Katherine SpiersThe United States Postal Service has released a new six-piece stamp collection honoring Latin food. According to a press release, with this new line of stamps, “The Postal Service celebrates the influence of Central and South American, Mexican and Caribbean foods on American cuisine.”
Art by John Parra, direction by Antonio Alcalá; Credit: Courtesy USPS
The six dishes depicted are tamales, flan, sancocho, empanadas, chile relleno and ceviche.
The selection might not make immediate sense to Angelenos (“What is sancocho?” asks a city), but the collection as a whole is meant to evoke all of the Latin American food traditions that have made a mark on the way United States residents eat.
The stamps were painted by John Parra and art direction was provided by Antonio Alcalá. Parra is a Santa Barbara–born artist who mainly writes and illustrates children's books. Alcalá is an in-house art director at the USPS — here's a neat video of him explaining how stamps get designed and chosen.
According to the USPS, “Each illustration was created by applying multiple layers of acrylic paint to textured boards, using sandpaper to reveal the hidden layers and give the designs a worn, vintage look.”
The stamps can be purchased here starting April 20. And since you're hungry now, empanadas can be found here, tamales here, flan here, chile rellenos here, ceviche here and sancocho (We found it! But if you know of another place, let us know) here and at other Colombian and Puerto Rican restaurants.
Because you want to lick food, not just stamps.
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