ven-a-comer-e-book-en_1

general COORDINATION: 

María Luisa Sabau García 

TEXT AND FIELD CoordinaTION: 

Arisbeth Araujo Gómez 

Adalberto Ríos Lanz 

pHOTOGRAPHY: 

Fernando Gómez Carbajal: RECIPES, pAGEs: 13, 43, 

61, 75, 83, 93, 107, 115, 125, 139, 147, 157, 171, 179, 189, 203, 211 Y 221; 

AND DISHES, PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENT. 

Adalberto Ríos Lanz AND Adalberto Ríos Szalay. 

DISHES, PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENT. 

Nacho Urquiza / Laura Cordera, STYLING. DESSERTS, 

pAgEs: 69, 101, 133, 165, 197 and 229. 

Consejo de promoción Turística de México: p. 46 ABOVE; 

p 103 LOWER LEFT; p. 167 MIDDLE; p. 199 UPPER RIGHT; p. 205 UPPER 

RIGHT; p. 209 LOWER RIGHT. 

DESIGN: 

Danilo Design Group 

eduardo danilo ruiz 

Marcela Rivas / Erika Sosa 

TraNSLATION: 

Debra Nagao 

Anne HILL DE Mayagoitia 

COPYEDITING, PROOFREADING, SPANISH: 

María Ángeles González 

COPYEDITING, PROOFREADING, ENGLISH: 

ANNE HILL DE MAYAGOITIA 

ISBN: 978-607-96687-3-0 

© All rights reserved. The partial or total reproduction of this work by 

any means or procedure, including reprography and digital reproduction, 

photocopying, and filming is prohibited without written permission 

of the copyright holders of this edition.

CONTENTS 

VEN A COMER 

SAVOR MEXICO 

sea 

and desert 

the central 

pacific coast 

BETWEEN 

TWO OCEANS 

THE 

NORTHEAST 

COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

THE 

SOUTHEAST 

Foreword 

claudia ruiz massieu 7 

Come to Eat 

Mexico 

Gloria López Morales 11 

Conquered by Mexico! 

Joan Roca 15 

Mexican Cuisine, 

a Millenary History 

Yuri de Gortari / 

Edmundo Escamilla 19 

Traditional Mexican 

Cuisine 

Marco Buenrostro 27 

Sweet Land 

martha ortiz 33 

The Basis 

of Our Cuisine 34 

Sea and Desert 38 

FISH OF THE DAY 42 

A Fusion of Traditions 

Jair Téllez 44 

COLD AND WARM 

SHELLFISH manzanilla 50 

The Tomato, 

Mexican Heart 

Martha Chapa 54 

CARROT SOUP WITH 

PARTRIDGE FOAM 60 

Mexican Wine 

Hugo D’Acosta 62 

Coyotas 

nacho urquiza 

Pemoles de Maíz 

martha ortiz 68 

The Central 

Pacific Coast 70 

JICAMA AND 

jamaica ROLLS 74 

West Mexico 

Nico Mejía 76 

GREEN ceviche 82 

The Avocado 

Rubi Silva 86 

BEEF RIBS 

AU JUS 92 

May I Offer 

You a Mezcal? 

cornelio Pérez 

(Tío Corne) 94 

Jericalla 

Pepitorias 100 

Between Two Oceans 102 

FILLED OCOSINGO 

CHEESE 106 

The Delicacies 

of Green Lands 

Adalberto 

Ríos Szalay 108 

BEAN ROLL 114 

Mexico and 

Its Cheeses 

Carlos Yescas 118 

HOJA SANTA ROLLS 124 

The Many Faces 

of Mexican Coffee 

Jesús Salazar 126 

Nicuatole 

Camotes 132 

The Northeast 134 

chilES STUFFED 

WITH cabrito 

en confit 138 

Cooking 

and the Result 

Adrián Herrera 140 

pork belly TACOS 146 

Cabrito, Flavor 

of the Northeast: 

Abdiel Cervantes 150 

cabrito en fritada 156 

The Navigable Rivers 

of Beer in Mexico 

Ricardo Bonilla 158 

Cocada 

Galletitas de Pinole 164 

Country and City 166 

FLOATING PRICKLY 

PEAR PADS 170 

Cuisine in the Valley 

of Mexico 

Alonso Ruvalcaba 172 

LAMB MixioteS WITH 

PRICKLY PEAR PAD SALAD 178 

Maize 

alicia gironella 182 

tilapia ROASTED 

OVER A pirul WOOD 

FIRE WITH milpa SALAD 

AND WHITE escabeche 188 

Pulque 

JOSÉ N. ITURRIAGA 190 

Buñuelos 

Pirulís 196 

The Southeast 198 

ONIONS WITH 

recado negro 202 

Southeast Mexico 

Ricardo Muñoz Zurita 204 

fish in season, GREEN 

APPLE, AND SEAWEED 

AGUACHILE 210 

Spiciness for the World 

Lalo Plascencia 214 

SLOW-ROasted LAMB BELLY, 

caulilower and eggplant 

purée with tubers 220 

Libations of Fire and Ice 

Héctor Galván 222 

Dulce de Zapote 

Pan de Muerto 228 

mexican GASTRONOMY GLOSSARY 231 

◄ 

4 — Ven a Comer contents — 5

MEXICO IS ONE OF a HANDFUL OF MEGADIVERSE COUNTRIES. ITs 

borders HOUSE TWELVE PERCENT OF THE PLANET’S DIVERSITY, 

ALONG WITH most OF THE WORLD’S EXtanT ECOSYSTEMS. 

Mexico is the result of its millenary culture, enriched by the wisdom 

of its pre-Hispanic peoples and the innovations brought by 

immigrants from other countries. 

The wealth of Mexican gastronomy, above all else, stems from the soil that 

produces its ingredients. Its cuisine is heterogeneous and changes radically 

from one place to another just a few kilometers away. The same can be 

said of the varieties of its raw materials—and the unforgettable flavors—in 

markets, homes, and restaurants that maintain allegiance to the banner of 

traditional recipes, although they have no fear of experimenting giving them 

a contemporary twist. It is a cuisine of many branches, many possibilities, 

always ready to be explored. 

In recent years gastronomy has been in the spotlight on the world’s stage and 

Mexico’s cuisine has shined for its complexity, tradition, and openness to new 

trends, thanks to the professionalism of a large number of contemporary chefs. 

In November 2010 unesco singled out traditional Mexican cuisine as 

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. And so, more people have become 

6 — Ven a Comer VEN A COMER — 7

Ven a Comer 

(Savor Mexico) 

arose as a project 

to invite the world 

to visit Mexico 

through its 

gastronomy.” 

aware of the extraordinary attributes of our cuisine and are interested in 

experiencing it in depth, which makes this another reason to visit us, in 

addition to our marvelous beaches, enormous cultural wealth, and varied 

ecosystems. 

Ven a Comer literally “come to eat” is an emerging project to invite the 

world to visit Mexico through its gastronomy. With “come to eat,” mothers 

traditionally call the family to join around the table at mealtime, and it is 

part of the invitation from Mexicans who open the doors of their home to 

share a hospitable meal. It is an inclusive invitation, where many palates come 

together to discover good Mexican cooking. 

This book beckons the reader to savor Mexico’s recipes and is, at the 

same time, a repository of its history, a sampling of the multiplicity of its 

ingredients and a record of its important day-to-day life. The pens of all the 

authors who contributed to this book trace a historical and geographical 

pathway of food across Mexico: some describe the center, northeast, 

northwest, or southeast of the country; others tempt us with beverages such 

as mezcal; with iconic ingredients such as corn, tomatoes, and chiles; or with 

emblematic desserts. 

From their distinct vantage points the authors of this volume highlight the 

intrinsic value of Mexican gastronomy. Our intention is to allow each reader 

to approach it from different angles with an interest sparked by curiosity to 

know more about it. 

Ven a Comer is more than an invitation to sit down at the table; it is a 

proposal to discover the delicious components of a cuisine that today is one of 

the most highly regarded in the world. 

claudia ruiz massieu 

MINISTER OF TOURISM 

8 — Ven a Comer VEN A COMER — 9

come to eat 

Mexico 

n Gloria López Morales 

UNESCO has recognized Mexico’s delicious traditional cuisine as 

Intangible Cultural Heritage. Now we must care for it because it 

is, and always has been, the foundation of our country’s survival 

and development. 

Although this is an era of globalization, there is an urgent need to affirm our 

unique cultural features in the vast map of cultural and natural diversity. 

Mexico has traditional farming and harvesting methods for the food that is 

transformed in the kitchen into the same dishes our ancestors made. 

Mexican cuisine is based on products from the milpa—the core of the 

agricultural system: corn, beans, chile, and about sixty other products. 

They are grown everywhere in Mexico and through time have been the basis 

of our diet. 

While it is true that greater diversity enriches cuisine, it should be 

pointed out that Mexico boasts considerable culinary creativity that 

distinguishes its regional cuisines. Beyond the superb quality of the 

ingredients, this creative capability is what enables the special touch of 

expertise that a cook or chef brings to cooking to shine through. 

In this country people have always had a joyful vision of food. What 

changed with the unesco recognition was the level of awareness that we 

now have about this cultural heritage: the understanding that good cooking 

10 — Ven a Comer come to eat mexico — 11

Mexican 

cuisine is 

a complex 

living art.” 

Cuitlacoche 

(huitlacoche) is a 

fungus that grows on 

tender ears of corn 

and is regarded as 

a culinary delicacy. 

Recipe by Jorge 

Vallejo, Quintonil. 

is not just the fleeting moment of a well-appointed table, but that it is part 

of a long chain of production and creation that implies the need to create 

the means to safeguard and promote the entire system. 

In this overarching vision tourism plays a decisive role in stimulating 

regional and local cuisines. Knowledgeable travelers prefer to taste foods 

they do not eat at home. 

Mexican cuisine, as a living, complex art, is currently undergoing a boom 

as we see it. On the one hand there are so many food festivals that they no 

longer fit on the calendar; now you can easily find village fairs, festivals, 

celebrations honoring the local patron saint, other kinds of fiestas, harvest 

festivals, and the like where food and drink are plentiful. 

On the other hand the explosion of the gastronomic phenomenon has 

fostered highly productive exchange involving cuisines from other countries 

and the winds of innovation have inspired countless young chefs to produce 

amazing cuisine that blends the intrinsic relation between the plate and the 

planet and the virtues of a healthy, well-balanced traditional diet based on 

local products. 

Dear visitor, venture along the Pacific coast or the Gulf of Mexico, but 

also travel through the Bajío region and the highlands where the land is a 

generous provider. Go to Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Chiapas— 

sanctuaries of indigenous and mestizo cuisine—where there is a marvelous 

custom of dressing the table with cutlery and hand-crafted objects that give 

dining a ritual meaning surrounded by beauty. The Maya world alone is a 

foodie’s paradise with unmistakable ingredients and techniques and 

ingenious use of spices. And then, go to the capital, Mexico City, the place 

that has it all. 

Hand in hand with tradition, we can see the creativity of new chefs in the 

modernized kitchen. They are showing the whole world that fine Mexican 

cuisine is as old as time and as new as this very moment. 

■■■ 

12 — Ven a Comer come to eat mexico — 13

Conquered 

by Mexico! 

n joan roca 

My first trip to Mexico in 1991 coincided with my falling for the 

universal passion for gastronomy. I remember it as the moment 

when many of us became interested in observing the stock of 

food and cultural wealth of other cuisines and learning about 

the whole world. 

This was a trip with historical Catalonian chefs, leaders of a generation prior to 

mine. Master chefs such as Joan Duran, of the Hotel President of Figueres; Pepe 

Tejero, from Las Marinas in Gavà, and Ramon Balsells of La Pineda in Gavà. We 

chatted endlessly, exchanging ideas and experiences. We learned so much. I 

fell in love with Mexico and La Galvia restaurant that was run by Mónica 

Patiño, in Polanco, an area in Mexico City, and became enthusiastic about her 

creativity and modern ways of working that she had learned in France and 

used to modernize Mexican cuisine. At that time in Mexico there were many 

people who saw themselves as heirs of a great tradition and were well 

acquainted with the complexities of producing it. 

At that time also there was a book that impressed me: Like Water for 

Chocolate by Laura Esquivel was published in 1989 and made into a movie by 

Alfonso Arau in 1992. I am not going to go into what a phenomenon this film 

was, but I do want to mention that thanks to it, the entire world discovered the 

wealth of Mexican cuisine highlighted in the engaging plot. 

Since then I have made several trips throughout Mexico where I have been 

able to delve into the gastronomy and especially into foodstuffs and the 

legendary way food is handled. The culinary culture is deeply rooted and part 

of the Mexican character, while it also has the energy of modern cuisine. It is a 

cuisine that is about to eat the world alive. I don’t need to point out that the 

food items cultivated in that vast country are the base of many traditional 

dishes worldwide, especially in Europe. 

From Mestizaje to Fusion 

Fusion, the interaction between cultures, is an offshoot of the worldwide 

interest in diversity. It is inevitable in most disciplines today, as megabytes of 

data flood in. However, when the world started to become globalized, when 

14 — Ven a Comer conquered by meXICO! — 15

The basis 

of Mexican 

cuisine is 

mestizaje.” 

Pre-Columbian and European cultures blended together, that fusion was called 

mestizaje. It resulted in Creoles and for a long time was seen as something 

pejorative or unimportant. 

Not today, however. Fusion is seen as a positive factor, something that has 

made us move forward as people. The basis of Mexican cuisine is that 

mestizaje, and thanks to it, humankind has made enormous strides. At the 

outset we prospered from the fruits of agriculture, especially from the milpa or 

corn field: that magical association of corn, beans, and squash, and at times 

chilies, too, where each plant gives its best. One holds moisture in the land, 

while another fertilizes the soil with nitrogen as it twines up the cornstalk in 

the shade provided by the maize plant. Seen from a distance, it is 

extraordinary, magical, almost like following a recipe, perhaps even more 

complex. Corn, beans, squash, and chilies—whose name morphed to pepper 

and pimento—arrived in Europe with tomatoes and avocados. We have adopted 

them all and love them as our own, along with other products from the 

Americas, notably potatoes. Moreover, we are passionate about chocolate and 

vanilla, which have enabled us to concoct glorious desserts. 

We have gotten a lot from all of these fruits, but, even so, we are way behind 

Mexico with its thousands of years of experience with them. Until recently the 

world was not particularly interested but now we are becoming more aware of 

all that Mexico has given us: some of the most popular products in world cuisine. 

Thanks to fusion, the republic, and its revolution, this country enjoys one of 

the best and most influential of international cuisines. There is now awareness 

of traditions from millennia and influence from across the two great oceans, 

the Pacific and the Atlantic. From the center of the Americas, called 

Mesoamerica, Mexico looks east and west to Europe and to Asia. 

We envy this country that is so geographically diverse with varied climates, 

agricultural production and culinary interpretations. It does not have food 

limitations and restrictions—none at all—in Mexico one can eat everything. We 

acknowledge it is the best cuisine in the world, which was summarized in the 

landmark decision of the Fifth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee in 

Kenya in November 2010 when traditional Mexican cuisine was included on the 

Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico, administered by the 

governmental agency known as the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes 

(Mexican Council for Culture and the Arts). Two aspects of the unesco 

resolution are worth pointing out: 

• Traditional Mexican cuisine is central to the cultural identity of the 

communities that practice and transmit it from generation to generation. 

• Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising 

farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral 

community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective 

participation in the entire traditional food chain, from planting and 

harvesting to cooking and eating. 

On our trips to Mexico we discovered that corn is not something generic, 

rather it is a fact of life. There are many varieties of corn: they are all maize 

but they taste slightly different. Talking about corn in Mexico is complex—a 

bit like talking about bread in Europe. Making tortillas can be likened to a 

research and development project starting with nixtamalization. The leaves 

of the plant are used as wrappers for tamales, and a fungus that grows on the 

kernels, called huitlacoche, is surprisingly delicious. We liked the large 

number of mole sauces—red, green, black, and others. 

Then we discovered the green tomatillo. Avocados in their natural state 

are delightful. We went crazy for red achiote. Oaxaca cheese surprised us—it 

is similar to mozzarella—blended with squash leaves in tortilla turnovers 

called quesadillas. We witnessed the miracle of the hoja santa herb in the 

kitchen and the medicine cabinet. We learned the difference between tequila, 

mezcal, and pulque—all created from maguey. We recognized the agave or 

aloe vera as a beautiful Mediterranean plant, until we learned it was brought 

there from the Americas along with the nopal or prickly pear. 

And, to top it all off, they taught us to toast with the maguey’s offspring to 

the health of Mexican cuisine and in thanksgiving for all it has given us. 

■■■ 

Joan Roca's restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, is number one on San Pellegrino's List 

of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2015. 

In Mexico 

you can eat 

everything. 

It is one of 

the most 

diversified 

cuisines in 

the world.” 

16 — Ven a Comer conquered by meXICO! — 17

Mexican 

Cuisine, 

a Millenary 

History 

n Yuri de Gortari / Edmundo Escamilla 

Not long ago we heard a Frenchman claim that Mexican cuisine 

was not new, because it was almost 500 years old. We were 

somewhat taken aback by this lack of awareness of the depth of 

our food history. When it comes to Mexican gastronomy, we are 

talking about a tradition that has been forged over the course 

of not merely centuries, but millennia. Mexican cuisine is the 

result of a long and complex development of civilization. 

Mexico is one of the few places in the world identified as a cradle of 

agriculture, along with the Mediterranean area, Mesopotamia, and Southeast 

Asia. The earliest plants that were domesticated were chile and corn. In the 

Tehuacán Valley, Puebla, in Tamaulipas and in Oaxaca, archaeological 

vestiges of domesticated chile seeds have been found in contexts suggesting 

human consumption from 7000 and 5000 BC. This gives us an idea of the 

oldest antecedents of our everyday diet. In no other country has the 

consumption of corn and chile been so clearly identified as in Mexican 

contexts at the core of our unique cultural identity. 

By 2000 BC there is clear evidence of Olmec civilization, regarded by 

many as the Mother Culture. By this time various crops that have been the 

basis of our diet for centuries were cultivated; the milpa was sowed with 

corn, beans, chile, and squash. It has been a farming system aimed at 

meeting the needs of personal consumption that has been proven to provide 

the most complete range of nutrients. Moreover, the technique of 

18 — Ven a Comer Mexican Cuisine, a Millenary History — 19

Clearly this 

millenary 

cuisine 

evolved 

in its historical 

development.” 

nixtamalization of corn with lime, ash, or pulverized shells was known by 

then, and tools such as grinding bowls to prepare salsas were also in use. 

Prior to the Christian Era, the cultivation and consumption of other products, 

such as cacao, tomatillo, sweet potato, and jicama, quelites (smooth amaranth), 

and prickly pear, were among a variety of products in what is Mexican territory 

today. Many of these products are now part of the country’s regional cuisines. 

By the third century great civilizations emerged in the Americas, perhaps the 

most outstanding of which were the Mayas, Teotihuacan, and the Zapotecs. Each of 

these cultures possessed advanced agricultural technology that enabled them to 

establish major urban centers with an adequate food supply and storage systems, 

such as cuexcomates (granaries) in Central Mexico. The people also used grinding 

stones to grind the nixtamal (boiled corn) and finely crafted ceramics, such as 

Teotihuacan’s Thin Orange ware, to serve food. In addition to a well-established 

diet based on products from the milpa and a wide variety of New World flora and 

fauna, they had an evolved diet, with excellent sources of animal and plant protein. 

Mexico ranks fifth in terms of biodiversity in the world. All cultures 

established here also consumed meat such as rabbit or hare that was found in 

fifteen varieties, eight of them endemic to Mexico. They also ate deer, peccary, 

fish, seafood, birds, and reptiles, such as delicious iguana meat, as well as 

insects, larvae, and ant eggs. 

In the case of the Mayas, they practiced advanced agricultural techniques: 

terraced irrigation systems to exploit water to the maximum. They also 

practiced slash and burn agriculture, which fertilized the land with ashes from 

the charred stubble. Underground wells or chultunes dug in the porous 

limestone shelf served for water storage. Their diet was composed of an ample 

diversity of foods, including squash, different types of beans, such as ibes and 

xpelón, chiles such as xcatik and bell peppers, plus a variety of beverages such as 

corn-based atoles and pozol. They practiced highly advanced apiculture, because 

all home gardens had hives of Melipona bees, which they raised themselves. 

The Mayas used a pib, an underground oven, to cook tamales or pibes that 

continue to be an emblematic dish on the table in Yucatán. These dishes are 

served with salsas such as k’ool, thickened with corn dough. Nature’s 

abundance provided them with a wide range of fruit, such as nance, sapodilla, 

papaya, black sapote, and ziricote fruit. Their diet also included fish and 

seafood, deer, the great curassow, and ocellated turkey. 

