This month, Gastro Obscura is exploring holiday dishes from around the world in the series “Home-Cooked Holidays.” Mexican ponche Navideño is a traditional Christmas punch, featuring tejocotes as a crucial ingredient. For a long time, tejocotes were confiscated at the U.S. border, reflecting their importance to Mexican-Americans as a symbol of Christmas. The ponche is a sweet, hot fruit drink filled with guavas, apples, and other fruits, simmered with cinnamon and served with optional alcohol. Despite the challenging process of making ponche, it’s worth it for the sweet aroma and unique cultural influences. Tejocotes are now more readily available in the U.S., allowing for more widespread enjoyment of this festive drink.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-make-ponche-navideno