Sopas Alemanas

This recipe is from an 1886 Mexican manuscript cookbook compiled by Manuela Heredia y Cervantes. The notebook gathers traditional recipes of the era, capturing both the influence of European cuisines and the evolving flavors of Mexican home cooking. ‘Sapás Alemanas’—likely a phonetic spelling of ‘Papas Alemanas’ or ‘German Potatoes’—speaks to the cross-continental migrations of culinary ideas in 19th-century Mexico, especially among well-off families with access to foreign ingredients and techniques. Potatoes, parsley, and eggs reflect the practical, hearty fare enjoyed in both German and Mexican kitchens, blended here in a local adaptation that was both familiar and fashionable at the time.

Historically, this dish would have been prepared using a heavy olla or iron pot to boil and fry the potatoes. A metal or wooden spoon—possibly described here as a ‘cuchara de alambre,’ meaning wire spoon or whisk—was essential to mash and mix the ingredients vigorously. The shaping and frying of the potato balls would require a slotted spoon for handling, and the final garnish would be placed by hand. All of this likely took place over an open fire or traditional stove top using rendered animal fat or churned butter, depending on the household’s means.