They built a network of roads called sacbeob or “white roads,” which linked 

the principal Maya cities, fostering trade. From the Classic period (200–900), 

the Maya maintained trade relations with distant cultures, hundreds of 

kilometers away. It should be noted that in the Yucatán Peninsula, a major 

urban center was built every 20 kilometers, which suggested a high degree of 

social and political organization. However, for this to be possible, the Mayas 

must have had a stable source of food production and distribution. Their 

decorative arts, some employed in food service, such as handsomely 

decorated vessels to consume a hot chocolate beverage, attest to their elevated 

cultural development. In the sixteenth century Bishop Diego de Landa noted 

that he had never seen a people “so taken with a delight for eating.” 

By the year 900 Toltec culture in Central Mexico had embarked upon a 

series of conquests, subjugating towns and forcing them to pay tribute, as far 

away as those in the Maya region, which led to the fusion of Maya and Toltec 

culture. In Toltec mythology, deities display a profound connection with food: 

Quetzalcoatl (the feathered serpent) gave cacao to man. This god had 

performed autosacrifice to rescue the sacred bones from the Underworld and 

to make the Fifth Sun, the land that was populated by human beings. This is 

the same god who turned himself into an ant to give corn to humankind. 

Another major deity was Tezcatlipoca, the lord who gave and took away riches 

who was connected to food-related myths, as in the case of chile. 

In the Postclassic period (900–1521) the Xochimilca culture was one of many 

inhabiting the Valley of Mexico, along with the former people from 

Teotihuacan, who settled in the zone after the gradual abandonment of their 

great city-state, along with migrants from northern lands who brought their 

knowledge of mountain farming. In the wetlands in the southern lake region, 

they developed chinampa agriculture, which consisted of building floating 

islets anchored in the water where they planted ahuejotes (willows). As they 

grew, the roots of these trees sought the lake bottom, forming a sort of mesh, 

which was filled with soil, mud, and stones. This chinampa cultivation has 

survived to the present and remains a center of agricultural production. By 

that time, the consumption of huautli, which naturalist Carl Linnaeus called 

amaranth, was widespread. 


In the same period, Totonac culture rose to splendor in Veracruz and 

contributed another ingredient that transformed world gastronomy: namely, 

vanilla. 

In 1325 the Aztec established their capital, Tenochtitlan, and set out to 

build a great empire, with a highly sophisticated system to collect tribute, as 

shown in the Codex Mendoza. We also know of the refinement of the table of 

Emperor Moctezuma, described in the chronicles of conquistador Bernal 

Díaz del Castillo and in Hernán Cortés’s letters to King Charles V. For the 

Aztecs, the consumption of chía seeds was of major importance, for it was 

their third basic staple, which gives us an idea of their knowledge of 

nutrition, because now we know that chía is one of the foods richest in 

omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. 

In the description of the foods most often consumed by the Mexica people 

in the Florentine Codex, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún mentions mollis, which 

means salsa or concoction in Nahuatl. Thanks to Sahagún we know of a range 

of dishes such as tamales, pipianes (squash seed sauces), clemoles (chile-laced 

sauce), and pozoles (hominy soup) that are still emblematic of Mexican 

gastronomy. Since that time Purépecha atápakuas (a rich spicy aromatic sauce) 

and corundas (corn dough served with salsa) or uchepos (sweet tamales) were 

known from other regions in Mexico, such as Michoacán. 

In this way the chroniclers bore witness to the fact that a refined and 

complex cuisine was already in existence when the Spaniards arrived. In fact, 

it was a tradition that had been developing for more than twenty centuries and 

that continued to be transformed with the arrival of the conquerors. With 

them new ingredients and techniques, new species and their products were 

introduced, such as pork and lard, beef and dairy products, and sheep, to 

name a few. Other products included wheat and sugarcane; spices such as 

cinnamon, pepper, and cloves, and ingredients such as lettuce, radishes, lima 

beans, mangoes, limes, oranges, apples and quince; not to mention hibiscus 

flower, bay leaf, and thyme. Sugarcane and wheat, ingredients brought by 

Hernán Cortés, gave rise to remarkable Mexican baked goods and Mexican 

fruit was transformed into beautiful Mexican sweets, fruit pastes, jellies, and 

candied fruit. Rabbit meat, once so common, was replaced by pork, while 

chiles were filled with beef and its byproduct, cheese. 

Little by little this led to gastronomic interbreeding in this culinary melting pot, 

where the trade route linking Mexico to the Philippine islands from 1565 to 1815 

also played an important role. From there we received a wide variety of spices that 

were integrated into our cooking along with millenary ingredients and techniques 

with European and African contributions. From the latter region we now enjoy 

molotes (fried meat-filled dough), so traditional in southeastern Mexico. 

Turning to music, by the seventeenth century New Spain had acquired its 

own highly distinctive features with European harmonies, our percussion and 

wind instruments having been adapted to Mexican rhythms. Charrería or 

horsemanship arose on haciendas in central Mexico, in ranch work, where the 

people took advantage of old underground ovens to make barbacoa 

(barbecued) sheep; while pibes, as these cooking pits are known in Yucatán, 

were employed to roast wild boar, replacing peccaries. 

In the same way, countries such as Spain, Italy, and many others in the Old 

World saw their cuisine transformed with the new ingredients from Mexico— 

corn, tomatoes, vanilla, chocolate, and the Mexican turkey—as immortalized in 

the palatial banquet depicted by great Italian artist Giulio Romano in the 

second half of the sixteenth century. 

Toe-tapping huapangos arose, along with sweetened bread, lively sones and 

pambazos (pork sausage and potato sandwiches), jarabes (hat dances) and 

birria (spicy stew). Since the viceregal period food underwent transformations 

and regional gastronomies emerged, as we started to add pork to our pozoles 

and beef to our clemoles. The tlecuil, the hearth in pre-Hispanic kitchens, 

coexisted alongside the portable cooker from Andalusia. In the viceregal 

palace in Mexico City the first large-scale banquets in European style were 

served, although now with a touch of chile. 

In monasteries in New Spain native and European ingredients were 

combined in bien me sabes (coconut-meringue dessert) and capirotadas (bread 

pudding), candied pumpkin, barrel cactus crystalized with sugar, and chocolate 

blended with sugar and cinnamon. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, 

Baroque cuisine exalted the senses “to reach ecstasy and be in contact with 

God.” Pepper, cloves, and cinnamon along with sesame seeds and raisins were 

added to pre-Hispanic mole sauces. Chiles and fruit were combined to make 

superb stews, such as manchamanteles (meat-chile-fruit stew). With Mexican 

So the 

chroniclers 

recorded 

that a refined 

and complex 

cuisine already 

existed when 

the Spaniards 

arrived.” 


In the same 

way, countries 

such as Spain, 

Italy, and many 

others in the 

Old World saw 

their cuisine 

transformed 

with the new 

ingredients 

from Mexico 

—corn, tomatoes, 

vanilla, chocolate, 

and the Mexican 

turkey.” 

Independence, cooks experimented with nut sauce, which can be found in 

eighteenth-century cookbooks now accompanying a remarkable dish: chiles en 

nogada (meat-stuffed peppers with creamy walnut sauce), which Russian 

filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein declared to be the most extraordinary delicacy he 

had ever tasted. 

After Mexican Independence, the country was in direct commercial contact 

with other European powers that, just as the rest of Latin America and the 

United States, followed French protocol. This was a consequence of the fact 

that at this time France dictated the norms of diplomacy. 

Mexican cuisine, which identifies us to the world, was largely consolidated 

by the start of Independent Mexico. Despite its adherence to French protocol 

in official circles, in the intimacy of the home or in the large-scale celebrations 

on haciendas, more traditional Mexican food was on the menu: tamales, mole 

sauces, barbacoa, carnitas (braised pork), tejocotes (Mexican hawthorn fruit) in 

syrup or in jelly or as fruit paste. 

By 1849 marquise Calderón de la Barca wrote about Veracruz food, 

identifying it as such. She said the first time that she tasted it, upon her arrival 

in Mexico at that port, she did not like it at all, but when she tried it again, it 

was delicious. Her advice to travelers was that they needed to reassess their 

prejudices. Only a woman of her talent could have made this comment, 

because it was difficult for nineteenth-century Europeans to understand 

customs and cuisines other than their own. 

The nineteenth century was marked by invasions of Mexico, which had an 

impact on gastronomy and customs. The same occurred with migrations of 

people from France, Italy, Germany, Lebanon, China, and Japan to Mexico at 

the end of that century. 

With the era of Porfirio Díaz and the start of the twentieth century, the 

influence of French cuisine was strong in elite circles. New establishments, 

such as cafés, were consolidated, while small restaurants continued to serve 

traditional Mexican dishes: soup and rice or pasta, the main dish accompanied 

by beans, and dessert at the end. Indoor markets, where Pablo Neruda said the 

“spirit of Mexico” could be found, existed alongside convenience stores and 

corner shops and with the appearance of canned products, such as sardines. 

Italian pastas became part of everyday fare, although baked. 

With the Mexican Revolution we explored our deepest roots and 

ultimately ushered in political power with a strong indigenous or rural 

tendency, unaccustomed to European cuisine, but rather to dishes of more 

autochthonous origin. They served traditional Mexican banquets. By 1920, 

with José Vasconcelos’s educational policy, the need for Mexicans to reflect 

on our own culture drove great artists to paint murals on the history and 

daily life of Mexico on the massive walls of viceregal buildings. In this way we 

saw ourselves reflected in the obsidian mirror of Tezcatlipoca and we 

recognized ourselves peering into the soul of Mexico. Soda fountains became 

popular and there was a rise in quality restaurants in both the capital and the 

provinces. 

Later in the 1940s, Mexico received waves of Spanish Republicans and 

refugees of diverse nationalities. It welcomed them with a tasty morsel and an 

embrace, and appreciation for the mark they left and their culinary customs. 

The revolution in household appliances contributed to the evolution of 

Mexican cuisine, as well as the ever-growing impact of the mass media: radio 

and TV, and more recently the internet, which made their contribution to the 

Mexican diet. By the 1980s, gastronomy as a media phenomenon rose in 

importance and the media began to tout Nouvelle Mexican Cuisine. This had 

an effect particularly in urban settings and on the restaurant industry. 

For the vast majority of people, traditional Mexican food continues to rule 

their diet. However, popular fairs serve buñuelos (deep-fried dough) and birria, 

as well as pancakes, known as hotcakes and now a Mexican tradition, served 

with cajeta (carmelized milk) or marmalade. 

In the 1990s and the twenty-first century, we live in times of change and 

new influences. With the spread of the media and social networks, these 

novelties will gain force, but only time will tell if they have a lasting impact on 

Mexican cuisine, which in most cases reveals the idiosyncrasy of a nation. 

Meanwhile, as we wait to see what the future holds, as the Stridentist artist 

from the 1920s, Germán List Arzubide, put it: 

Long live turkey in mole sauce! 

■■■ 

Traditional 

Mexican food 

was on the 

table: tamales, 

moles, 

barbacoa, 

carnitas, 

tejocotes in 

syrup or in jelly 

or as fruit paste.” 


Traditional 

Mexican 

Cuisine 

n marco buenrostro 

Farming has been a way of life in what is now Mexico for at 

least ten thousand years. Unlike other cultures that developed 

single-crop agriculture, here techniques that were based on 

multiple crops were devised and disseminated. This is the case 

of the milpa, from the Nahuatl mili, culture, and pan, place. This 

cultural project of domestication, adaptation, dissemination, 

and traditional improvement started in antiquity and 

continues to our times. 

Rosalba Morales, 

traditional cook from 

Michoacán. 

Groups of hunter-gatherers developed the first techniques that went into 

cooking: selection of ingredients, dehydration, roasting, grinding, and 

others. Successive advances enabled the invention of local techniques such 

as steaming, the use of earth ovens, the drying and smoking of chiles, and 

drying and salting of meat and fish. Around 1536 Álvar Núñez Cabeza de 

Vaca observed how the cultures in the north had steamers to cook food in 

gourds. The so-called mezcal cultures developed techniques to obtain food 

from the sotol plant (Dasilirión Berlandieri), in ways similar to what we now 

use for barbecue: steaming food in a ground oven. Other techniques were 

grilling and frying. 

Francisco Hernández, who was in Mexico between 1574 and 1577, wrote 

that maguey (agave) was a source of pulque, sugar, and vinegar. In Alonso 

de Molina’s Vocabulario, written in 1571, three names are given for the 

molinillo, the implement used to whip the chocolate drink into a frothy 

beverage. Recent archaeological studies have determined that the Capacha 

culure, from the southern part of today’s state of Jalisco, used special 

containers for distillation. 

26 — Ven a Comer Traditional Mexican Cuisine — 27

Fish and 

shellfish 

from Mexico’s 

extensive 

coastlines 

and its inland 

waters are 

grilled, served 

in ceviches and 

cocktails, and 

turned into a 

varied array of 

cooked dishes.” 

As corn was improved and adapted, specific varieties of maize were 

created such as a dry popcorn type or a moister cacahuacintle for pozole 

(hominy stew). The zapalote chico type is used to make totopos (tortilla chips) 

in Oaxaca; they are a dry sort of tortilla especially appropriate for travel 

rations. In the northern states of Sonora and Sinaloa the coricos or tacuarines, 

a popular kind of cookie or cracker, are made from tender corn from Sonora. 

Other varieties of maize were created: some suitable for making dough 

malleable enough to make tortillas, while other varieties have many other 

uses. When a cook has several types on hand, a specific one is used for a 

given dish. The systematic work of farmers has resulted in sixty-four native 

varieties of corn and thousands of types adapted to different ecosystems 

and preferred by local cooks. 

Nixtamalization of corn, a process that releases niacin and assimilable 

calcium, is another important technological contribution of ancient Mexico 

to the world. Tortillas made from nixtamalized dough have different 

diameters, thicknesses, and colors; there are different ways to grind the 

corn used for tlayudas (large thin tortilla with toppings), tostada-like 

chalupas and raspadas, thick filled peneques or memelas, and unfilled 

tlatlaoyos. The broad-ranging white corn can be converted into tortillas 

used in the preparation of tacos, enchiladas, chilaquiles, and quesadillas 

with unique flavors specific to each region of Mexico. 

The same thing happens with tamales, as they vary in both form and 

flavor and are wrapped in different kinds of leaves. In one book there are 

300 recipes for tamales with their particularities, corresponding to the 

distinct geographical zones. The beverage known as atole also tastes 

different from one region to the next 

Around 118 food plants are native to Mexico including beans, tomatoes, 

chiles, sweet potatoes, amaranth, chía, vanilla, cacao, and many kinds of 

fruit such as pineapple and papaya. Many of them are now part of diverse 

gastronomies in other parts of the world. 

Chiles are a typical ingredient in traditional cuisine, used as a condiment 

in numerous salsas. They are also used as a container, as in the case of 

stuffed chiles, for which there are more than 350 recipes. They are added to 

give color to food preparations, and their flexibility makes them ideal for 

adding aroma and flavor to mole sauces, salsas, stews, and soups. Currently 

more than 200 different chiles with specific qualities are grown and 

harvested and used in regional cuisines. Furthermore, tomatoes can be 

found in soups, salsas, salads, and other dishes. 

The widespread tradition of hunting and fishing, along with the 

domestication of livestock permitted easy access to animal protein. Fish and 

shellfish from Mexico’s extensive coastlines and its inland waters are grilled, 

used in ceviches and cocktails, and turned into many kinds of cooked dishes. 

Since Antiquity a number of flowers have been cooked and served in the 

kitchen; we have counted more than forty of them. The consumption of 

insects is another source of well-being and enjoyment. Greens from the 

milpa, flowers, and fruit are seasonal delicacies that are eagerly awaited. 

Local fruits are transformed into drinks, whether fresh or fermented and 

distilled. We can mention pulque, tesgüino, balché, mezcals and tequilas, 

and there are others as well. 

Many objects devised by the advanced cultures that dwelled in these lands 

can be found as cooking implements in traditional kitchens. They are made 

from a wide array of materials, such as stone, clay, wood, calabash (Lagenaria 

siceraria) shells, and gourds (Crescentia cujete). Some relics were decorated 

with techniques used even today, such as incised lacquer from Olinalá, 

Guerrero. There are archaeological remains of a wide range of ceramic pieces, 

including two-tier plates, steamers, trays, distillers, griddles, salsa containers, 

small braziers to keep food warm, bottles, footed bowls, large basins known as 

apaxtles, oven dishes, pitchers, squat cups and taller drinking vessels, strainers, 

and graters. Although they have changed over time, most are still used today. 

Two other kitchen utensils that have not fallen by the wayside are the 

metate (grinding stone) and the molcajete (grinding bowl), ideal for 

crushing, whether by friction, impact, or pressure. During the pre-Hispanic 

era and until the seventeenth century, besides obsidian knives and blades, 

they used maguey fibers for cutting. 

Within Mexico there are cultures with their own character and an 

enduring ongoing history. Today when we talk about traditional Mexican 

cuisine, it is understood to refer to all of the cuisines of the indigenous 

groups in addition to regional cooking. 


Mexican 

gastronomy 

today offers 

wide-ranging 

possibilities 

for exploring 

vast areas 

where we 

encounter 

new 

sensations 

and tastes.” 

Before contact with the Europeans, the cuisine of the vibrant advanced 

cultures that inhabited these lands was already completely formed. After 

contact with other latitudes, each of today’s cultures has been able to 

appropriate for itself and further develop how to use ingredients from 

abroad. This is the case of the Philippines. Every one of the Manila galleons 

brought ingredients as well as techniques to Acapulco. We adopted them 

and gave them a local touch. One example is the mango or the technique for 

making a refreshing drink known as tuba from the coconut palm. The 

Europeans brought wheat, sugarcane, cattle, sheep, and goats to the New 

World and all of these have been integrated into Mexican cuisine. 

An ancient technical concept that is a constant and helped diminish the 

human impact on nature is the idea of using diverse parts of a species. For 

instance, different parts of plants are used at different stages of the plant’s 

maturity. This technique is employed with corn, squash, maguey, beans, 

and chiles, among others. 

Mexican gastronomy today offers wide-ranging possibilities for exploring 

new sensations and tastes. Anywhere this rich and varied cuisine is 

prepared, we can expect surprises and opportunities to find out about and 

take part in new experiences. If we focus on the environment, it is equally 

surprising to note how cooking ingredients and other products have 

changed in tandem with the ecosystems of the different regions or 

according to the cultures that produced these refined expressions. 

The wealth of our cuisine is part of our identity and is based on natural 

and cultural diversity. Traditional cooking is present in most Mexican 

homes and adheres to processes of continuity and change in a natural way. 

Parallel to this, many chefs trained in specialized schools come up with 

new approaches and attempts to innovate preparations and presentations. 

There are also groups that align their proposals with what is currently 

trendy. An example of this is the so-called “kitchen on wheels.” Others 

assign new names to ways they attempt to make new enduring classics by 

taking elements from traditional cuisine that they call new, avant-garde, 

modern, innovative, contemporary, up-to-date. In cosmopolitan cities it is 

possible to eat dishes from other parts of the world and, of course, those 

that are traditional in Mexico. 

If we venture out of the city to smaller communities, there are plenty of 

places where we can approach our flavors: restaurants, small eateries, 

markets, establishments that serve traditional Mexican dishes, and 

restaurants specializing in supper. For an opportunity to sample food 

specially made for celebrations, a visitor can try to approach the fiesta site 

and if he or she shows interest, it is highly likely that the individual will be 

welcomed as a guest and invited to take part in the festivities. 

Without exaggeration, it would be fair to say that few countries can offer 

an array of traditional cuisine as broad as Mexico’s. 

■■■ 


Sweet Land 

n marTHA ORTIZ 

Mexican candy-making can be likened to a filigree of honey and 

sugar that exquisitely embroiders our gastronomic history and 

distinguishes our legacy as masters of supreme talent. 

The alfeñiques 

are fantastic 

animals 

that define an 

ideal world. 

Our candies, as complex as our history, are figurative representations of an 

“ideal world” created with fantasy and magic. They are a finished mise en 

scène of flavors in a script that in the great gastronomic theater were tenderly 

hand-painted to win favors or delight saints or sinners with the brilliant 

palette of Mexican colors and the unique hues of a master artisan. 

These colors, whose contrast, vibrancy, and design, together with exotic 

and sublime ingredients (terms applied by Mexicans and foreigners alike) 

confirm the phrase “made from chile, sugar, and shortening” with a shower 

of these sugary, salty, and chile-kissed delights. Moreover, candies can have 

beautiful paper wrappers or colorful outer coatings, or else they can be 

exhibited almost naked in their outer flesh of corn or sensual fruit. They can 

also be seen as day-to-day fare or be dressed up for fiestas and ceremonies. 

