© Molly J. Smith

DICHOS

If you listen closely to the chatter in Douglas, Arizona, you'll likely hear some traditional Mexican sayings. These pieces of wisdom are called dichos, and, thanks to Marina and Raul Montaño, they're being exported from the small town. The Montaños created a Mexican version of the fortune cookie in 2009 and have been collecting phrases to package in their taco-shaped treats ever since. Each cookie contains a slip of paper with a printed dicho — in Spanish on one side and English on the other. Marina Montaño explains:

What was your inspiration for Dichos?
We came up with the idea while opening up a fortune cookie. Raul asked why no one had come up with a Mexican cookie for an after-dinner treat, like a Chinese fortune cookie. I thought a dicho would be more fun than a fortune. My husband is a businessman, so he's always thinking of ways to turn something into a business.

Where do the sayings come from?
Many of the sayings are what we've grown up with and have heard all of our lives. We've had people write their favorites down for us, and some come from books.

Do you have a favorite saying?
I like, Después de la lluvia, sale el sol ("After the rain, out comes the sun").
[I also like], A cada guajolote se le llega su Nochebuena ("Every turkey has its Christmas Eve"). To me it means that everyone has their time on Earth and then their time is up. You just never know when that time will come.

— Molly J. Smith

Information: 520-236-2103 or www.dichosonline.com

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