Mexican Name Finder
Soup or stewNahuatlJalisco

Pozole

"foamy maize stew"

Also called Pozole rojo, Pozole verde, Pozole blanco.

Say it

poh·SOH·leh

Where it comes from

pozolli (foamy thing, from tlapozonalli, boiled or frothed)

What Pozole means

Pozole is a Mexican soup or stew name of Nahuatl origin meaning "foamy maize stew". It comes from pozolli (foamy thing, from tlapozonalli, boiled or frothed). It is pronounced poh-SOH-leh, and it is most associated with Jalisco.

The name is traced to potzolli, foamy, for the way nixtamalized kernels burst open. Sahagún records maize stew at the feast of Xipe Tótec, where the ruler was served a portion containing the flesh of a sacrificed captive; that account is documented, not folklore.

Pozole is one of the many Mexican food words formed in Nahuatl. Spanish borrowed it, and in several cases English borrowed it again from Spanish. See how Nahuatl builds words and the full list of Mexican food names.

This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Pozole, menudo, birria, caldo. Mexican soup names are blunt and descriptive: menudo means "the small things", the offal that goes in it, and pozole comes from a Nahuatl word for foam, describing how the hominy blooms open as it cooks.

Share card

Pozole means foamy maize stew

Related Mexican food names

  • BirriaSoup or stew

    worthless thing, a mess

    BEE-ryahSpanish
    Jalisco
  • ChileatoleSoup or stew

    chile maize gruel

    chee-leh-ah-TOH-lehNahuatl
    chīlli+ātōlliPuebla
  • ChilpacholeSoup or stew

    tangled chile stew

    cheel-pah-CHOH-lehNahuatl
    chīlli+patzolliVeracruz
  • TejuinoDrink

    heartbeat drink

    teh-HWEE-nohNahuatl
    Jalisco
  • TequilaDrink

    place of work or tribute

    teh-KEE-lahNahuatl
    tequitl+-tlānJalisco
  • Caldo de resSoup or stew

    beef broth

    KAL-doh deh RESSpanish
    Spanish caldo+de resnorthern Mexico
  • Caldo tlalpeñoSoup or stew

    Tlalpan-style broth

    KAL-doh tlal-PEH-nyohSpanish
    Spanish caldo+tlalpeñoMexico City
  • CocidoSoup or stew

    cooked one

    koh-SEE-dohSpanish
    northern Mexico

Browse all Mexican food names, or the name finder for people's names.