Ingredients such as tamarind, coconut, cacao, vanilla, natural or popped 

corn, amaranth, sweet potatoes, and fruits sweetened with caramel or 

perfumed with lovely flowers and leaves, form a perfect union, lovers in our 

culinary cosmos, stars shining by day or blazing in a dark night. And the 

gastronomic narrative continues, because these candies are of noble birth 

and are aptly named in the lyrical poetry that distinguishes our cuisine. 

Smiles of joy, death and resurrection in the sugar of candy skulls; 

encounters with peanut brittle, filled candies hot off the griddle, meringues 

coated with colorful sprinkles, shiny caramel-coated apples on sticks 

parading through fairs, multicolored cotton candy, golden coconut 

macaroons on their paper base, candy on a stick as hard as a coral reef, white 

and pink boiled milk candies, ear-shaped candies that listen and sing in our 

language, spiral-shaped lollipops, and covered fruit in a still life made for 

eternity. Ever present, our candies, the glory of Mexico, send a friendly wink 

to our palette. 

■■■ 

32 — Ven a Comer SWEET LAND — 33

CORN 

Maize is the core of the Mexican diet. It is the crop 

with most presence throughout the country and is the 

heart and soul of the milpa. 

NIXTAMALIZATION This process prepares the corn for grinding: 

Boil 

the corn 

in limewater. 

GRIDDLED 

Tortillas 

Let 

it soak 

for 8 hours. 

Rinse and 

grind to make 

masa. 

th 

world 

producer 

SINALOA 

produces: 

FRIED STEAMED BOILED 

6% 

’ . kg 

of the nation’s volume 

Tostadas Quesadillas Tamales Atole 

is the annual consumption 

of tortillas per person 

Chemical changes occur in the corn 

during nixtamalization. Proteins become 

easy to assimilate, the supply of amino acids 

increases, and nutrition is enhanced with 

calcium, iron, and zinc. 

THE BASIS 

OF OUR CUISINE 

THE MILPA IS A CENTURIES-OLD, COMPLEX AGRICULTURAL AND 

CULTURAL SYSTEM. THE PLANTS ALL GROW ON THE SAME PLOT, 

MAINTAINING FERTILITY OF THE SOIL AND REDUCING EROSION. 

MEXICAN MILPA = 

corn+ beans + squash + chiles + quelites 

Quelite 

Cuitlacoche 

Cuitlacoche is a fungus that 

develops on tender ears of corn 

and is considered a culinary delicacy. 

CHILE 

A herbaceous plant with white or 

pink flowers that grows in the milpa. 

nd 

world producer 

of green chiles 

SCOVILLE SCALE 

SINALOA 

produces: 

% 

of the nation’s volume 

of green chiles 

Some types of peppers and their pungency: 

kg 

consumption per 

person per year 

DOMESTICATED 

Chile plants in other 

countries have been 

modified and give 

sweet green peppers. 

The burning sensation 

and reaction are caused 

by capsaicin, a chemical 

that stimulates receptors 

in skin and mucous 

membranes in the mouth. 

SALSA ROJA COCIDA = 

cooked tomatoes + 

cooked fresh chile 

de árbol + onion + 

garlic + salt 

MEXICAN 

VARIETIES 

Bell pepper 

Poblano 

Jalapeño 

de árbol 

Piquín 

Habanero 

Based on morphological, 

adaptable, and genetic 

characteristics, corn is 

classified in seven 

racial groups: 

BEANS 

Conical 

Sierra de 

Chihuahua 

Eight 

rows 

Chapalote 

Beans contain carbohydrates, high protein content, fiber, fat, calcium, 

iron and vitamins: B-complex, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, and thiamine. 

Beans add nitrogen to the milpa and improve the growth of corn and other plants. 

Early 

Maturing 

Tropical 

dent 

Late 

Maturing 

FRIJOLES DE LA OLLA = 

beans + water + salt + aromatic 

herbs (epazote, avocado leaf) 

Cuitlacoche 

Bean 

Corn 

Squash 

Squash blossom 

Chile 

Units on 0 From 1,000 

the Scoville 

Heat Scale 

to 2,000 

SQUASH 

From 2,500 

to 10,000 

From 10,000 

to 30,000 

All the varieties are grown in all the agricultural regions. 

Squash grows with corn and beans in the milpa. 

From 30,000 

to 60,000 

These are some of the varieties of the genus Cucurbita of the Cucurbitaceae 

family, which also includes watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumber: 

: 

From 200,000 

to 350,000 

th world 

producer 

. kg 

consumption 

per person per year 

In Mexico four species of beans are commonly raised 

Common bean 

Butter bean 

Runner bean 

Tepari bean 

APPROXIMATE 

COOKING TIME 

60 minutes 

90 to 120 

minutes 

ZACATECAS produces: 

of the nation’s 

% volume 

. kg of beans 

are consumed per person per year 

QUELITES 

Tender herbs rich in nutritional 

content: high in fiber, iron, potassium 

and vitamins C and D. They grow wild 

in and around the milpa. 

Squash blossoms 

are edible. 

species 

belonging to different botanical 

families, many of them endemic to Mexico. 

Pipiana Chilacayote Kabocha Castile or Winter Squash 

Fried or grilled, 

The seeds are an 

Known as Japanese 

The pulp is cooked in a 

the seeds are 

ingredient in 

squash, it is for 

brown sugar syrup to 

used in pipián 

candy brittle. 

the Asian market. 

make candied squash 

and green mole. 

or calabaza en tacha. 

PIPIÁN VERDE = 

Toasted pumpkin seeds + 

tomatillos+ water + lard + 

serrano chiles + fried garlic+ 

cilantro, parsley or epazote 

leaves + hoja santa + salt 

SONOR A 

produces: 

% 

of the nation's 

volume of squash 

Zucchini 

The tender flesh is eaten 

as a vegetable or as an 

ingredient in stews, salads, 

soups, and broths. 

Data: Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA) and the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO). 

34 — Ven a Comer 

the basis of our cuisine — 3 6

GASTRONOMIC REGIONs 

ven a comer 

MEXICO’S GASTRONOMY IS RICH IN TRADITIONS AND 

EXPERIMENTATION. WE HAVE DIVIDED THE COUNTRY INTO 

REGIONS BASED ON SHARED PRODUCTS, INGREDIENTS, 

DISHES, AND PRESENTATION. 

MAR sea Y and DESIERTO DESert 

the 

EL northeast 

NORESTE 

Baja 

California Califronia 

Sonora 

Chihuahua 

Coahuila 

Nuevo León 

Zacatecas 

Baja 

California Califronia 

Sur 

Sinaloa 

Durango 

San Luis Potosí 

Tamaulipas 

the EL PACÍFICO 

central 

pacific DEL CENTRO coast 

Nayarit 

Jalisco 

Country 

CAMPO 

and 

Y 

City 

CIUDAD 

Aguascalientes 

Guanajuato 

Querétaro 

Colima 

Guerrero 

State Estado 

of de México 

Hidalgo 

Tlaxcala 

Michoacán 

Morelos 

Ciudad 

Mexico de México City 

between 

ENTRE 

two 

DOS 

oceans 

MARES 

the 

southeast 

el sureste 

Puebla 

Veracruz 

Yucatán 

Campeche 

Oaxaca 

Chiapas 

Tabasco 

Quintana 

Roo

sea and 

desert 

sea and 

desert 

baja california / baja california sur / 

chihuahua / durango / sinaloa / sonora 

38 — Ven a Comer sea and deserT — 39

sea and 

desert 

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THIS REGION SPANS IMMENSE PLAINS, 

CRAGGY SIERRAS, UNINHABITABLE DESERTS, AND COASTS WITH 

A SCATTERING OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES. IT HAS A WEALTH OF 

CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS AND ENORMOUS BIODIVERSITY. 

The Sonora beaches 

have tranquil waters 

and many days of 

sunshine. 

from 

THE SEA 

Along the coastline 

of this region 

—some 5,455 

kilometers— 

aquaculture produces 

crustaceans, 

mollusks, 

and tuna fish. 

Fertile valleys in Baja California produce Mexico’s best wines. Its 

waters cradle the baby whales born there. Cave paintings and 

Jesuit missions built three hundred years ago attract visitors from 

all corners of the world. 

The most important Mexican producers of apples, nuts, and 

jalapeño peppers are in Chihuahua. This state is proud of the 

archaeological ruins of Paquimé and the Copper Canyon region. 

Sonora has a thriving industrial city, Hermosillo, considered 

one of the five best Mexican cities to live in; two Magical Towns, 

Álamos and Magdalena de Kino; and the Altar Desert, a unesco 

biosphere reserve. 

Sinaloa’s coastline is bathed by the Pacific; it has broad valleys and 

is one of the country’s foremost agricultural producers. Mazatlán 

and Topolobampo have the second largest fishing fleet in Mexico. 

Birthplace of Pancho Villa and Silvestre Revueltas, Durango is 

a colonial gem. It is Mexico’s second gold and silver producer. Its 

ideal landscapes have been natural sets for several movies on the 

American Wild West. ▲ 

There is a choice of 

marinas in this region 

for those sailing the 

Pacific by yacht. 

Paquimé is one of the 

foremost archaeological 

zones in northern 

Mexico. 

The Altar Desert has 

extreme temperatures 

and fascinating scenery. 

Gray whales in Baja 

California Sur. 

The Cathedral of 

Durango, a monumental 

legacy of New Spain. 

The arch of Cabo San 

Lucas, headland of Baja 

California peninsula. 


sea and 

desert 

FISH OF 

THE DAY 

serves 4 | 30 minutes | easy 

BAJA 

STYLE 

TACO 

Known as a Fish Taco, 

this is one of the 

classic preparations 

of the region. It is a 

flour tortilla topped 

with batter-fried 

fish, cabbage, and 

mayonnaise, usually 

served with an array of 

bottled salsas. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Ground dried chiles: 

2 guajillo chiles 

2 chiles de árbol 

2 ancho chiles 

2 cascabel chiles 

2 morita chiles 

2 chipotle chiles, dried 

Dried garlic 

Natural salt from San Felipe, Baja 

California 

Fish: 

12 tomatillos (green tomatoes), 

cubed 

4 tablespoons onion, chopped 

2 tablespoons green chile, 

chopped 

Fresh coriander leaves 

Olive oil 

Sherry vinegar 

Ground black pepper 

4 fresh loin-cut rockot, with skin 

(200 grams each) 

Ground fine herbs 

2 tortillas, toasted and crushed 

4 tablespoons dry cheese 

2 cups beans, mashed and 

refried in lard 

PREPARATION 


Discard the veins from the chiles. 

Grind them to a powder, add garlic 

and salt; set aside. 

Fish: 

Mix the green tomatoes, onion, 

green chile and coriander in a 

bowl with a dribble of olive oil and 

vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Season the rockot fish with salt, 

ground dried chiles, and fine herbs. 

Fry the fish in olive oil starting with 

skin side down 

Add the tortilla and cheese to the 

green tomato salad. Mix well. 

Serve the fish with the hot refried 

beans and green tomato salad. 

BENITO 

MOLINA AND 

SOLANGE 

MURIS 


sea and 

desert 

A Fusion of 

Traditions 

SALT 

n jair téllez 

THE SIERRAS, DESERTS, FERTILE 

VALLEYS, AND THE SWEEPING 

COASTLINES OF THE PACIFIC 

AND SEA OF CORTEZ HAVE 

PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR 

THE INHABITANTS OF THIS REGION 

TO EXCEL IN MINING, FORESTRY, 

AGRICULTURE, AND FISHING. 

An essential 

seasoning. 

In Mexico salt is 

produced at Guerrero 

Negro and San Felipe 

in Baja California; 

Cuyutlán, Colima; 

Salina Cruz, Oaxaca; 

and Celestún, Yucatán. 

In fact, the exceptionally long shoreline 

accounts for the abundance of seafood in 

the region’s gastronomy, while the sprawling 

plains in Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango 

are the home of cattle ranches that dot the 

vast landscape. 

There are immense fields of grains, 

vegetables, and fruit for drying. By way of 

example, the fields in Sinaloa alone produce 

almost 40 percent of the tomatoes consumed 

in Mexico. In neighboring Durango, beans 

and corn are major crops. 

Sonora rates first place nationwide in 

the production of grapes, potatoes, and 

asparagus. Mexico is supplied with thousands 

of tons of green chiles, apples, and nuts from 

Chihuahua. Ours is an authentic surf and turf 

culinary success. 

The distance from the cultures of Central 

Mexico is seen in the distinct cuisine of the 

Salt works at Guerrero 

Negro, Baja California 

Sur. 

A chef at Restaurante 

Manzanilla in Ensenada. 

A meat, avocado, and 

fish dish at Tras Lomita 

in Valle de Guadalupe. 

Internationally 

renowned lobster tacos 

at Puerto Nuevo in 

Rosarito. 


sea and 

desert 

AGUACHILE 

The sea’s fresh bounty is seen in this shrimp cooked in lime juice and 

seasoned with red onion, cucumber, chile de árbol, and salt. 

Northwest. The basics of the gastronomy 

in this part of Mexico are defined by the 

melding of products and techniques that 

came into being as a result of the encounter 

between the cultures of Europe and the New 

World. 

It is an amalgam of the culinary traditions 

of the early pre-Hispanic settlers with 

the practices of the pioneering European 

immigrants. The result of adversity, it reflects 

the isolation of its unusual environmental 

spaces and is also influenced by its proximity 

to the United States. Our gastronomic 

culture is evident in a constant search for 

ingredients, cooks, and producers. 

The most outstanding recipes from the 

northwest coast are determined by the 

availability of high quality fish and shellfish. 

From the Pacific and its cold waters we 

fish, prepare, and consume enormous 

amounts of unique fruits of the sea including 

centollos (spider crabs), lobsters, sea urchins, 

barnacles, abalones, squid, and clams. 

The cuisine inland arises from reaping 

the benefits of working the rolling plains, a 

geography ideal for cattle raising. The main 

protagonist here is beef cattle that can be 

cooked to perfection by just throwing it on a 

grill with a dash of salt and pepper. 

Many preparations feature machacas 

(dried meat, fish, and shellfish) that are 

enormously popular. Historically, they 

came about because of the need to preserve 

products from the sea. Salted and dried meat 

and vegetables adapted easily to the adverse 

conditions of the desert and became popular 

among all of Mexico’s northern communities. 

Sinaloa boasts the famed pescado 

zarandeado (grilled filet of fish with olives, 

chiles, butter, and a mayonnaise and mustard 

sauce), as well as shrimp tamales, and the 

ever popular aguachiles, a cocktail of shrimp 

CAESaR 

SALAD 

Created in Tijuana 

in the 1920s by Caesar 

Cardini, it combines 

lettuce, anchovies, 

garlic, oil, vinegar, 

Worcestershire sauce, 

egg yolks, parmesan 

cheese, lime, croutons, 

salt, and pepper. 

Seaside dining by the 

Pacific in Los Cabos 

Shrimp tamales from 

the market in Mazatlán. 

Sunset at a seaside 

restaurant in Mazatlán. 

“Student’s special” with 

tomato compote, a dish 

by chef Roberto Alcocer. 

Valle de Guadalupe. 

Traditional fish and 

shellfish tostada 

from Sabina “La 

guerrerense”, 

Ensenada. 


sea and 

desert 

cooked in lime juice with onion, chiles, and 

cucumber, the local equivalent to ceviche. 

The predominant flavor of all these seafood 

preparations is tart. 

In Durango dishes such as caldillo 

durangueño, based on dried meat, red 

chiles, and tomatoes, are prepared. Also 

worth mentioning are the delicious gallinas 

borrachas, a plate of hen’s meat prepared 

with stir-fried sausage, ham, and sherry. 

Chihuahua and Sonora deserve special 

mention, apart from their excellent steaks. 

They are also known for their coyotas 

sonorenses (sweet turnovers of wheat flour 

and native brown sugar); burritos (large flour 

tortilla tacos filled with varied preparations 

of beef or pork); chimichangas (enormous 

fried meat-filled flour tortillas); and the 

impressive discada (several kinds of meat, 

sausages, and fried vegetables served on a 

plow disk), which is common to several states 

in this region. 

One of the most delicious expressions of 

modern Mexican cuisine is to be found on 

the northern border. For many years it was 

thought that food on the border, with few 

historical and traditional references, was 

less representative and, therefore, not a true 

expression of regional cuisine. Nowadays 

we can see our gastronomy is totally the 

opposite. It is authentic in the most modern 

meaning of the word: it is genuine because it 

has to do with how the people cook, eat, live, 

imagine, and savor their food. ▲ 

Enjoying a good Sonora 

taco. 

The cangrejo moro 

stone crab is a treasure 

from the Pacific’s cold 

waters. 

The new culinary 

trends of the Northwest 

are alive and well in 

Ensenada and other 

cities. 

Shellfish cocktails being 

prepared at a street 

stand in Ensenada. 

Machaca for sale in the 

Culiacán market. 

The restaurants in Valle 

de Guadalupe are part 

of the wine-growing 

experience. 


sea and 

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COLD AND WARM 

SHELLFISH 

MANZANILLA 


TODAY’S 

CATCH 

Restaurants 

and food stands 

on the Mexican coasts 

offer today’s catch of 

oysters, clams, 

octopus, shrimp, crab, 

lobster, and more, 

prepared in cocktails, 

tostadas, tacos, and 

other dishes. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 




2 chiles anchos 

2 cascabel chiles 

2 morita chiles 

2 chipotle chiles, dried 

Dried garlic 

Natural salt from San Felipe, Baja 

California 

Shellfish: 

160 grams pigs feet, boiled and 

chopped 

4 tablespoons onion, chopped 

2 tablespoons green chile, 

chopped 

Olive oil 

Sherry vinegar 

Dry oregano 


4 tablespoons butter from 

Rancho Ramonetti 

2 fresh tarragon leaves 

2 shallots, chopped 

Black pepper, coarsely ground 

Raspberry vinegar 

4 white chione clams, open 

Gorgonzola cheese 

4 small oysters from Bahía 

Manuela, open 

8 medium sized oysters from 

Bahía Falsa, open 

PREPARATION 


Discard the veins from the chiles. 

Grind to a powder, add garlic and 

salt; set aside. 

Shellfish: 

Mix the pigs feet, onion, green 

chile, a dribble of olive oil, and 

vinegar in a bowl. Season with 

oregano, salt, and pepper. Set 

aside. 

Melt the butter in a small frying 

pan. Remove from stove and add 

a pinch of powdered chiles and 

tarragon; keep warm. 

Mix chopped shallots with black 

pepper and a dribble of raspberry 

vinegar. Set aside. 

Cover the clams with gorgonzola 

and place them together with the 

oysters from Bahía Manuela on a 

grate. Smoke and pour the butter 

and tarragon on the oysters and 

the olive oil on the clams. 

Serve the shellfish on a thick bed 

of salt on each plate. 

Spoon the pigs feet salad over 

the chilled oysters from Bahía 

Falsa and the shallot mixture over 

the warmed oysters from Bahía 

Manuela. 

BENITO 

MOLINA AND 

SOLANGE 

MURIS 


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THE REGION’S CUISINE HAS THE 

SEA AS ITS MAIN ALLY, BUT IT IS ALSO 

THE SOURCE OF WORLDCLASS 

STEAKS, CHEESES, VEGETABLES, 

AND WINES. MANY DISHES RELY 

ON TRADITION WHILE OTHERS ARE 

CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. 


sea and 

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the tomato, 

Mexican 

Heart 

n Martha Chapa 

To the eye, the tomato could also be one of nature’s 

suns or better yet the sun king of the kitchen. Who can 

elude the intense reds that flow from its roundness, 

illuminating gastronomy’s times and places. A river of 

burning freshness —so to speak in the literary oxymoron 

in the unsurpassed style of my illustrious fellow Mexican 

Alfonso Reyes— that crosses the Mexican table. 

It rolls with light, color, and flavor through the simplest and most refined 

dishes. And so, its tonalities and unmistakable nuances of taste unfold, 

whether in a dazzling salad or the blush of a red cream soup, enjitomatadas 

(tortillas bathed in a tomato sauce), myriad tradition dishes, a reviving 

ceviche, Veracruz-style fish, Sonora-style shrimp, salbutes (fried corn dough 

with toppings) from Yucatán, cabrito (young goat) in blood sauce from 

Monterrey, or in red mole sauce from Guerrero, as well as in garnishes 

accompanying and beautifying the banquet as a whole; or in marmalades for 

dessert, in addition to juices, cocktails, clamatos, and even sangrita served 

with tequila, and of course, as the decisive ingredient in Mexican salsa, the 

indispensable concoction emblematic of our identity. 

