes and for this particular drink’s full STORY (told via each of its intentionally chosen ingredients — each of equal importance a la the equinox). For now let’s raise our glasses together to toast to:
🔥💨🥃 ”¡Abundancia y Equilibrio!” 🌱🌿🌺
¡Salud!
A Toast to Spring’s Balance & Abundance!
… to ancient traditions that still inspire …
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UP NEXT: at least a few crumbs all about WORLD FLOUR DAY. From a gluten-challenged perspective:
📸 Did you know that despite its name, buckwheat has no botanical connection to wheat whatsoever and is naturally “gluten-free”? And since it’s not a grain either, buckwheat-based baked goods can be great selections (in moderation, of course!) for those looking for healthier options “along the starch spectrum” …
Ok so World Flour Day is recognized on March 20th each year. Around the world and here in the U.S., flour is made from many types of tubers, roots, seeds, beans, nuts, and grains—like amaranth, garbanzo, rice, cassava, fonio, buckwheat, barley, corn, millet, rye, sorghum… 👈🏽 And guess what? All of these i listed just happen to be GLUTEN FREE !
That’s right—the main gluten-filled culprit that causes problems for those of us with allergy issues is flour made from wheat, with highly processed (or “refined”) versions being the worst offenders of all. But instead of diving into a medical rabbit hole, I’d rather share two alternative terms I’ve coined and prefer to use instead of “gluten-free”:
🔹 “Grain Diversity”
🔹 “Along the Starch Spectrum”
Both are much more interesting ways to talk about the variety of flour options available, rather than using language that conveys deficit—like “sugar-free,” “calorie-free,” or, worst of all, FAT FREE.
Although hand & stone-ground flours used to make flatbreads and other foods have existed for thousands of years, mass-produced, industrially processed, bleached flours have been part of the human diet for less than two centuries. That’s a short blip in history compared to the thousands of years when people ate whole foods — full of fiber and then some 😆 — instead of overindulging in machine-processed flours that now take shape in the form of breads, crackers, cakes, cookies, pastas, and pie crusts— multiple times a day! Several holistic doctors even believe that overconsumption of processed refined’ flour foods is a major factor in America’s food-related health issues.
Lastly for now — But Most Certainly Not At All Least!:
📸 Getting some Spring-filled fresh air with Michael on his lawn in Fredericksburg, VA before the Passover Seder feast he hosts for extended fam & friends…
Before I sign off, let me slip in some heartfelt Happy Birthday Well Wishes to the talented Mr. Michael W. Twitty— my baby brother (from parental others!) who was born on this magnificent day, March 20th , some moons ago….
Speaking of Passover Seder feasts that I mentioned in the photo caption, this year (2026), Passover (Pesach) begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1 when the First Seder supper takes place, followed by a Second Seder the next night on April 2nd in the Diaspora.The holiday ends at nightfall on Thursday, April 9 …
The timing of Passover is determined by the Hebrew lunar calendar and coincides with the first full moon after the spring equinox. Because a lunar year is shorter than the solar year used by the Gregorian calendar, the holiday appears to always "drift" between late March and mid-April year after year.
HBD! …
📺 CHECK OUT MICHAEL in the NEW four-part PBS series: “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History 👀 tracing the rich, complex relationship between Black and Jewish Americans — defined by solidarity and strained by division. Drawn together by racism and antisemitism, they forged civic and cultural bonds, especially during the civil rights era. The series explores both the challenges and enduring promise of that alliance”. ~ PBS.org
Since it was filmed on location in my city — NYC — you know yours truly got recruited along with a shortlist of Michael’s other awesome chosen fam and friends to help prepare that amazing meal you’ll see in the scene where folks sit down to break bread together as the food-focused episode culminates. So i yeah I was all up in the mix behind the scenes slicing, dicing… — but before i could do ANY a that, we had all kindsa pots of water coming to rolling boils so that i could FIRST go about the kashering process of (carefully) pouring boiling water over surface areas and such...
Let’s just say that by the time that was all done and we were able to relax, i was oh so glad i’d made sure to show up with some upscale kosher wines for “The Help” (us!) to enjoy with our off camera meals celebrating the holiday … if ya’ll tune in lemme know if you see my name when the credits roll : Tonya Hopkins aka The Food Griot — “TFG” — yup that’d be me!…
Ok, I’m staying tuned….
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