An assembly of nations has unanimously embraced it and a generous serving 

dresses up Italian spaghetti, Hungarian goulash, American BBQ ribs (and why 

not a Bloody Mary), Spanish gazpacho, Indian samosas, French ratatouille, 

Portuguese bacalhau (cod), and Asian sweet-and-sour dishes . . . And whether 

on top, below, or in between, the content of tarts and tortas (filled rolls), 

sandwiches, pizzas, and raviolis. We might say it is a sort of divine omnipresence 

ranging from fresh and natural to dried or crystalized. 


sea and 

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PICO DE GALLO 

This is Mexico’s most popular salsa with more than 23 

versions. Classic pico de gallo contains tomatoes, onion, 

serrano chiles, and cilantro. 

35% 

of Mexico’s tomato 

production comes 

from Sinaloa. Mexico 

ranks tenth among 

worldwide tomato 

producers. 

n 

In a fresh decanter of its juice the warm pulp blankets everyone’s health with 

the promise of providing vitamins (B1, B2, B5, and C, and thus antioxidants), 

carbohydrates, and minerals. 

If we examine its medicinal properties, already in the most ancient codices 

and colonial treatises, not to mention modern times, it has been linked to the 

treatment of heart conditions (what a paradox: from a plant heart to a human 

heart!), lung ailments, kidney stones, sore throats . . . and more. 

To the touch, it is that soft skin that runs through the imagination to then take 

delight in the paradise of the palate, or to stimulate the appetite through the 

sound of it sizzling in pots, frying pans, and casseroles. 

You see, hear, feel . . . and taste it! To the sense of smell, it emits a special 

aroma, as if it were red ink born in the deepest reaches of the very heart of Mexico. 

And what can be said of the explosive red and detained fire that flutters in 

one of the colors of the nation’s flag, like tomatoes, always close to our heart. 

Baptized in Nahuatl millennia earlier, the tomato has a hallmark: the navel that 

joins it for all time to Mother Earth as its sole true umbilical cord. 

Its long evolution culminated in major cultures such as that of the Aztecs 

and Mayas. Surrounded by myths and legends, this condition was forewarned, 

because it was precisely the gods who gave humankind the seeds to plant, 

harvest the fruit, and to feed themselves, in addition to offering tomatoes and 

giving them in tribute to their own creators. In these cosmogonies, the deity 

Tlaloc stood out for his life-giving rain and for fostering abundance in fields sown 

in the equally miraculous earth. Other gods and goddesses dwelled in the realm 

of the indigenous imagination, whether Chicomecoatl, the female divinity that 

oversaw the growth of the fields; or Ehecatl, whose benign wind played a role in 

agricultural wealth, accompanied by prayers and other rituals. 

When the Spaniards arrived in the lands later known as Mesoamerica, they 

encountered this unknown fruit and learned its two names: xictli (navel) and 

tomatl (green husk tomato), which led to the Spanish word jitomate (tomato) 

and which almost immediately reached Spain in the sixteenth century and soon 

spread, as confirmed by seventeenth-century monastery cookbooks. A century 

later its cultivation began in France, with some reservation, for it was believed to 

possess aphrodisiac properties and thus deemed shameful or at least a risk for 

ladies or for use in family cooking. From there and the fruit’s intense coloring 

arose the erotic or sinful connotations of tomatoes in various countries. 

However, we should not overlook the sacrilege of individuals, confused in 

times of dark ignorance, who banned tomatoes from the table, because they 

believed they aroused depraved desires, or even worse, that they came from a 

poisonous plant. 

Today, fortunately, there is no table where they are not served, nor any 

palate that does not enjoy them. At the end of the day, this colorful flavor 

triumphed with the help of its many gifts. 

The brilliant colors of tomatoes light up the markets and tables of Mexico. 

All regions have varieties that provide sweetness, acidity, and consistency to stews and drinks. 


sea and 

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Tomato and serrano 

chile salsa made in a 

grinding bowl. 

Colorful tomato 

varieties. 

Tortilla soup is 

seasoned with 

tomatoes and pasilla 

chiles. 

Cherry-tomato salad. 

Its beauty could not be overlooked by Mexican artists, especially painters 

such as Hermenegildo Bustos, Agustín Arrieta, or Manuel González Serrano. In 

their still lifes the tomato is the centerpiece that radiates everything surrounding 

it: an Eden of color that always seems to be red hot. And in Mexican popular 

culture, its roundness predominates as a recurrent motif in the decoration of 

vases, bark paper, and folk art, as well as in songs and riddles. 

This Solanaceae (nightshade) is one of Mexico’s gifts to world biodiversity. Its 

fleshy presence has played a decisive role in and beyond the hearth worldwide, 

for it is known in French as pomme d’amour (apple of love); in Italian as 

pomodoro (apple of gold); and in German as Paradeisapfel (apple of paradise). 

Although this plant is said to originally have come from South America, its 

domestication is proudly and indisputably rooted in Mexico. 

So it was born here, as part of us, and as centuries of civilization have 

transpired, its color and flavor grace not only the most diverse of tables, but have 

also been captured for all time in art. 

A starting point, as a vegetable born and raised on Mexican lands, it has 

remained faithful to fulfilling its role with the maxim of the eternal return. 

The twentieth century saw it converted for universal delight into Andy 

Warhol’s iconic picture in the disguise of tomato soup and in Pablo Neruda’s 

magnificent poem “Ode to Tomatoes” to mention only a pair of luminous 

examples as proof. 

Of course the marvel of seeing it sprout first as a plant and shortly after with 

its spectacular luxuriance requires a conjunction of natural and climatic factors, 

where the hand of man and woman has been and is still decisive. Thus, the plant 

can grow from the soil and reach 1 to 3 meters, and at times even more with full 

verdure, flagrant blooming, balanced branches, and oval-shaped leaves. 

And don’t believe that its beauty and characteristic circumference abides 

by and obeys a common geometry, for example that of the classic beefsteak 

tomato. Instead it is reborn in the plurality of the tomato varieties primarily 

known as cherry, saladette, pear, Marmande, Vemone, pometa tardío, San 

Marzano, and cocktail tomatoes. Its tonalities offer a stamp of distinction, so 

some look greenish, orange, yellowish, pinkish, or whitish. 

Their varieties can be long, kidney-shaped, or round without ever betraying 

their own accentuated identity in the area of taste. Similarly, if it were a matter 

of their size, they would resemble a planetary system, from the tiny cherry 

tomato (1 to 2 cm) to the beef heart tomato (more than 10 cm), although their 

standard dimension is from 5 to 6 cm in diameter. As for its weight, the typical 

beefsteak tomato can range from a few grams to more than a kilo, although 

generally speaking it varies from 200 to 300 grams. 

A vegetable sun, it preferentially seeks warm temperate climates; 

although when we see it grow throughout the length and breadth of 

Mexico’s territory, it would seem to be on a mission to fulfill a conviction to 

the republic. And in this orbit, the region of the country where it seems to 

multiply day by day is precisely the lands of northwestern Mexico, mainly 

Sinaloa and Baja California, although it grows at many other latitudes 

and even nests in milpas (the miltomate or green tomato), that survive in 

recondite corners of the nation, always assuming the dominion of its fate: 

to nourish, delight, embellish, and heal . . . And it earns high merit among 

our productive assets and at different moments occupies privileged spots 

on the horizon of exports, for it is also industrialized as purée, paste, and in 

other forms. 

All in all, this magic fruit that arose in our Mexican paradise has endured as a 

source of youth and happiness. 

Indeed, the tomato is a miraculous vegetable that dwells so deeply within us 

that it symbolizes a Mexican heart vibrantly present in the constellation of flavors 

and fully appreciated by each of our senses. ▲ 

6.7 

kilos of tomatoes 

consumed annually 

per person. 

n 


sea and 

desert 

CARROT SOUP 

WITH PARTRIDGE 

FOAM 


ON THE 

GRILL 

Meat, fish, and 

seafood grilled over 

mesquite wood is the 

favorite technique in 

northern Mexico. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Carrot soup: 

800 grams carrots 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 cup milk 

1 cup whipping cream 

Salt and pepper 

Lemon balm infusion: 

2 cups water 

30 grams lemon balm leaves 

3 tablespoons white vinegar 

Partridge foam: 

Vegetable oil 

200 grams smoked partridge 

½ white onion 

2 cloves of garlic, chopped 


4 envelopes unflavored gelatin, 

soaked in cold water 

Beef sweetbreads: 

12 cups water 

½ cup white wine 

1 onion 

1 piece of celery 

1 carrot 

2 cloves of garlic 

800 grams beef sweetbreads 

3 pieces fresh thyme 

Whole black pepper 

Flour 

Oil for frying 

Garnish: 

Broccoli florets (blossoms) 

PREPARATION 

Carrot soup: 

Boil the carrots in a pan with butter 

and water. Drain, mash the carrots into 

a fine purée and mix with milk and 

cream. Season with salt and pepper, 

pass through a strainer, and set aside. 

Lemon balm infusion: 

Place the water and lemon balm 

leaves in a saucepan and heat. Turn 

off the flame and let it steep for a few 

minutes; strain and add the vinegar. 

Partridge foam: 

Sauté the partridge with onion and 

garlic until slightly browned. Add the 

cream, salt, and pepper and liquefy in 

the blender; pass through a strainer. 

Add the gelatin and mix until dissolved. 

Pour into a nitrogen oxide-charged 

whipping siphon and set aside. 

Beef sweetbreads: 

Put the water, white wine, onion, 

celery, carrot, garlic, and salt in a 

saucepan. Heat to boiling. 

Lower the flame and add the 

sweetbreads. Cook for 15 minutes, 

turn off the flame, and add thyme and 

peppercorns; let rest for an hour and 

strain. 

Cut the sweetbreads into small pieces, 

sprinkle with flour, and fry until nicely 

browned. 

To serve: 

Place the fried sweetbreads on each 

plate, then the soup, the lemon balm 

infusion, and lastly the foam. Decorate 

with broccoli florets. 

DIEGO 

HERNÁNDEZ 


sea and 

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Mexican 

Wine 

n Hugo D’Acosta 

Wine, our wine, cannot be explained without undertaking 

an overview of a part of our history. I am going to avoid 

the almost obligatory temptation to describe Mexican wine 

culture through the Conquest, the viceregal era, and 

the close relation with the missions, although there are 

elements that point to a chronology of over five hundred 

years —from the arrival of the first vine shoots to what we 

know as Mexico today. 

Conversion of the native population could not have taken place without 

disseminating the blood of Christ everywhere in the occupied territory. With 

divine consent, the Crown sent missionaries shod in fast-moving sandals to 

spread about —as if in a relay race— gifts of pardon. And once devotion was 

planted in the soul, the vine shoots rapidly became the staff of salvation, with 

vines growing more or less successfully in all the communities visited by the 

full-time apostles for almost three hundred years, far and wide throughout 

the country. 

Yes, the history of wine is more that of the conquerors, in the same 

way the Roman Empire spread grapes throughout the Old World, the 

conquistadors and missionaries insisted —in the name of Christ— on 

planting vineyards in New Spain. Although it is still possible to reconstruct 

a missionary vine map, the sacramental aspect has little to do with today’s 

vineyards. 

Dazzled by Independence and staunch supporters of the Revolution, 

we endeavored —as much as we could— to pull out by the roots all those 

torturous memories of Hispanic culture. But it was Mother Nature, in her 

infinite wisdom, who protected within her the few frightened grapevines that 

survived secularization. 


sea and 

desert 

La Carrodilla Vineyard, 

Valle de Guadalupe. 

Hugo D’Acosta, 

oenologist of the wine 

producer Casa de 

Piedra. 

The Vena Cava wine 

cellar. 

Grapes ripe for 

harvesting. 

TYPES 

OF 

GRAPES 

The grapes most 

used in Mexican 

wines: Chardonnay, 

Sauvignon Blanc, 

Nebbiolo, Syrah 

and Tempranillo. 

n 

Now, in the twenty-first century, Mexican wine is a brilliant representative 

of our cultural mosaic. It turns grape culture into an activity that has a lot to 

say about today’s Mexico: contemporary, modern, and full of proposals and 

drive. With our wines on the table, the world’s wine and food offerings are 

both enriched and diversified; Mexican wines contribute freshness, variety, 

and origin. They are a product that adds to the wide variety of flavors. The 

most significant advances in the wine industry are the purification of its 

personality and character, its vibrant participation in today’s Mexico, its ties 

to nationality, and its closeness to the younger generations. In a word: origin. 

All culinary culture is based on the knowledge and use of its original products. 

Our wines are a fundamental element that refresh, enrich, and solidify our 

culinary patrimony. Oenologists, as part of the site-plant-man threesome, are 

the depositaries of the knowhow acquired over time and space, and we have the 

responsibility to preserve, promote, and develop our wines. Although we must 

not forget that, since wine-making is an occupation, anyone who is involved in it 

must focus on the formation, care, and evolution of the product. 

This industry is alive in an unprecedented worldwide dynamic. More 

and better wines are coming forward and in just a few years the consumer’s 

perception has changed; today the market is receptive, competitive, and in 

constant flux, evolving thanks to a growing supply. 

The current proposal of Mexican wine is multifaceted and supported by 

its identity. Despite the obvious progress made in oenology, the challenge is 

for our wines to move forward and little by little form a day-to-day part of the 

nation’s own attire. Wine, as a human activity, tends to permeate the zone 

where it is produced, and it will always be enriched to the extent that those 

involved participate by exchanging experiences. There can be no true wine 

region if its milieu is not an integral, inseparable part of that task. The wine 

culture of a given region is recognized and consolidated when its members 

live it and share in space, time, and form. 

Our Grapes and Wine Regions 

Without overlooking the deep roots of several centuries of mestizaje or 

interbreeding, Mexican wine is a solid representative of the grape and wine 

growing culture in the New World. While it is true that the current wine growing 

map is constantly being redrawn, we cannot fail to mention important events 

that underlie the history of grapes in our territory. In 1597 the oldest wineproducer 

in America was founded in Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila: Casa 

Madero. Then in 1888, in what was then the Territory of Baja California, Bodegas 

de Santo Tomás continued commercially with the missionary legacy begun by 

the Dominican friars in 1791 in the place known today as Valle de Santo Tomás. 

30 

Thousand jobs 

created by the wine 

producing industry in 

Mexico. 

n 


sea and 

desert 

90% 

of Mexican wines 

are produced in Baja 

California. 

The wine-producing 

states are Baja 

California, Coahuila, 

Querétaro, 

Guanajuato, 

Zacatecas, 

Aguascalientes and 

Chihuahua. 

n 

Mexico has mountain vineyards at tropical latitudes; the altitude of 

more than 1800 meters above sea level compensates for the demands of the 

climate. Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Querétaro, and Zacatecas 

bear witness to this phenomenon as producer-states. In the north we have 

vineyards on the coast, situated in unmistakable marine environments and 

permanently protected by the Pacific Ocean. Inland Sonora and Chihuahua 

have ideal valleys for vineyards. 

Baja California is clearly the symbol of the grape growing drive in Mexico. 

In this region more than ninety per cent of the national supply is produced. 

Cliff-lined coasts bathed by cold waters temper the dominant continental 

climate, and our grapes are distributed both on flat sandy land and granite 

hillsides with varying climates. 

Thanks to the increasing number of growers, preponderantly emerging 

from projects devised on a human scale, the wine lover finds here a variety of 

grapes and innovative production methods that originated elsewhere. 

Baja California is overwhelmingly the place that is shaping grape and 

wine growing in today’s Mexico. Its three-dimensional matrix —well-adapted 

varieties of grapes, privileged sites, and vintners with solid proposals— means 

the potential options for the future are almost infinite. The actual surface 

area, although still discrete, contrasts with the extensive offering of wines, 

which always boast a clear, well-defined personality. Production trends are 

enriched by the personal interpretations of participants who assure they are 

communicating their own experience. 

In Baja California wine is currently experiencing a unique, almost chaotic, 

moment. While the scale of the vineyards makes it difficult to pigeonhole 

them in terms of wine production worldwide, the participants, grapes, and 

the soils have made Ensenada one of the regions with the greatest wealth and 

dynamics in the wine industry. 

What Do Our Wines Taste Like? 

Attempting to sum up the style of Mexican wine into a single taste, in one 

sip, is as unthinkable as renouncing the biodiversity that surrounds us. Just 

as other elements of our national cuisine, wine, forged as part of the cultural 

and climatic mosaic of these lands, reflects the men and sites sheltering it. Let 

us learn to enjoy the taste sensations that arise from this land nurtured by the 

strength of the sun, the coolness of the mountain, the fragility of the rain, the 

delicacy of winter, and the purity of springtime. 

Wine, as an inherent part of our ingredients, is better understood from the 

infinite palette of colors that, with a perfectly arbitrary calculation, design the 

aromas and flavors of our cuisine. The national wine supply spans a broad 

range of grapes and regions that express dynamism difficult to find in other 

wine-growing regions of the world. ▲ 

The wine-growing regions that offer opportunities to practice oenotourism are concentrated in the states of Baja California, Coahuila, 

and Querétaro. Visits to vineyards, wine cellars, and nearby restaurants round out this singular experience. 


THE 

FLAVORS 

OF THE 

sea and 

desert 

REGION 

Baja California: 

LOBSTER TACOS WITH 

BEANS AND RICE / 

SEAFOOD TOSTADAS 

Baja California 

Sur: ABALONE WITH 

PICO DE GALLO / 

TACOS OF BATTER- 

FRIED FISH 

Chihuahua: 

BURROS (MEAT- 

FILLED TACOS IN 

LARGE FLOUR 

TORTILLAS) / CALDO 

DE OSO (CATFISH 

SOUP) 

Durango: CALDILLO 

NORTEÑO (BEEF 

AND VEGETABLE 

STEW) / DISCADA 

NORTEÑA (GRILLED 

BEEF WIITH SAUSAGE, 

BACON, AND 

VEGETABLES) 

Sinaloa: SHRIMP 

AGUACHILE / 

SMOKED MARLIN 

Sonora: STEAKS 

/ CHIMICHANGAS 

(FRIED TACOS OF 

PULLED MEAT IN 

FLOUR TORTILLAS) 

coyotas 

n nacho urquiza 

The best way to end a meal in this region is to enjoy coyotas, large flat 

cookies filled with piloncillo (unrefined brown sugar), usually cooked on the 

same grill as the meat. Coyotas are a recent item developed by a Mexican cook 

at the suggestion of a Spanish friend and they were named after the term from 

the New Spain caste system to refer to the offspring of the intermarriage of an 

indigenous woman and a mestizo man. 

On the Sinaloa coast the ideal hot-weather dessert is fruit-flavored shaved 

ice raspasados sweetened with molasses. Women from Culiacán board the 

train to Navolato selling anis-flavored cookies called tacuarines. 

In the sierras the favorite desserts are fruit conserves and peach and apple 

tarts made from Menonite-grown fruit. The rich hand-churned butter is 

delectible. 

Pemoles de maíz 

The seasoning of the 

sun gave corn an abundance 

of toasted sugar to create the 

monumental flavor of pemoles 

de maíz (corn ring cookies).” 

n Martha Ortiz 



Pacific Coast 

THE CENTRAL 

PACIFIC COAST 

Colima / guerrero / 

Jalisco / Michoacán / Nayarit 

70 — Ven a Comer The Central Pacific Coast— 71


Pacific Coast 

NAHUAS, PURÉPECHAS, CORAS, HUICHOLS, MAZAHUAS, and 

OTOMÍES FORM A MOSAIC OF LANGUAGES AND TRADITIONS THAT 

ENHANCE THE REGION’S RICHNESS. 

Olinalá 

boxes 

In the municipality 

of Olinalá, Guerrero, 

these boxes are 

made of fragrant 

linaloe wood, 

painted by hand with 

natural pigments. 

Volcanoes and beaches pepper the Colima landscape. The Laguna 

de Cuyutlán area is rich in natural salt deposits. Legend has it that 

Comala inspired Juan Rulfo when he wrote his novel Pedro Páramo. 

Jalisco has several jewels in its crown: Lake Chapala, fields of 

agaves, archaeological sites, beautiful cities, important seaports, 

not to mention charros, mariachis, and tequila, synonymous with 

Mexican identity. 

Luxuriant amate trees dot the landscape on the Guerrero 

coasts near Acapulco and Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. The baroque Santa 

Prisca church, considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico, 

dominates the Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) of Taxco. 

Michoacán is a state full of charm. Its fir forests are sanctuaries 

for monarch butterflies. Purépecha presence is seen and felt 

in Tzintzuntzan and Ihuatzio. Echoes of New Spain resonate 

in Morelia and Pátzcuaro, and the island of Janitzio has an 

unforgettable indigenous Day of the Dead celebration. 

Nayarit offers history, culture, traditions, beaches, and 

ecotourism and adventure sites. The Riviera Nayarit has coastal 

lagoons, mangroves, and wetlands boasting the diversity of this 

region’s flora and fauna. ▲ 

Guerrero bays combine the 

Sierra Madre Occidental with 

the Pacific. 

Millions of monarch butterflies 

visit the forests in Michoacán 

every year. 

Manzanillo Bay is a tourist 

resort on the Pacific. 

The region's exuberant 

vegetation invites adventure 

tourism. 

The Nayarit coastline has 

beautiful beaches with good 

waves for surfing. 

In the Pacific many species of 

local and migratory birds have 

been identified. 

The Hospicio Cabañas in 

Guadalajara. A World Heritage 

Site. 



Pacific Coast 

JICAMA AND JAMAICA 

ROLLS 

pserves 4 | 1 hour | easy 

aguas 

frescas 

Mexico is 

a country rich 

in fruit used to prepare 

an array of sweet 

refreshing aguas 

frescas. Some of the 

most popular are 

watermelon, prickly 

pear fruit, orange, 

hibiscus flower, lime 

with chía, tamarind, 

and horchata. They 

are served at home, 

in markets and 

restaurants. 

INGREDIENTS 

Jamaica: 

100 grams jamaica (dried hibiscus 

flowers) 

1 cup water 

600 grams sugar 

Cheese sauce: 

1 tablespoon garlic 

200 grams string cheese, cubed 


Avocado sauce: 

1 lime, juice only 

½ white onion 

1 green or serrano chile 

¼ cup white vinegar 

½ cup fresh cilantro (coriander) 

Coarse salt 

1 Hass avocado, peeled and pitted 

Chipotle sauce: 

6 dried chipotle chiles, deveined 

and soaked in water 

4 cloves garlic 

Vegetable oil 

Ground pepper 

Rolls: 

1 large jicama, peeled and thinly 

sliced 

1½ cups string cheese, in strings 

2 teaspoons sesame seeds 

Fresh basil 

PREPARATION 

Jamaica: 

Wash the dried jamaica under 

running water. Place in a saucepan 

with water and boil until tender 

Strain and return to the saucepan. 

Add the sugar and cook over a low 

flame until it caramelizes. 

Cheese sauce: 

Heat the garlic in a saucepan. Add 

cheese and cream and cook over a 

low flame, stirring constantly until 

the cheese melts and the sauce 

thickens. 

Avocado sauce: 

Liquefy the lime juice with onion, 

chile, vinegar, cilantro, and a pinch 

of coarse salt. Add the avocado and 

blend again. Empty the mixture 

into a plastic squeeze bottle. 

Chipotle sauce: 

Blend the chiles with a spritz of 

water. Sauté the garlic in oil. 

Add the chile purée and bring to 

aboil. Add salt and pepper. 

Stir in 1½ cups of water and bring 

to a boil. Remove from the flame 

and refrigerate. 

Rolls: 

Place the slices of jicama on a griddle 

and cover with string cheese. Turn 

over so the cheese can melt. Top 

the melted cheese with caramelized 

jamaica and roll up. 

To serve: 

Make a spiral of avocado sauce on 

each plate. Place the rolls on it, cover 

with chipotle sauce, and decorate 

with sesame seeds and basil. 

lucero 

soto 



Pacific Coast 

The Western 

Zone 

12 th 

■ nico mejía 

To understand West Mexico’s 

gastronomy, you need to be 

aware of the zone’s geological 

history when a SERIES of 

changes PRODUCED its rugged 

topography, WHICH LED TO 

MARKEDLY DIFFERENT CLIMATES. 

The region shares volcanic areas, woods, 

plateaus and coasts that have spurred great 

ecological diversity. However, its history, 

ancient inhabitants, mestizaje, culture, 

traditions, customs, and local ingredients 

resulted in a distinctive regional cuisine. 

Each state speaks for itself: its cuisine does 

not depend solely on geography. Each place 

must be understood through its people, its 

times, and its ethnic groups. 

Colima is blessed with fruit, vegetables, 

grains, seeds, coffee and vanilla, even cacao. 

These endemic, wild, native, or cultivated 

species result in a unique cuisine referred to 

as “Colimota.” 

The dishes of Colimota cuisine, based on 

corn, beans, fruit, fowl, fish, and seafood, are 

prepared as they were in ancient times. They 

are the result of diverse cultures: Spanish 

tradition is reflected in the inclusion of beef, 

pork, and hen; the indigenous, present in 

culinary techniques such as rescoldo (cooking 

with hot embers) and tatemado (marinated 

Mexico, 12th 

producer of tuna 

in the world. Annual 

consumption per 

capita is 1.25 kg of 

tuna species. 

Sinaloa, Colima, 

Chiapas, Baja 

California, Baja 

California Sur, Veracruz, 

Oaxaca, Tabasco, and 

Jalisco are the states 

that produce tuna. 

n 

Tuna ranches or farms 

are the engine of the 

local economy. They 

boast worldclass quality 

tuna. 

Lots of Mexican snacks 

are served with bottled 

salsas made in Jalisco, 

Nayarit, or Sinaloa. 

Birria is a stew-like dish 

made of mutton, beef, or 

goat. It is savored as a 

taco filling. 

Guadalajara, Puerto 

Vallarta, Manzanillo and 

the Nayarit Riviera have 

an enormous variety of 

seafood including 

abalone. 



Pacific Coast 

tortas ahogadas 

The dish consists of a salty birote (flat oval roll), a traditional bread in 

the region, with mashed beans, pork, bathed in a chile de árbol salsa 

according to your taste. 

or braised); Philippine, in the use of coconut 

and its products; Arab or Indian, in pepper 

and cumin; and German, in the pastry shops 

on its streets. 

Today’s trilogy of ingredients consists 

of coconut, Colima lime, and Cuyutlán salt, 

linked to this unique land with specific 

properties from the Volcano of Fire. 

Jalisco’s gastronomic tradition resides 

in its indigenous past and pre-Hispanic 

ingredients such as corn, chile, and beans 

that serve as its backbone. 

Jalisco cuisine is a blend of ingredients 

that changes in each zone, even from one 

place to another, depending on the seasons 

of the year and the contribution of diverse 

migrant groups. 

The typical beverages include lime-flavored 

water and the mystical pajarete, a worthy 

energy-spiking beverage that will make you a 

believer with its blend of fresh milk, 96% cane 

alcohol, and ground chocolate. 

There is also tejuino (sweet-sour corncane 

drink), pulque, aguamiel (agave 

nectar), raicillas (distilled roasted agave 

liquor), tepache (fermented pineapple juice 

and solid brown sugar), and seasonal freshfruit-flavored 

drinks made of tamarind, 

mamey, mango, passion flower, guava, 

nance, and plum. 

Tequila occupies a special place as a 

clear example of a deeply Mexican heritage, 

a national symbol. Distilled from agave, it 

is a mythical beverage in the region, with 

a history that transcends borders, always 

referring to Mexico. 

The Jalisco coast abounds in sea products. 

From Puerto Vallarta to Cihuatlán, each 

region has its specialty and favored ingredient. 

Fruit also plays a role: coconuts, mangos, 

pitayas (dragon fruit), soursop, bananas, 

Huichol 

Art 

Yarn paintings of 

affixed yarn and 

seedbeads symbolically 

represent the ancestral 

mythology. 

Charales, tiny fish with lime 

juice and spicy salsa are a 

typical regional snack. 

The Historic Center in 

downtown Morelia is a 

meeting place to enjoy the 

local cuisine. 

Chef and researcher, Rubi 

Silva, promotes traditional 

Michoacán cuisine.. 

Cortez in Guadalajara offers 

an avant-garde version of 

traditional beef tongue 

tacos. 

In Guadalajara, “the Pearl of 

the West,” a warm smile 

and delectable dishes 

await. 



Pacific Coast 

cantaloupe, and watermelon are part of the 

menu essential for all meals. 

Today much of Nayarit cuisine is part of 

the gastronomic heritage and is prepared as 

before. It is based mainly on seafood, fish, 

corn, and beans, combined to make exquisite 

sopes and oyster enchiladas, shrimp tamales, 

zarandeado fish (with chile and grilled), 

caldillo de camarón and aguachile (red and 

white shrimp stews), chicharrón de pescado 

(deep-fried fish), and marinated mullet 

grilled with mangrove wood, and marlin 

tacos or tostadas. 

The first settlers in Michoacán relied on 

the milpa: corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, 

chiles, cacao, and they incorporated these 

ingredients into an extensive variety of dishes 

that distinguished each corner of the state. 

It is mestizo gastronomy, the fusion of two 

cultures: the autochthonous and the Spanish. 

However, it never lost the essence that 

identifies and distinguishes it as Michoacán 

cuisine. 

Cooking is a key part of people known 

for their oral traditions, histories, customs, 

and memories. They are honored by the 

fruit and plants from their land, coasts, and 

lakes; their culture should be conceived as an 

integrated family unit, which has preserved a 

rhythm of life dating back prior to the arrival 

of the Spaniards. 

Women cooks with roots in their 

communities prepare desserts, such as ates 

(fruit pastes), chocolates, fried buñuelos, 

sherbets, honeyed fruit and the typical 

chongos zamoranos: a viceregal dish made 

of curdled milk, sugar, and cinnamon 

originally made in Zamora. In addition to 

a hundred-some atoles, artisanal liqueurs 

are made from quince and charanda 

is sugarcane liquor, produced for local 

Michoacán taste. ▲ 

Traditional breakfast with 

corundas (tamales), 

buñuelos with cone brown 

sugar, atole and coffee. 

The markets in Guadalajara 

sell aguas frescas made 

with seasonal fruit. 

On the Michoacán coast 

people still fish following 

traditional ways. 

Enjoy a juicy tente-en-pie 

on the streets of 

Guadalajara! 

Hueso, a restaurant in 

Guadalajara, offers 

signature cuisine. Share the 

single table with many 

diners for a unique 


Chef Nico Mejía shares 

contemporary versions of 

traditional pata (pig’s feet) 

tostadas. Guadalajara. 


GREEN 

CEVICHE 


Pacific Coast 

serves 4 | 1 hour 15 minutes | easy 

ACAPULCO 

CEVICHE 

Raw fish “cooked” 

with lime juice 

is mixed with tomatoes, 

onion, orange juice, 

cilantro leaves, olive 

oil, oregano, and green 

chile. A fresh option for 

the tropical climate of 

the Pacific Coast. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Avocado rounds: 

2 Hass avocados, sliced 

1 tablespoon white vinegar 

½ cup fresh cilantro (coriander) 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Green salsa: 

600 grams tomatillos 

Vegetable oil 

1 white onion 


2 green chiles 

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

Coarse salt 

Cured trout: 

4 trout fillets, skinned 

4 tablespoons sugar 

3 teaspoons table salt 

1 dried avocado leaf, crushed 

Jicama in escabeche: 

2 onions, thinly sliced 

1 cup white vinegar 

½ cup water 

2 bay leaves 

1 sprig thyme 

1 sprig rosemary 

2 whole cloves 

3 black peppercorns 

1 large jicama, peeled and grated 

To serve: 

5 limes, juice only 

2 tablespoons chopped onion 

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

2 serrano chiles, cut in strips 

PREPARATION 

Avocado rounds: 

Slice the whole avocados with a 

mandolin slicer, taking care not to 

cut the seed. Place the slices on a 

tray covered with plastic wrap. 

Blend vinegar with cilantro, salt, 

and pepper. Add oil in a thin stream 

while blending until the mixture 

emulsifies. Sprinkle on the avocado 

slices. Cover and refrigerate. 

Green salsa: 

Boil the tomatillos untill tender. Drain 

and liquefy in the blender. Sauté the 

onion, garlic, and chiles in oil. Liquefy. 

Return the mixture to the saucepan. 

Season and heat to a boil. Remove 

from the stove, add the cilantro, and 

refrigerate. 

Cured trout: 

Thinly slice the fillets. Place in 

a container. Mix salt, sugar, and 

avocado leaf. Rub this mixture on 

the slices of trout. Cover with plastic 

wrap, and refrigerate. 

Jicama in escabeche: 

Sauté the onion in oil in a saucepan 

until transparent. Add vinegar, water, 

fine herbs, cloves, and pepper. 

Season with coarse salt and bring to 

a boil. Remove from the stove, cool, 

and add the jicama. Empty into a 

container, cover, and refrigerate. 

To serve: 

Cover the trout with lime juice and 

let it rest until it turns white. Drain. 

Add the green sauce to the fish 

and stir. Serve slices of fish and 

avocado. Garnish with jícama, onion, 

cilantro, and serrano chiles. 

lucero 

soto 



Pacific Coast 

FISHING TOWNS AND THE MOST 

REFINED OF RESTAURANTS COMBINE 

FLAVORS, AROMAS, AND COLORS 

OF SEAFOOD AND FRESH FISH WITH 

the ABUNDANCE OF FRUIT AND 

VEGETABLES GROWN LOCALLY. AND 

“MEZCAL FOR the bad times, mezcal 

for the good times.” 



Pacific Coast 

THE AVOCADO 

■ rubi silva 

Mexican people are known for the central role that food 

preparation and enjoyment play in life. The nutritious and 

delectable dishes of our traditional cuisine are based on a 

store of age-old knowledge that our wise ancestors orally 

transmitted from generation to generation, wisdom that 

has come down to us today. 

And so with the passage of time we learned the food properties of plants and 

which mushrooms could be eaten, and came to realize how substantial and 

delicious fish and other animals from our surroundings could be. 

In Mesoamerica three elements stand out: corn, beans, and chile, which, 

once they were domesticated and cultivated, became the nutritional base 

that permitted the development of these cultures. From then on, the ancients 

took advantage of nature’s rich biodiversity to meet their needs. 

The nixtamalization of maize and the earliest recipes of our grandmothers 

millennia ago made it possible to integrate new nutritional elements; then, 

little by little, people added fish from lakes, rivers, and seas; the same occurred 

with meat from rabbits, deer, and other animals from different regions. 

People wisely integrated diverse types of fowl, such as ducks and turkey. 

These rich elements sustained our peoples and fostered the development of 

great civilizations, such as that of the Mayas, which continues to amaze the 

world; and that of the Aztecs, who were capable of building the great city of 

Tenochtitlan, with such splendor that it astonished and impressed Hernán 

Cortés and the first lettered Europeans who had the privilege to witness it and 

whose accounts spread their wonder and admiration to the Old World. 

The powerful Purépecha Empire arose in the lands of Michoacán, thanks 

to the lake zones where white fish, charales (silversides), and ducks were 

plentiful. From early times food culture at settlements in Michoacán has 

been transmitted from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters, both in the 

fields and in the kitchen. I have had the privilege of visiting different areas 

and communities in the region, spurred by my interest in learning from the 

great masters of traditional cooking, and by listening to them explain their 

recipes, I received the ageless wisdom and advice of these elderly women, 



Pacific Coast 

guacamole= Avocado + tomato + 

onion + green chile + cilantro + salt + lime juice 

1st 

place as the world’s 

biggest producer 

of Hass avocadoes. 

Mexico provides 

3 of every 10 tons 

produced worldwide. 

n 

whose knowhow led them to blend healthy, nutritious natural ingredients. 

They never heard the marketing fads promoting organic products in the 

media; nevertheless, in our indigenous communities respect for nature and 

the consumption of natural products is a hallowed tradition. 

When I was invited to write these lines on the culinary contributions of the 

fruit of one of the plants that originated in the Americas, I was immediately 

inspired, because the avocado (ahuacatl in Nahuatl) has become a major Mexican 

agro-industry and today it is widely recognized as a nutritional product with 

exports on the rise, an important source of foreign income, and the engine for 

thousands of jobs in the rural sector. 

This booming agro-industry is based in one of Mexico’s most magnificent 

regions, my beloved Michoacán. In addition it coincides with the zone where 

Purépecha culture developed and where the humanistic work of Vasco de 

Quiroga, the bishop protector of the human rights of the indigenous people, 

still prevails. It is in the towns and communities of the Purépecha Plateau and 

the zone of Lake Pátzcuaro, where in the surroundings and in local kitchens 

we find the great women who are masters of traditional Michoacán cuisine. 

They provided the testimonials that formed the dossier that Mexico submitted 

to UNESCO for the Mexican cuisine based on the Michoacán paradigm to be 

recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Whenever we add avocado to our recipes, it gives the food a magic touch; 

it makes dishes more delectable, nutritious, and a veritable delight to taste. 

The avocado contributes important nutritional values. It is rich in healthy 

fats and antioxidants; it helps lower cholesterol levels; it is essential for 

healthy bones and teeth; it protects the nervous system, muscles, and skin; it 

promotes brain activity; it stimulates metabolism and helps make for lustrous 

hair. In sum, it is a food fully recommended for daily consumption. 

There is no doubt that Michoacán is a tourist destination that has much 

to offer. Its capital, Morelia, is the proud home of viceregal historical 

buildings built of handsome pink cantera stone and its layout, with which 

its construction was authorized by the Spanish Crown, is the best preserved 

in the country. Thus, UNESCO inscribed it on the list of World Heritage 

sites. Many of its buildings were the settings where the first conspiracies to 

fight for freedom were hatched in Mexico; while other centers, such as the 

historical Colegio de San Nicolás, Clavijero Palace, and the former Tridentino 

monastery, the modern-day Palace of Government, were the places of learning 

where the heroes of Mexico’s Independence movement were educated. 

After sampling local hospitality and some of the fine food that Morelia’s 

superb restaurants have to offer, I invite you to follow Don Vasco’s Route. In 

the city of Quiroga savor a succulent taco topped with Michoacán’s renowned 

carnitas (braised pork), simmered for more than five hours in hammered 

copper pots; eat them in a taco topped with delicious guacamole and 

Avocado is so special for its extraordinary flavor, creamy consistency, color, and amazing culinary versatility. 

It is a best-seller at the door to your home or in the local market. 



Pacific Coast 

Torta de pancita made 

by chef Fabián Delgado, 

at Pal Real. Guadalajara. 

Lucero Soto, chef from 

Michoacán, created a 

contemporary dessert 

with avocado ice cream. 

Taco al pastor with 

avocado salsa by chef 

Francisco Molina, 

Grinding bowl with 

guacamole, a symbol of 

Mexico. 

jalapeño chile. In Tzintzuntzan, a historical Magical Town, a distinction granted 

to the best spots for tourism in the country, you can enjoy tasty fried charales, 

which I recommend in a taco with avocado and chunky salsa made in a stone 

grinding bowl. A mere fifteen minutes away is Pátzcuaro, another Magical Town, 

known for its architecture, myriad cultural expressions, and where you can 

sample enchiladas placeras (cheese enchiladas with tomato sauce), traditional 

Tarascan soup, and corundas (triangles of filled corn dough, served with salsa 

and cream). This is why you have to come to Michoacán to eat, to immerse 

yourself in its culture and the beauty that has earned it renown. 

Here I offer you a mestizo dish from the Pátzcuaro region. This recipe combines 

avocado leaf with the other ingredients to give it a special touch. It is a very old recipe 

from the Cerda family, who kindly shared it with me, and believe me, it is a real treat. 

Steak Filled with Avocado Leaf 

Ingredients 

To be filled: 

1 beef tenderloin (1 kg) 

2 dried avocado leaves 

1 A sprig of thyme 

and marjoram 

1 bay leaf 

7 or 8 slivered almonds 

3 cloves of garlic, slivered 

2 tablespoons raisins 

Separately 

Salt to taste 

Pork lard to brown the steak 

¼ kilo tomatillos, raw and diced 

2 toasted black pasilla chiles, 

broken into pieces 

Dry white wine 

Lettuce, cucumbers, mashed potato 

or sweet potatoes, cooked green 

beans, pickled walnuts. 

Fill the steak with the ingredients listed. Seal it in lard and simmer it in a 

pot with a little water. Let each guest choose how much to cook the meat. 

When a bit less than half the water remains, add the diced tomatillos and 

pieces of toasted chiles to make the sauce, season it with salt to taste, and 

add the white wine 

Let it cook a few minutes and add the hot lard to finish the sauce. 

Serve a portion of meat on each plate and garnish with the remaining 

ingredients. 

Serve the meat with red wine Mezcla de la Erre, Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Merlot, Tempranillo, or Zinfandel from the Valle de Guadalupe. 

The next recipe is from Esperanza Galván, a master cook from Zacán (on 

the Purépecha Plateau). This recipe earned her the “Dish of Innovation” 

prize at the twelfth competition of traditional cooks, a popular event held 

annually in Morelia. 

Avocado stuffed with Charals 

Toast the dried charals (silversides) and crush them in a grinding bowl with a 

serrano chile. Then prepare a roasted tomato sauce with raw onion, also crushed 

in a grinding bowl. 

Make a pico de gallo salsa (in this region is it known as rabbit salsa), with 

tomato, onion, serrano chile, coriander, and salt and lime juice to taste. 

To serve, place avocado slices in a grinding bowl with the charal mixture 

on top. Smother it with the tomato sauce and garnish with pico de gallo 

salsa. Eat it with handmade tortillas straight from the griddle. ▲ 

95% 

of Mexico’s 

avocadoes 

are produced 

in the states of 

Michoacán, Jalisco, 

State of Mexico, 

Nayarit, and 

Morelos. 

n 



Pacific Coast 

BEEF RIBS 

AU JUS 

serves 4 | 13 hours | EASY 

santa 

clara 

del 

cobre 

Magical Town 

in Michoacán. It 

is famed for its 

fine hammered 

copperwork. Carnitas 

(braised pork) is 

traditionally prepared 

in its typical copper 

pots. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Ribs: 

6 cups bean broth, 

reduced by heat to half 

6 cups veal broth 

3 cups red wine, reduced by 

heat to half 


1 kilo beef ribs with bone 

150 grams smoked bacon, cut in 

big cubes 

300 grams spring onions 

120 grams garlic, in halves 


200 grams cilantro (coriander) 

4 green chiles, seeded 

10 grams coriander seeds 

10 grams whole black peppercorns 

2 bay leaves 


Black bean purée: 

1 tablespoon lard 


50 grams bacon 


100 grams cooked black beans 

Onion purée: 

500 grams white onion, slivered 


To serve: 

Green tomatillo salsa 

Lettuce leaves 

PREPARATION 

Ribs: 

Mix the bean broth with the veal 

broth and wine. Heat to a boil. Heat 

oil in an ovenproof skillet and sear 

the ribs and bacon. Add the onion 

and garlic; sauté until golden brown. 

Add the broth mixture, tomatillos, 

cilantro, chiles, coriander seeds, 

black pepper, and bay leaves. Put 

in the oven at 75°C for 12 hours. 

Drain the meat and remove the 

bones. Cool and cut into 10 cm 

cubes. Strain the cooking juices 

and boil to reduce them to the right 

consistency. Season with salt and 

pepper. 

Black bean purée: 

Heat the lard and sauté the chiles 

de árbol until they are golden. 

Discard the chiles and sauté the 

bacon and tomatillos; set aside. 

Sauté the beans in the same lard 

and put them in the blender with 

the bacon, tomatillos, and a dribble 

of the cooking juices from the ribs. 

Onion purée: 

Sauté the onion in oil over medium 

heat until completely golden. 

Purée in the blender to make a 

homogeneous paste. Add salt and 

pepper. 

To Serve: 

Brown both sides of the meat 

from the ribs in a frying pan. Add 

the cooking juices and put it in the 

oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. 

Serve the ribs and decorate the 

plates with the purées, bacon 

cream, salsa, and lettuce leaves. 

francisco 

ruano 



Pacific Coast 

May I 

Offer You 

A mezcal? 

■ cornelio pérez (tío corne) 

A day without mezcal is like a day without sunshine. 

Tío Jaime Brena, Ejutla, Oaxaca. 

With this phrase of utmost courtesy, in 2003 two masterdistillers 

of mezcal offered me one of the most exquisite 

mezcals I have ever tasted. It had been made only for self 

consumption. 

Both distillers planted different varieties of mezcal agave along with corn, 

beans, squash, chiles, peanuts, and other region-appropriate plants, all of 

which enabled them to preserve their culture and contribute to the balance 

of their ecosystem. For them, mezcal was a part of their daily life and their 

elegant spirituality. In many communities in Mexico mezcal is part of the 

day-to-day life and cultural wealth of the inhabitants. It is still produced and 

enjoyed in 18 states in Mexico, although it was produced in 28 states in the 

early twentieth century. It is a social product that arose and was developed 

collectively, the raw materials, production methods, aromas, flavors, and 

ways to evaluate the quality having been devised by communities over 

centuries. This collective approach and supervision are the sole guarantees 

that good mezcal will continue to be made. 

We can call the community development of regional cuisines over time 

and the rules to evaluate them and their mezcals “historical taste.” There 

are as many historical tastes as there are mezcal communities with unique 

aromas and flavors recognized by the localities where they are made. 

Mezcal is a transparent drink distilled from agave, roasted in an earth 

oven, which needs: 



Pacific Coast 

The jimador is the man 

who harvests agave plants. 

His tool is called coa de 

jima. 

Rural landscape in the 

agave-growing zone. 

“Pineapples” or the hearts 

of agave plants are baked 

in ovens. 

Wood vat, a traditional 

element for fermenting 

mezcal. 

a) Raw materials and equipment (maguey plants, firewood, water, heatresistant 

stones, earth oven, grinding tools, fermentation vats, microorganisms 

for fermentation, and a still). 

500 3. Crushing the roasted piñas by a stone in a grinding mill to extract the 229.7 

thousand liters of 

mezcal are produced 

annually according to 

the Mexican Regulatory 

Council on Mezcal 

Quality. 

n 

b) Know-how. This is the sensorial memory of a mezcal community, 

acquired solely by having been born and having grown up there, where 

aromas, flavors, and textures of the local historical taste are learned. 

This memory has been accumulated over generations by visiting and 

meticulous tasting of the region’s cuisine at fiestas and other kinds of 

get-togethers in which the rules of food and mescal quality are created 

and reproduced. 

The stages in mezcal production are: 

1. Cutting the ripe maguey or agave, the latter being the generic name 

of the plant. This process has several names in Spanish: desvire, jima, 

labrado and rasurada. There are more than a hundred varieties of wild, 

cultivated, and semi-cultivated maguey with maturities that range from 

six to twenty-eight years. 

2. Roasting or tatemado the maguey cores, called the piña (pineapple) in 

Spanish, in a stone-lined pit or earth oven. 

sweet liquid and crush the fibers. 

4. Fermenting the syrup and fiber mash in hollow tree trunks, clay pots, 

leather bags, wood vats, stone tubs, or hollowed out rock. This is done 

without any chemicals or additives. 

5. Distilling. The fermented mash is transferred to stills of a combination of 

clay, copper, wood, or maguey stalk. A second distillation can be made 

of the alcohol alone although it depends on the type of still and the local 

historical taste. There are mezcals of one, two or three distillations, and 

blends of different types. 

6. Blending: adjustment of the degree or percentage of alcohol content. 

Depending on the historical taste, there are mezcals of between 45 and 

81 percent alcohol. This adjustment is done by mixing the strongest 

million liters 

Mexico’s tequila 

production in 2013. 

Exports that year 

represented 74 

percent. 

In 1977 it was named 

a product with a 

Designation of Origin 

(D.O.) 

n 



Pacific Coast 

coctel margarita= 

Lime + salt + ice + tequila + triple sec 

parts (the part obtained first in the distillation process (tips or puntas) 

with the milder parts (tails or colas), verifying the quality by observing 

the perleado, the aroma and the taste. A mezcal of less than 45 percent 

alcohol content is not traditional. 

2.5 

million liters 

annually is the nation's 

production of mezcal, 

with an annual 

growth of 56%. 

n 

Pearleado refers to the pearls or bubbles that form around the edge of the 

surface when mezcal is poured into a container. The pearls show the alcohol 

content, the species of maguey used, and the production process. The perleado 

is the fingerprint of the mezcal that a master mezcal distiller or regional expert 

knows how to interpret. 

If the mezcal was made from wild agaves it will have floral aromas and 

tastes—of a broader variety and depth, unlike mezcal made from cultivated 

magueys of lesser richness and intensity. Aromas and tastes of earth, dairy, 

fruit, chiles, spices, vegetables, seeds, flowers, herbs, mushrooms, meat, 

resins, pulques, iodine and cacao can also be found in mezcal. 

Mezcal that scrupulously respects historical taste is traditional mezcal; 

it is given different names according to the region where it is produced 

(Bacanora, Quitupan, Tuxca, Zihuaquio) or the type of agave used (raicilla, 

chacaleño, tobalá, lechuguilla, tepemete). Sotol is not made from maguey, 

rather from a sotol or sereque plant (scientific name: Dasylirion), and is 

made in the same way as mezcal. There are traditional factories where 

mezcal and sotol are both made or a joint distillation of both plants. 

All agave distillates have their origin in traditional mezcal; tequila itself 

shares this origin, as related by Lázaro Pérez in his Study of agave and socalled 

mezcal in the state of Jalisco (1887): 

Several species of maguey are used to make the spirit called “mezcal 

wine, tequila wine,” or “tequila.” Even though these species are known 

by different names, all share the name of mezcal. Those names include 

chino, azul, bermejo, sigüín, moraneño, chato, mano larga, zopilote, and 

pie de mula. 

Currently traditional mezcals co-exist with other agave distillates (tequila, 

for example) made according to rules and objectives distinct from those of 

local historical tastes or, even, under industrial standards whose aim is to serve 

a non-specialized Mexican or foreign market. 

I would also suggest that anyone who wants to try traditional mezcal should 

do so in a community that respects its historical taste and drink it with dishes 

from the local cuisine that combine perfectly with their mezcal. Even better 

is to do it with local people, who are the perfect guides to discover exquisite 

mezcals that will enrich the traveler’s spirit and the meaning of the journey. 

Having said all of this, may I offer you a mezcal? ▲ 

Given the mezcal boom, new spots specializing in mezcal tasting and sales have opened. With respect to tequila, it is served in a small glass 

called a caballito. Often it is served with salt and lime to soften its flavor. Sangrita is also popularly served with it. 

Types of tequila include white, young, rested, aged, and extra aged 


the 

flavors 

of the 


Pacific Coast 

region 

Colima: CÁCHALA 

(HEN WITH SALSA 

MADE OF CHILES) 

/ CRAYFISH WITH 

CHILE COMAPEÑO 

Guerrero: VUELVE 

A LA VIDA (FISH 

COCKTAIL AND AN 

ARRAY OF SEAFOOD 

WITH TOMATO SAUCE) 

/ POZOLE (HOMINY 

SOUP) 

Jalisco: Birria (STEW 

WITH MUTTON, GOAT, 

OR BEEF) / TORTA 

AHOGADA (ROLL 

SANDWICH BATHED 

IN SAUCE) 

Michoacán: 

CARNITAS (BRAISED 

PORK) / UCHEPOS 

(TAMALES) 

Nayarit: OYSTERS 

AU GRATIN / 

ZARANDEADO FISH 

jericalla 


The varied landscapes, altitudes, seacoasts, and lakes of the central Pacific region 

are blessed with fruit, sugarcane, milk, and honey; they offer a warm reception 

of sustenance and the legacy of generations. 

A fitting close to leisurely family meals is a jericalla, a cross between flan 

and creme brulée made from milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

After women scrape off the corn kernels and milk the cows, they blend 

corn and cream culminating in the feminine contribution to sweets. In 

convents nuns make almond sweets just as in viceregal times. I would say 

Morelia tastes sweet. 

Let’s savor banana bread, mango-flavored cajeta (caramel), wine-laced “bien 

me sabes” (you taste good to me), meringues, and an array of sweet bread, 

quince liqueur, local charanda and the widely known rompope (spiked eggnog). 

Pepitorias 

The nation’s communion 

with color and the intense contrast 

comes to life with the crunchiness 

of spectacular pepitorias.”. 



etween 

two oceans 


two oceans 

Chiapas / Oaxaca / Puebla / Veracruz 

102 — Ven a Comer between two oceans — 103


two oceans 

TRAVEL IN SOUTHERN MEXICO TO DISCOVER THE FLAVORS THAT 

THE LAND’S GENEROUS BOUNTY OFFERED ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS. 

the 

quetzal 

Probably one of the 

most beautiful birds 

in the world. The 

male’s tail feathers 

served as royal 

status emblems. 

Chiapas overflows with nature and green everywhere you look. 

Part of its territory is regarded as a protected natural reserve, 

where an enormous diversity of flora and fauna blankets the 

land. It is home to the majestic vestiges of Maya antiquity and to 

the living cultural traditions of its indigenous populations today. 

The land of mezcal and the Guelaguetza, Oaxaca has seen the 

birth of preeminent figures from Mexican history, politics, and 

art. Here Zapotec and Mixtec culture arose. The historic center 

of the capital, known as Oaxaca, has been declared a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. 

Puebla is dominated by the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and 

Popocatépetl, the backdrop of a territory rich in rugged 

mountain ranges, waterfalls, and springs. Its history began in 

pre-Hispanic times and Puebla de los Ángeles, the most Spanish 

of viceregal cities, is an architectural gem of the Baroque period. 

The archaeological zones in Veracruz span the Olmec, 

Totonac, and Huastec cultures that flourished in lands covered 

with rivers and vegetation. Cortés founded the Villa Rica de 

la Veracruz in this territory and since then the region has 

maintained its visibility and prominence throughout the 

country’s history. ▲ 

El Tajín. Maximum 

expression of Totonac 

culture. Veracruz. 

The Star of Puebla is an 

important attraction for 

the sweeping views that it 

offers. 

Mitla. Archaeological zone 

in Oaxaca. 

The jaguar was a sacred 

animal for Mesoamerican 

cultures. 

For its beauty and colorful 

vernacular architecture, 

Tlacotalpan has been 

named a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site. 

Sumidero Canyon. Natural 

site. Chiapas. 

Cholula has the largest 

pyramidal base in the 

world: 400 meters on 

each side. 



two oceans 

FILLED 

OCOSINGO CHEESE 

sERVES 4 | 50 minutes plus time to let it sit | EASY 

an 

epazote 

classic 

Quesadillas with 

cheese and this 

Mexican herb are a 

classic. It is a corn 

tortilla folded in half, 

filled with melted 

cheese and two 

freshly cut epazote 

leaves. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Cheese: 

4 balls of Ocosingo cheese, 120 

grams each 

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 

60 grams white onion, chopped 

120 grams mushrooms in season, 

chopped 

4 epazote leaves 

Salt 

Tomato sauce: 

400 grams tomatoes, in chunks 

100 grams white onion, in chunks 

8 Simojovel chiles 

1¼ cups water 

4 epazote leaves 

Hierba santa oil: 

33 grams hoja santa (aromatic 

Mexican pepperleaf) 

2 tablespoons water 

1 cup vegetable oil 

To serve: 

12 radish flowers 

4 Simojovel chiles 

PREPARATION 

Cheese: 

Cut the base of the cheese balls by 

making a hollow 1-cm in diameter. 

Carefully remove the cheese with 

a small spoon to avoid breaking 

the outer wax coating. Crumble 

the cheese and set it aside. 

Heat oil in the frying pan and sauté 

the onion until it is slightly golden. 

Add the mushrooms, epazote, and 

crumbled cheese. Season it. 

Fill the hollowed out cheese husks 

with the filling. Set aside. 

Tomato sauce: 

Put the tomatoes, onion, and chiles 

in a saucepan with epazote and 

water. Boil for 20 minutes, remove 

the epazote leaves, purée in a 

blender and strain. Season and 

keep warm. 

Hierba santa oil: 

Remove the stalks from the 

Mexican pepperleaf and purée in 

a blender with water and a pinch 

of salt. Add oil until it forms an 

emulsion. Strain it and let it sit 

overnight. 

To serve: 

Put the cheese on a baking pan 

with the filling face down. 

Gratinate under the broiler for 5 

minutes. 

Serve a layer of tomato sauce on 

each plate and put the cheese on 

top. Decorate with hierba santa oil, 

radish flowers, and chiles. 

marta 

zepeda 



two oceans 

The Delicacies 

of Green 

Lands 

■ Adalberto Ríos Szalay 

There is a direct and palpable 

relationship between a people’s 

accumulated knowledge of 

their surroundings and their 

cultural development, and 

there is no more varied and 

delicious proof of this wisdom 

than gastronomy. 

Mole 

there’s 

more 

than one 

A selection of chiles 

(dried or fresh), 

spices (cumin, clove, 

cinnamon), dried fruit, 

nuts (pecans, peanuts, 

almonds), vegetables 

(tomatoes, chayote), 

and chocolate ground 

together make a mole. 

There are more than 

70 types of mole in 

Mexico. 

n 

Southern Mexico was the cradle of what 

is regarded as the “mother culture” of 

Mesoamerica: the Olmecs, the starting point 

of both the later Maya and Nahua civilizations. 

The original heartland was in southeast 

Veracruz at Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo, 

and at La Venta, Tabasco, the core of a 

culture that later spread to Simojovel, 

Chiapas; and Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. 

The heirs to this legacy are the indigenous 

groups living throughout Mexico today, 

including Otomis, Totonacs, Tepehuas, 

Huastecs, Nahuas, Popolucas, and Mazatecs 

in Veracruz; Amuzgos, Chatinos, Chinantecs, 

Chochos, Chontals, Cuicatecs, Huaves, 

Ixcatecs, Mixes, Mixtecs, Triquis, Zapotecs, 

Nahuas, Popolocas, and Zoques in Oaxaca; 

and Tzeltals, Chols, Tojolabals, Tzotzils, 

Lacandons, Motozintlecs, and Zoques in 

Chiapas. These cultures have preserved 

Cattle ranching is a 

highly productive 

economic activity in 

Mexico’s southern 

states. 

Chef Liz Galicia cooks 

with ancestral Puebla 

tradition and 

contemporary 

techniques. 

Tlayuda. Reinterpreted 

at Zéfiro, Mexico City. 

Vanilla, a product of 

Mexican origin. 

Papantla vanilla is one 

of the most prized. It 

has had a D.O. since 

2009. 



two oceans 

CLAY COOKING POTS 

In homes, markets, small eateries, and restaurants in Mexico, clay 

pots known as cazuelas are indispensable. Food is prepared in them 

and sometimes served; they can decorate spaces and are everyday 

elements of culinary culture. 

ancient indigenous languages, traditions, 

forms of organization, magnificent artistic 

expressions, and splendid cuisine. 

International recognition has singled out a 

number of World Heritage Sites in Southern 

Mexico. These include the Historic Center 

of Oaxaca and the archaeological zone of 

Monte Albán and the Prehistoric Caves of 

Yagul and Mitla in Oaxaca; El Tajín and the 

Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan, in 

Veracruz; the Pre-Hispanic City and National 

Park of Palenque and the Parachicos Dance 

in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas. 

The South is a compendium of a rich 

diversity, in which all regions share the 

nutritious diet of ancient Mesoamerican 

cultures, based on corn, beans, squash, 

chile, and the many greens that defined local 

culinary creations in a continuous process of 

civilization and gastronomic talent. 

Despite this unity, a virtually infinite variety 

may be found in the use of corn, in picaditas 

(fried tortillas with salsa and cheese) that mark 

daybreak on the Veracruz coast, tlayudas (thin 

oversized tortillas with toppings) in Oaxaca, 

and refreshing pozol (fermented corn dough 

beverage) from the tropics of Chiapas. 

The pre-Hispanic legacy is translated into 

a wide range of atoles and moles, as varied as 

the palette of a fine tropical painter, and in 

the use of all species and sizes of fauna. 

The introduction of foreign products 

during the viceregal period transformed the 

lands and way of organization in New Spain, 

creating enormous areas of coconut trees on 

both coasts, flooded fields for rice paddies, 

and sprawling surfaces for mono-cropping 

sugarcane. 

The states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and 

Chiapas individually concentrate more 

ecosystems than many European countries 

and they are endowed with an equal range 

Rich 

in 

protein 

In Mexico there 

are 549 species 

of edible insects. 

Grasshoppers, 

larvae, worms, ants, 

and other species 

are eaten on a daily 

basis. 

A snack of 

grasshoppers with 

guacamole. 

Enameled aluminum 

pot with esquites (corn 

with condiments) and 

shrimp. 

The restaurante Mural 

de los Poblanos in the 

Historic Center of 

Puebla. 

A Chiapas snack from 

Tierra y Cielo, San 

Cristóbal de las Casas, 

Chiapas. 

José Manuel Baños is a 

promoter of Oaxaca 

cuisine. Pitiona is an 

option in Oaxaca. 



two oceans 

Seafood 

soup 

Typical dish on the 

Gulf of Mexico. 

It’s a tomato and 

guajillo chile soup 

containing different 

types of seafood. 

The most popular 

has whole crab, 

small shrimp, 

oysters, and clams 

in their shell, 

octopus, and fish 

fillets. 

n 

of natural riches that have enabled them 

to develop knowledge on how to exploit 

nature’s bounties. The cuisine of these 

lands reflects their integration into nature’s 

surroundings and centuries of traditions 

transmitted as a core part of life and culture. 

Man’s coexistence with the sea and coast 

reflects the hard work needed to catch the 

fish to take home for the women to transform 

it into culinary wonders. The fishing supply 

is reflected in the varied dishes that include 

mollusks, seafood, and fish. 

Veracruz, Tabasco, and Chiapas are 

producers of tropical cattle and sheep; 

Oaxaca has goat raising, therefore the variety 

of fresh and dried meat is diverse and tasty. 

Fruit in the tropics is one of the rewards 

of visiting the South. The three states in the 

South produce mamey and papaya. Veracruz 

is the major producer of oranges and other 

citrus fruit, as well as the delectable Manila 

mangos from Chacaltianguis; pineapples are 

from Oaxaca. 

The flavors of the fruit remain a sweet 

memory on the palate. Aromatic vanilla is 

the gift of the Papantla zone in Veracruz and 

the Chinantla region of Oaxaca to the world. 

Locals exploited the jungle’s bounty to 

harvest one of the products most valued by 

confectioners worldwide. 

Cacao is valued for the beverages 

prepared with it from the Central Valleys 

of Oaxaca, as well as in the preparation of 

chocolate in the Soconusco region, Chiapas. 

Superb coffee is produced in Coatepec, 

near Xalapa, Veracruz, as well as in the 

central highlands and on the coasts of 

Chiapas and Oaxaca. 

When it comes to stiffer drinks, we close 

this survey with the torito veracruzano, a 

fruit flavored drink with a kick, the comiteco 

of viceregal tradition; and the long list of 

mezcals from Oaxaca. ▲ 

Alejandro Ruiz, Oaxaca chef, a 

national and international 

promoter of regional cuisine. 

One of the many ways of 

enjoying corn. Zaachila, 

Oaxaca.. 

Traditional baked goods in a 

market in Oaxaca. 

Puebla, a gastronomy capital 

with a long tradition. Many of 

its restaurants are in historic 

buildings. 

Abigail Mendoza, a traditional 

Oaxaca cook, has represented 

her homeland internationally. 

The tables in Veracruz 

restaurants are set to receive 

diners. 

Stuffed chiles are a typical 

Mexican delicacy. 



two oceans 

BEAN 

ROLL 

serves 4 | 50 minutes plus time to let it sit | EASY 

chiles 

en nogada 

There are many tales 

about the origin of this 

dish, the most popular 

that it was created by 

Augustinian nuns in the 

Convent of Santa Mónica 

in Puebla for Agustín de 

Iturbide upon his return 

from signing documents 

finalizing Mexico’s 

independence from Spain 

on August 28, the feast 

day of Saint Augustine. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Homemade beans: 

500 grams young black beans 

8 cups cold water 

150 grams white onion, cut in 

chunks 

2 cloves of garlic 

2 avocado leaves, toasted 

Coarse salt 

Bean mousse: 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

30 grams white onion 

1 Simojovel chile 

Black pepper 

21 grams unflavored gelatin, 

mixed with water 

1 cup bean broth 

Creamy cheese: 

400 grams Chiapas cheese 

½ cup heavy cream 

1 tablespoon white wine 

Salt and white pepper 

Chiles rostizados: 

100 grams Simojovel chile 

50 grams garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

To serve: 

4 tablespoons Simojovel chile 

seeds 

12 blanched green beans, 

julienned 

8 red onions, julienned 

4 tablespoons chía seeds 

12 triangles blue tortilla, fried 

8 tablespoons olive oil 

PREPARATION 

Homemade beans: 

Cook the beans in a pressure 

cooker with water, onion, garlic, 

and avocado leaves for 40 

minutes. Cool, season, and keep in 

the refrigerator. 

Bean mousse: 

Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté 

the onion until slightly browned. 

Add the chile and cooked beans; 

simmer for 5 minutes and let cool. 

Melt the unflavored gelatin and 

water in a double boiler. Purée the 

bean mixture and slowly add the 

melted gelatin. Pour the mixture 

into a rectangular pan covered with 

wax paper, smoothing it with a 

spatula. Cover and refrigerate until 

it sets. 

Creamy cheese: 

Beat the cheese, cream, and wine. 

Add salt and pepper. Pour the 

creamy mixture over the bean 

mousse once it sets. Roll it into a 

log shape, cover with wax paper, 

and keep in the refrigerator. 

Roasted chiles: 

Clean the chiles and put them on 

a baking sheet. Mix the garlic with 

oil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle it on 

the chiles and roast at 170°C for 20 

minutes. 

To serve: 

Cut the bean roll into 7-cm thick 

slices and cover with chile seeds. 

Serve the sliced bean roll with 

the slivered green beans, onions, 

chía seeds, and tortilla triangles. 

Sprinkle with olive oil. 

marta 

zepeda 


A RESULT OF THE MIXTURE OF VARIOUS 

TRADITIONS, THE GASTRONOMY OF THIS 

REGION IS AMPLE, VARIED, AND WITH THE 

CHARACTERISTIC TOUCH OF ITS CONDIMENTS 


two oceans 

AND FLAVORS. ITS HERBS, CHILES, FISH, 

DOUBLE CREAM OR STRING CHEESE, 

COUNTLESS TYPES OF BREAD, NOT TO 

MENTION MEZCAL, FRAGRANT COFFEE AND 

FROTHY CHOCOLATE ARE RENOWNED. 



two oceans 

Mexico and 

Its Cheeses 

■ carlos Yescas 

Cheese is an everyday food in Mexico. You can enjoy it 

sprinkled on traditional dishes, as fillings for poblano 

peppers, in a quesadilla, baked, or simply as an appetizer. Our 

cheese is tasty for its freshness and versatility. 

Cheese reached Mexico during the Viceroyalty; however, those that are 

regarded as genuine Mexican varieties, such as Oaxaca string cheese, fresh 

panela, round aro, hard cincho, and many others, have been produced in 

Mexico for 150 years. Each one has a distinctive use in different traditional 

dishes. In Mexico, cheese is seen primarily as an ingredient that enhances or 

complements a meal. 

The country has several cheese-producing regions defined by land type, 

which conditions the ultimate product type. These lands are characterized 

by climate, soil type, the natural food for animals, as well as the traditions 

of each place in caring for livestock, resource exploitation, and production 

technique. 

The Bajío, the mountains, and the south are leading regions. In the Bajío, 

new Mexican cheese-making paved the way for goat and sheep milk products; 

whereas the mountainous region, which comprises the states of Nayarit to 

Michoacán, has cheeses distinctive for their seasonal production and their 

history. The south, in turn, concentrates the largest number of collective 

brands. 

Cotija cheese is the most important in the mountain region made in the 

Sierra Jalmich. It holds one of the four collective brands that have been granted 

to safeguard our identity in the field. The original, made in the sierra and 

matured by the Mesón del Cotija, stands out for its aging and the care invested 

in its production; unique for its flavor, it is recognized as an archetype of 

Mexican cheese-making. 

Among the collective brands in the south, there is porous Poro de 

Balancán cheese —from the zone of the rivers in Tabasco; the other two are 



two oceans 

café de olla= Water + 

coarsely ground coffee + cinnamon + 

piloncillo (solid brown sugar) 

oaxaca 

CHEESE 

is a type of string 

cheese based on 

partially melting 

curdled milk. It is 

made in long ribbons 

that are rolled up into 

balls and is originally 

from Etla, Oaxaca. 

n 

spherical Queso de Bola de Ocosingo and Cuadro Doble Crema cheese, both 

from Chiapas. Artisanal cheese stands out in these three regions and thanks 

to local consumers it remains an essential part of the local culinary output. 

Artisanal cheeses are also made in other zones of Mexico. However, the 

central and north areas have extensive milk-producing basins, where the 

industry has grown and food businesses have captured the market. Some 

national brands have modified processes and sadly, on occasions, they have 

deteriorated the supply by creating bland dairy formulas. In response to 

this situation, informed consumers have sought natural options, fostering 

traditional production and even organic certificates. 

In Mexico we still have some cheeses made with raw milk, following 

European practices. The use of unpasteurized milk is highly praised 

worldwide, because it makes it possible to identify in its flavors the type of 

land it came from. It is important that the raw milk be harmless and that 

sanitary measures are taken for its exploitation. 

These cheeses made from raw milk or those made from pasteurized milk 

with traditional processes should be valued not only for their gastronomic 

worth, but also for the nutritional contribution they make to the everyday 

diet. Worldwide there are scientific studies that support the consumption of 

unprocessed cheese as part of a healthy and balanced diet. 

Genuine Cheeses 

Traditional cheese-making is best represented in central and southern 

Mexico, with genuine products recognized by all as part of authentic Mexican 

cuisine. These include quesillo de hebra or string cheese from Oaxaca, which 

is probably the most imitated. The original is made in Etla and is traditionally 

made from raw milk from two milkings. It is said to have been invented by a 

woman named Leobarda Castellanos García, who accidentally left milk on to 

boil and to salvage the coagulated result from burning poured boiling water 

on the curd, which melted and made it possible to form balls of rolled up 

string cheese. This became popularized in central Mexico with the migration 

of people from Oaxaca to Mexico City and later to the United States with 

international migration to California. 

In the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatán there is distinctive cheesemaking 

based on the region’s typical milk. Cattle, known as “tropical creole 

cows,” are acclimatized to the extreme heat as a result of interbreeding the 

zebu and Holstein, which in addition to producing a lot of milk, are also very 

fertile. Abundant seasonal pastures permit high milk production, and the 

docility of the cows facilitates their handling by families that keep animals 

in their backyards and on their communal lands. Traditionally, the cheeses 

from this zone include a demineralization process in the curdling to prevent 

Climate and types of livestock shape cheese production. The variety is ample, and many recipes in Mexican cuisine include cheese. 



two oceans 

Cheese soup at Quintonil, 

Mexico City. 

Crème brûlée is a dessert 

cream with a caramelized 

surface.. 

Artisan cheeses (from 

cows, goats, and sheep) can 

be found throughout the 

country. They are an 

essential part of regional 

gastronomies. The 

techniques came from 

Europe and were adapted 

to local conditions. 

Melted cheese is served as 

a snack or meal. It is 

prepared with vegetables, 

sausage, and other types of 

protein. 

2,595 

million liters of milk 

are produced by cows 

in Mexico annually. 

n 

the proliferation of pathogens. The distinctive flavor is creamy, a bit acidic, with 

notes of sour cream. 

Cheeses from Chiapas are essential in some typical dishes, such as cheese 

empanadas (turnovers) and fried plantains filled with cuadro, a crumbly 

cream cheese. Spherical queso de bola filled with picadillo (ground meat and 

vegetables) smothered in tomato sauce is also a popular dish. 

In Tabasco pungent poro and tropical, a cream cheese, are served as 

appetizers and are also used in cooking. Poro cheese is added to a seafood filled 

tortilla in the riverine areas. Sopero cheese, akin to cuadro, is made in Yucatán 

and is normally eaten sprinkled over codzitos (fried rolled cheese tacos). 

In addition, there are dozens of genuine cheeses, which range from those of 

the Sierra, to the mild fresh, dried, and air-dried adobera cheeses, and to the 

unique cheeses made in Baja California by producers who have developed an 

industry on par with the state’s wine-producing industry. 

Artisanal Cheese-Making 

The growth of the Mexican gourmet market has provided incentives for the 

development of new artisanal cheese-making in the central zone of the states 

of Hidalgo, Morelos, and Puebla, and in the north part of the country in the 

state of Coahuila, offering a local natural option. These new proposals, along 

with those in the Bajío region, have adapted techniques recently brought from 

abroad to create new types of cheese, but with a strong national flavor. 

It is worth highlighting that Mexico has earned eight international medals for 

its artisanal cheeses and thanks to the promotion carried out by the Instituto 

Mexicano del Queso, A.C., the nation’s cheese organization, Mexico is 

recognized by judges who vote in the most important competitions. In 2014 

the enterprise Sierra Encantada al Aguacate, founded in the state of Morelos 

by Regina Olvera and Georgina Yescas A. Trujano was awarded the title best 

new cheese in the world (for their goat cheese in creole avocado leaf ) by the 

panel of expert judges at the World Cheese Awards. 

The foremost prize-winning cheese in Latin America also comes from 

Mexico. Winner of five international prizes, master cheese-maker Catalina 

Rivera and her husband Martín López run Rancho San Josemaría in 

Querétaro. 

Other international winners are aged cotija cheese made by Esteban 

Barragán and Rogelia Villa in Michoacán and Pasión cheese created by Javier 

Chaurand and his wife Mónica Del Campo in Celaya, Guanajuato. 

In addition to these prize-winners there are artisanal cheese-makers in 

various states. These local expressions have focused on creating unique 

products with distinctive characteristics. Now there are fresh cheeses, 

those aged in cellars, air-dried, with mold rind, with washed rind, and 

also with cooked curds, as well as blue cheeses, and those flavored with 

herbs, chiles, and other ingredients distinctive of each region. 

The majority of these traditional cheeses, whether genuine or newly 

created, can be found in popular markets known as mercados or bazaars 

in several cities in Mexico. Likewise, there are now specialized shops 

offering an extensive selection. The consumer-in-the-know would do well 

to find a shop with informed personnel or a vender in a traditional small 

establishment who knows the producer first hand. ▲ 

2.8 

kilos of cheese 

are consumed per 

person each year. 

n 



two oceans 

HOJA SANTA 

ROLLS 


hoja 

santa 

is an aromatic plant 

with velvety heartshaped 

leaves. Known 

as the Mexican 

pepperleaf, it adds 

aroma and flavor to 

dishes. In Oaxaca it 

is an ingredient in 

yellow mole, tlayudas, 

tamales, and beans. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 


20 grams red onion, chopped 

60 grams chapulines (edible 

grasshoppers) 

8 epazote leaves, thinly sliced 

8 grams chile de árbol, diced 

40 grams tomatillos (Mexican 

green tomatoes) 

8 grams morita chile, deveined 

and toasted 

20 grams white onion, grilled 

2 cloves of garlic, grilled 

2 tablespoons white vinegar 

Salt 

4 hierba santa leaves (aromatic 

Mexican pepperleaf), about 15 

cm long and blanched 

100 grams bean paste 

220 grams quesillo (Oaxaca string 

cheese), shredded 

To serve: 


8 grams red onion, chopped 

12 mustard flowers 

2 tablespoons crema de rancho 

(thick fresh cream, a bit less 

tangy than sour cream) 

2 radishes, thinly sliced 

PREPARATION 

Sauté the onion in oil until it is 

slightly golden. 

Add the grasshoppers, epazote, 

and chile de árbol. 

Heat water in a saucepan and boil 

the tomatillo for 5 minutes with 

the morita chile, onion, and garlic. 

Purée the mixture in a blender 

with vinegar and add salt to taste. 

Fill the leaves with bean paste, 

quesillo, and the sautéed 

grasshoppers and roll them up. 

Refrigerate. 

Montaje: 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the rolls, 

turning them over constantly to 

prevent them from burning. Drain 

off the excess oil and cut the rolls 

into three equal parts. 

Serve them in a deep bowl 

covered with the morita chile 

salsa. Garnish with red onion, 

mustard flowers, cream, and 

sliced radishes. 

alejandro 

ruiz 



two oceans 

The Many 

Faces of 

Mexican 

Coffee 

■ jesús salazar 

The word coffee has many meanings in Mexico. That’s nothing 

strange. For Mexicans few words are unambiguous and have 

only one meaning. Almost everything in our language is full 

of interpretations, nuances, and flavors. In a culture that 

delights in diversity and complexity versus simplicity and 

minimalism, it would seem coffee found a good home. 

Like all good Mexicans, coffee revels in complexity, the tropical diversity of 

our lands, climates, rains, and the hands of the farmers who watch over it. 

That’s why talking about Mexican coffee in the abstract enables us to simplify 

its intricacies. It would be much more accurate to speak of Mexican coffees, 

which are as numerous and diverse as our cuisine, traditions, lands, and 

peoples: we are not all cut from the same cloth. 

The pleasure of a cup of coffee is the result of numerous complex 

processes. In an effort to enumerate the most representative, we could say 

that the main precursors of a good cup are the variety of the plant itself, 

the nutrition of the soil, the biodiversity surrounding it, the timely harvest 

of the mature fruit, post-harvesting processes, the type of roasting, and the 

final preparation. At the risk of being criticized by baristas or professionals 

in its preparation, I would say that the genetics (plant variety) and nutrition 

(the soil) are the foremost, because together they determine the potential 

for other factors to be expressed or lost. Mexican coffees serendipitously 



two oceans 

Washing the mature fruit of 

recently harvested coffee. 

Candelaria, Oaxaca. 

Harvesting coffee in San 

Pedro Cotsilnam. Chiapas 

highlands. 

Roasting coffee. 

Mature coffee cherries. 

Chiapas. 

The Café de la Parroquia 

in Veracruz is famous 

for its café con leche 

and traditional baked 

goods. 

Baristas prepare coffee. 

Day by day there are 

better baristas and 

specialty coffees. 

246,121 

tons of green coffee 

place Mexico as the 

10th world producer, 

contributing 2.8 percent. 

n 

combine the two most important factors for the ultimate quality of an 

aroma-filled cup. 

Arabica beans are the principal variety grown in Mexico. It is a species 

that allows for a greater expression of aromas and delightful flavors. It is 

not the only variety, but it predominates. 

Others, such as Robusta or canephora are cultivated in much smaller 

amounts. Countries such as Brazil and Vietnam are among the leading 

Robusta producers. We should bear in mind Arabica is the main line 

from which many varieties branch off, each with a different structural 

and genetic composition and a different story to tell about coffee. If this 

were music, the choice of coffee variety would be just as important as the 

melody of a song. 

The soil where coffee is cultivated is equally important as the plant that 

will flourish and bear fruit and seeds. Mexico is a celebration of lands, 

a symphony of substrata. The political map tells us that today there are 

sixteen states in the country that produce it; a soil map would tell us that 

there are infinite settings that express this, telling unique stories from each 

point of origin where coffee is grown. Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, 

and Guerrero, are the producer states par excellence, followed by Tabasco, 

Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Michoacán, Morelos, the State of Mexico, Querétaro, 

San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Colima, and Nayarit. When it comes to coffee the 

country is more like many Mexicos, intoning a wide range of harmonies 

allowing its distinctive notes to stand out. 

The land and the variety are joined by two leading actors: the one who 

cultivates it and the one who prepares it. In Mexico you need a green thumb 

to plant and harvest it, as well as a special talent to flavor and prepare it. 

Although these are not the only hands that matter, they have the greatest 

resonance. We are sensitive to the farmer’s importance, so we understand 

how the coffee producer’s hand is like that of a composer who writes a 

score, thus composing the original notes expressed in a cup of coffee. 

However, we know that hands are needed for optimum taste; flavor is 

a matter of fingers and a pinch of this and that. The hand that makes the 

brew is so important that it steals the show as the story unfolds, taking 

us to the extreme of forgetting its origins, varieties, soils, and coffeecultivators. 

This hand is what gave birth to café de olla, something virtually 

only Mexicans know how to prepare, order and enjoy. The pottery vessel 

70% 

of the coffee 

plantations in 

Mexico are at 600 

meters above sea 

level. 

n 



two oceans 

containing the water and set on the fire and hot coals is how the cook—at 

home or in the eatery—pays tribute to the land. The cinnamon and piloncillo 

(solid brown sugar) are a contribution of the Mexican palate and table to 

the world beverage menu. Habits change, but I am sure that café de olla will 

endure in both our culinary tradition and sensorial memory. 

Coffee is everywhere in our lives. We find it with vendors on tricycles 

sold with a piece of sweet bread; on street stands beside tamales and 

champurrado (chocolate atole); on stove at home and in office coffee 

makers; at bus stations, shopping centers, markets, buildings, and humble 

dwellings; in porcelain, ceramic, Styrofoam, plastic, enamel, glass, and 

crystal; sweetened or black; in the countryside, in cities, small towns, 

ports, the mountains, on highways; in restaurants, small eateries, sandwich 

shops, and even taco spots. 

café 

d.o. 

The states 

of Veracruz (in 

2000 ) and Chiapas 

(in 2003 ) received 

the Designation 

of Origin status 

to protect their 

products. 

n 

Coffee is refreshing for hot days and warming for cold 

For us coffee is the symbol of courtesy and intimacy, of public, civic, and 

cosmopolitan events. A good Mexican does not offer you an orange juice, 

instead a cup of coffee, and there’s no worse doctor than the one who forbids 

you from drinking it. And just as we’re experts in adding chile and lime to all 

our food; we’re also adept at the unconscious art of sweetening it. 

The flavors of Mexican coffee are as diverse as those of mole sauces, 

chiles, and types of corn and beans. An array of coffee flavors is like a stand 

at a fair. Notes of chocolate and hazelnut mingle with citrus, caramel, and 

fresh or dried fruit, flowers, and spices. Each of these flavors represents 

the eloquence of the land, the farmer, and the plant, but above all they are 

words of the universal language: Mexican coffees are part of the world 

heritage of coffee. We have contributed notes and unique and unmistakable 

sensations and character to this language. 

For those who wish to explore the mysterious depths of Mexican coffee, 

I have just one recommendation: let yourself be guided by a good shaman, 

like in the extrasensory experiences of peyote and mezcal. Ordinary coffees 

offer just a glimpse of a world filled with hidden corners and labyrinths that 

conceal precious treasures. Mexico offers both worlds, the diner chooses. ▲ 

Since it reached Mexico, coffee has delighted our palate. Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz are major producers. 

Its cultivation, benefits, and preparation are part of culinary tradition and the economy. 


the 

flavors 

of the 


two oceans 

region 

CHIAPAS: SOPA DE 

PAN (BREAD SOUP) / 

COCHITO HORNEADO 

(ROAST SUCKLING PIG) 

OAXACA: BLACK 

MOLE / TLAYUDAS CON 

ASIENTO Y TASAJO 

(DRIED BEEF ON A 

CORN DOUGH BASE) 

PUEBLA: MOLE 

POBLANO (PUEBLA 

STYLE MOLE) / CEMITAS 

(MEAT, CHEESE AND 

QUELITE SANDWICHES 

ON A CEMITA ROLL) 

VERACRUZ: ARROZ A LA 

TUMBADA (RICE WITH 

FISH AND SHELLFISH) 

/ HUACHINANGO A LA 

VERACRUZANA (RED 

SNAPPER) 

nicuatole 


Puebla is the meeting place of Moorish filigree, baroque meringue, and the 

chocolate of learned, sweet-toothed monks and convents of nuns dedicated to 

the culinary arts, specialists in candies and desserts that have earned them fame 

today: camotes (cigar-shaped candied sweet potatoes), borrachitos (tequila-laced 

gumdrops), and tortas de Santa Clara (cookies with pumpkin-seed icing). 

The region is also a hub of routes bringing coffee and cacao from Veracruz, 

Oaxaca, and Chiapas; juicy pineapples, vanilla, oranges, limes, and lemons. 

How wonderful to receive zapotes (sapodilla), mameys, chicos and tunas (cactus 

fruit) enhancing the variety of central Mexican desserts. 

Suppliers join forces to bring these sweets to the table, the labor of women 

on their knees grinding cacao and many kinds of corn to make a chocolate 

drink, or an atole (corn drink), or a nicuatole, with a consistency similar to a 

flan, made from boiled corn, milk, water, sugar, and cinnamon. 

Let’s taste these delights! 

camotes 

Lacey sweet threads in relief 

on sweet potato candy are a 

memory of Baroque architecture, 

flowers, messages of love, and 

facades of buildings blended 

together.” 



t h e 

NORtheast 

the 

northeast 

Coahuila / Nuevo León / 

San Luis Potosí / Tamaulipas / Zacatecas 

134 — Ven a Comer the northeast — 135

t h e 

NORtheast 

IN THIS VAST TERRITORY OF EXTREME WEATHER, SOME OF MEXICO’S 

MOST PRODUCTIVE CITIES HAVE PROSPERED: MONTERREY, TORREÓN, 

SALTILLO, TAMPICO, SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, AND ZACATECAS. 

museums 

After Mexico City 

Zacatecas has the 

most museums in 

Mexico—such as the 

Felguérez Museum 

dedicated to the 

work of Manuel 

Felguérez. 

Diversity is the best way to define Coahuila: a great desert, 

the fertile Comarca Lagunera; the vineyard oasis of Parras; 

Cuatrociénegas, a swampland rich in endemic species; 

paleontological sites such as Rincón Colorado; and historical 

Saltillo, birthplace of the famous serape. 

Nuevo León combines nature and modernity, 

tradition and adventure, gastronomy and a cosmopolitan 

environment. Monterrey is one of the most important cities 

today with significant educational and cultural activity. 

The importance of San Luis Potosí stems from the 

gold and silver ore discovered in 1592, which fueled its 

architectural and artistic wealth. 

Tamaulipas is a place for nature lovers: 400 kilometers 

of coastline for sport fishing and the spectacular biosphere 

reserve, El Cielo. It is the principal location in Mexico for 

hunting. 

Zacatecas was inhabited by nomadic groups that left 

traces at La Quemada. The discovery of silver ore during the 

viceregal era led to the founding of the city of Zacatecas, a 

World Heritage Site. ▲ 

Wind farm by the Mexico-Saltillo 

highway with the Sierra Madre 

Oriental in the background. 

The Cathedral of Zacatecas from 

Baroque New Spain. 

Buildings on the Plaza de la 

Libertad. Tampico. 

Surrealist sculpture garden. Xilitla. 

San Luis Potosí. 

Parque Fundidora. A re-purposed 

historical foundry now offers 

museums, and cultural and 

recreational areas. Monterrey, 

Nuevo León. 

The Desert Museum. Saltillo, 

Coahuila. 

Cuatrociénegas. Coahuila.. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

CHILES STUFFED 

WITH CABRITO 

EN CONFIT 

serves 4 | 5 hours plus refrigeration time | easy 

VIAJE 

INTERIOR 

cabrito 

for all 

The classic way of 

preparing cabrito 

is to skewer it 

inserting a metal 

rod longitudinally 

along the spine and 

slow-cooking the meat 

near hot coals. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Cabrito: 

¼ small goat, in large pieces 

8 cups lard 

Salt 

Chiles: 

300 grams sugar 

¼ cup instant coffee 

4 cups water 

1 cup cider vinegar 

12 chiles güeros or caribeños 

3 tablespoons soy sauce 

3 tablespoons Worcestershire 

sauce 


1½ tablespoons oil 

To serve: 

Caramelized onions 

prepaRAtioN 

Cabrito: 

Rub salt on the goat and 

refrigerate for 24 hours. 

Heat the lard to 90°C. Add the goat 

and cook for 5 hours at a constant 

temperature. 

Drain, bone, and chop the meat. 

Chiles: 

Place sugar, coffee, water, and 

vinegar in a saucepan. Heat almost 

to a boil, add the chiles and cook 

for a few minutes, making sure 

that they remain firm. 

Drain the chiles, slit open, and 

carefully remove the veins. Mix soy 

sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 

water. 

Heat a griddle with oil and sauté 

the chiles, basting them with the 

soy sauce mixture until they are 

well browned. 

To serve: 

Stuff the chiles with the cabrito. 

Serve with the caramelized onions. 

juan 

ramón 

cárdenas 


t h e 

NORtheast 

cooking and 

the result 

■ adrián herrera 

“Where cooked food ends and 

eating grilled meat begins 

marks the boundary with 

barbarism.” 

I. These famed words penned by José 

Vasconcelos have undergone a number of 

deformations and have become a myth. He 

was definitely not referring to all of that 

region’s cuisine. It was more of a comment 

he jotted down on an informal trip—not a 

discussion of the subject. 

In order to talk about cuisine in the 

Northeast, you have to look at what is eaten 

in the towns, in the big cities, in imported 

traditions—the ones that date way back but 

have gradually been modified and adapted 

to fit modern times. Anyone who insists on 

reducing our cuisine solely to ranch fare and 

grilled meat disavows the solidly distinctive 

identity of northern culture. 

I have always maintained that there is 

no such thing as Mexican cuisine—rather 

that Mexican kitchens are what define our 

gastronomy. If you were to compare the cuisine 

and customs of the Yucatán with those of the 

North, you would probably find it hard to 

believe that these extremes could be part of the 

same country. Politically, they are. Culturally, 

they have little in common. Cuisine cannot be 

distilled into a simple collection of materials and 

techniques; it is much more than that. It is the 

expression of the people who create it. Cooking 

and eating are fundamentally social activities. 

II. Let’s begin by looking at the borders of 

this region. To the north we run into a natural 

frontier, the Rio Grande; to the east we have the 

Monterrey has become a 

gastronomic hub of 

contemporary cuisine. 

Asado de boda is a 

traditional Zacatecas dish of 

roast pork with chile adobo. 

Chef Dante Ferrero is 

renowned for his carne 

asada (grilled meat). 

Food trucks have become 

famous for their good food 

in San Luis Potosí and 

Coahuila. 

Traditional or modern: tacos 

for every taste. Monterrey, 

Nuevo León. 

Pan de pulque. Bread made 

from pulque. Coahuila. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

Gulf of Mexico; to the west there are plains and 

sierras; and to the south we find the start of the 

Mesoamerican indigenous cultures. 

Much can be said about the northern 

frontier. First, because it is very close to 

Monterrey and second, because of the 

intensive human interaction. I have collected 

recipes over the years at ranches, communal 

farming areas, and hamlets in deserts and 

on mountains and plains. The migration 

phenomenon and the shared border and 

natural resources coincide in a unique 

gastronomic phenomenon. Then we have 

the influence of the sea that provides not 

only material resources but also evocations, 

histories, and worldviews. Materials such as 

the acuyo (hoja santa or Mexican pepperleaf ) 

and shellfish—especially dried shrimp—and 

a handful of spices and techniques manage 

to permeate the occasionally minimalist 

culinary agenda of the North. 

The states of Coahuila and San Luis Potosi 

to the south contribute a roughness that 

creates character: oregano from the sierras— 

so aromatic and intensely flavored—cabrito 

(goat), dried chiles, prickly pear leaves and 

fruit, pitaya (cactus fruit), and nuts. 

The Northeast has always shown a 

tendency to politically isolate itself from the 

rest of Mexico, which has led it to the creation 

of its unique identity, unlike any other in 

Mexico. Physically, the massive natural barrier 

of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Gulf of 

Mexico, and the sprawling desert separating it 

from the West, plus proximity to Texas culture 

underlie the Northeast’s particular identity. 

III. What is eating there like? I want to 

start with grilled meat; then pork stewed 

with red chiles, spices, herbs, and citrus 

fruit. Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, 

Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí have their own 

versions but almost all the recipes are similar. 

I can say it is the great main dish of the 

North. Then we have the empalmes, two corn 

desert 

fruit 

Prickly pear fruit 

is called tuna. 

A thick peel 

studded with 

prickles covers 

sweet pulpy fruit 

crammed with 

edible seeds. 

aporreadillo= Jerked meat (machaca) + 

eggs + tomatoes + onions + chile + salt 

Batter-coated chile ancho 

filled with cheese. 

Zacatecas. 

Mole rojo, Red mole of corn, 

chile, and squash seeds. 

Coahuila. 

Tacos envenenados: Tacos 

with beans, sausage, and 

potatoes. Zacatecas 

At the foot of La Huasteca 

canyon, Cumbres National 

Park. Monterrey. 

Huachinango, red snapper, 

on a mixture of pork cheeks 

in green salsa. Tamaulipas. 

Griddles, cookers, and 

grills—stoves norteña style. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

tortillas dipped in melted lard and stuffed 

with cooked fillings; atropellado, jerked 

meat cooked with green chiles, onions, and 

tomatoes; nopales (prickly pear pads) cooked 

with chile and dried shrimp; barbecued 

beef cheek, lip, and tongue; beef cortadillo, 

picadillo and carne deshebrada, each with 

its own recipe and character; chicharrón de 

cachete in red sauce or pressed and prepared 

with green sauce. 

Soups—caldo, potaje, puchero, menudo 

(tripe) and chicales (hominy); jerked meat in 

salsa, green in Coahuila and red in Nuevo León. 

Chicken in red chile mole, wood-grilled beef 

ribs with spicy green sauce, and grilled beef 

steaks cut to taste. Home cooking highlights 

chicken entomatadas (turnovers) in tomato 

sauce, noodle soup, and meatballs in chipotle 

sauce with rice. Typical dishes: longaniza 

sausage from Montemorelos, cuajitos (beef 

stew) from Cadereyta, seed-based mole from 

Zuaxua, green grilled meat from Los Rayones, 

and red tacos from Monterrey. Cabrito 

(kid), the great tradition, in salsa, fried, and 

roasted on a spit. Sweets are also noteworthy: 

hojarascas (puff pastry cookies), bastimento (tea 

cookies), glorias (candy) from Linares, orange 

jam, bean dessert, burnt milk candy. 

IV. Along with the delicious food from 

kitchens on ranches, in villages, home cooking, 

street food, and markets, we can’t overlook the 

influence of imports—good and bad—and the 

efforts of chefs to update and modernize this 

cuisine that, as a whole, represents a force of 

major social change. This is our norteña cuisine: 

robust, ancient, with a touch of obstinacy in its 

way of being and expressing what we are. 

It is time we sent José Vasconcelos’s 

famous words off to oblivion and think 

instead about a new cuisine in the Northeast: 

generated by its own history and tradition 

and projected toward a culinary adventure 

full of expectations and emotions, an 

adventure that is just beginning. ▲ 

Taco de guisado. Taco 

with a stew filling from a 

street stand. Saltillo. 

Crabs are a favorite in 

coastal dishes in 

Tamaulipas. 

La Mexicana butcher 

shop. Monterrey. 

Tunas come in many 

colors and flavors. The red 

ones are sweet and juicy. 

San Luis Potosí. 

A colorful array of typical 

candies in a market. 

Tamaulipas 

Breakfast in the North: 

dried meat, eggs, refried 

beans, guacamole, and 

flour tortillas. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

PORK BELLY 

TACOS 

serves 4 | 12 hours plus marinade time | medium difficulty 

I’LL EAT 

SOME . . . 

The belly 

is one of the most 

delicious parts of 

the pig. Many dishes 

contain smoked or 

natural bacon and 

benefit from the 

intense flavor of the 

meat and the use 

of lard. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Pork belly: 

½ cup honey 

1 sprig rosemary 

2 bay leaves 

10 grams thyme 

½ head garlic 

25 grams parsley 

5 tbsp black pepper, cracked 

25 grams salt 

3 cups water 

300 grams pork belly 

Adobo: 


4 chiles anchos, deveined 

4 chiles guajillos, deveined 

2 chiles de árbol, deveined 


1 cup orange juice 

1 stick cinnamon 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 tablespoon oregano 

½ tablespoon cumin 

2 tablespoons vinegar 

1 bay leaf 

3 grains black pepper 

1 whole clove 

2 sprigs cilantro (coriander) 

2 pork hocks 

Pomegranate agar: 

1 cup pomegranate juice 

2.5 grams agar agar 

Garlic chips: 

1 head ajo macho garlic 

4 cups milk 

To serve: 

8 tortillas 

2 sliced spring onions 

2 sliced radishes 

4 tbsp peanuts, chopped 

Guillermo 

gonzález 

beristáin 

PREPARATION 

Pork belly: 

Place all ingredients except the 

pork belly in a saucepan. Heat to the 

boiling point, remove from the stove 

and let cool. Place the pork belly in a 

container and add the liquid. Cover 

and marinate for 36 hours. Rinse 

the pork belly, place in a sealed 

vacuum bag and cook at 78°C for 12 

hours. 

Adobo: 

Sauté chiles and garlic in oil in a 

saucepan until golden. Add orange 

juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, 

oregano, cumin, vinegar, bay leaf, 

black pepper and the clove; heat to 

a boil, remove from stove and let 

cool. Liquefy with the cilantro. Pour 

into a pan with the pork hocks and 

simmer for 3 hours; strain, remove 

fat, and season. 

Pomegranate agar: 

Heat and reduce the juice to 

one half. Add agar and stir until 

dissolved. Pour onto a tray lined 

with aluminum foil. Cool until jelled 

and cut circles with a cookie cutter. 

Garlic chips: 

Slice the garlic and place in a 

saucepan with 1/3 of the milk and 

heat to a boil; drain and repeat the 

procedure twice. Drain well and fry 

the garlic in oil until golden. 

To serve: 

Put pomegranate-agar disks on 

a tortilla base. Sear the pork belly 

and place on top of the disks. Make 

a line of adobo across the meat 

and decorate with the remaining 



t h e 

NORtheast 

THE MAIN INGREDIENT OF NORTEÑA 

CUISINE IS BEEF—FRESH, DRIED, OR JERKED. 

CABRITO IS KING, PROUDLY SERVED 

AT FIESTAS ALONG WITH BEER, WHICH HAS 

BEEN BREWED AND CONSUMED IN THE 

NORTH FOR OVER 120 YEARS. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

Cabrito, 

Flavor of the 

Northeast 

■ abdiel cervantes 

About 40°C (104°F) in the shade, the aroma of a charcoal grill 

wafting by on a gentle warm breeze; a view of the semiarid 

land on any Saturday or any summer day. This is a typical 

portrait of the Mexican northeast. 

The aromas of the northeast kitchen are highly specific: pinto beans, cooked 

with cumin, chile de monte (piquin pepper) salsa with sautéed tomatillos, 

crushed in a stone grinding bowl and incomparable cabrito (kid). The 

widespread belief that climate conditions in the Mexican semidesert region 

mean a lack of traditional food and customs is downright wrong. It is true 

that the extreme climate and deserts surrounding the zone made it difficult to 

keep a supply of certain ingredients, unlike the central and southern part of 

Mexico where they are more accessible. Nevertheless, the power of adaption 

has made food just as important and delicious as it is elsewhere in the 

country. It offers one of the most popular images of the North in Mexico. 

Traveling the Northeast states of Tamaulipas to Coahuila you can find an 

endless variety of dishes that define it. However, the key ingredient in the 

zone, without doubt, is cabrito. You can find it on ranches, in homes, and 

restaurants from the humblest to the most luxurious. 

Cabrito is a young goat—no more than forty days old—that still drinks milk 

and has not yet begun to eat grass. At this stage the kidneys are still hidden, 

without becoming disengaged from the inner walls and still covered by a 

slightly scented greasy layer. When cooking them, this is the part most prized 

by foodies and experts who delight in the subtle flavor of the kidney, which is 

ordered along with a portion of the meat. 

Cabrito al pastor. There are five different ways to prepare kid. The most 

popular and prevalent in the majority of establishments and especially 


t h e 

NORtheast 

salsa de chile chiltepín= 

Chiltepín chiles + plum tomatoes + tomatillos + 

cilantro + salt 

1.8 

million tons 

is the annual 

production of 

sheep and goats 

in Mexico. 

n 

on ranches or in the countryside is the renowned dish: cabrito al pastor 

(shepherd-style kid). In this method a longitudinal spit is inserted at about 

an 80 degree angle in the split open carcass to roast the meat. The meat is 

cooked slowly by the glowing embers that are usually of mesquite wood, 

typical of the north-central region of the country and a tree variety in 

desert and semidesert zones. This plant adds a special aroma to the cooking 

process, enriching the meat’s flavor. 

Cabrito al pastor is lightly seasoned with only a pinch of salt and oregano, 

preferably from the zone of Higueras, Nuevo León, or else from San Luis. This 

helps the meat keep its flavor and not be overpowered by any other flavor. 

Generally it is served with tortillas straight from the griddle and chile de 

monte, ground and dressed with lime juice, oil, and salt, or crushed in the 

grinding bowl with tomatillo and onion; accompanied by traditional frijoles 

con veneno (“beans with poison”), refried bayo beans cooked in lard from 

roast pork, a dish typical of the region. This lard has the flavor of the red 

chiles used to roast the pork, and black pepper, cumin, avocado seed, as well 

as grated orange peel in some regions. When the beans are being refried, a 

bit of ground cumin is added to the lard. They are served with the refried bits 

of the roasted pork, which generally is already glazed in the sauce and is so 

tender it is almost crumbling. 

Fritada de Cabrito. Another way to eat cabrito is as fritada. There are two 

variants for this preparation: the principle of fritada that has few elements 

and fritada itself. Basically it is a blend of the animal’s blood, which is drained, 

and carefully set aside; the inside of the carcass is cleaned and the innards are 

used to make the wonderful machitos, liver, heart and kidneys in a sauce. 

The cabrito is boiled with the innards, cut into portions and dressed with 

onion and oregano. The reserved blood is added to the stock and stirred 

vigorously to prevent it from coagulating; at the end the cooked meat and diced 

offal are served with this dark rich sauce. For better results, it is left to simmer 

for several hours to concentrate the flavor and make the meat extremely 

tender. The aromas of the northern bay leaf—a round-leaf variety unlike the 

bay leaf from India—add a special character to the dish. Families that like to 

prepare this recipe, early on the weekend, which begins on Thursday, go to the 

farmers’ market at the northern end of the city of Monterrey to select the kid to 

be slaughtered on the spot and the blood can be collected fresh and the carcass 

skinned and cut open, so the buyer sees the blood is not contaminated. 

Cabrito en salsa. In this light dish, cabrito is served with a sauce made of 

tomatillo and spices, with a subtle flavor that does not overpower the meat. 

Boiled cabrito is added with a bit of the cooking stock. It is a soupy dish 

accompanied by Mexican red rice and beans laced with cumin. On the outskirts 

of Monterrey, nearby, you can visit Villa de Santiago, declared a Pueblo Mágico. 

Downtown, visit the Hotel Las Palomas, the ideal spot to savor regional varieties 

of roasted cabrito tacos or to spend a magical afternoon listening to live music. 

Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas is an expert in raising and preparing cabrito. 

Skilled hands prepare cheese and candy from goats' milk. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

A plate of cabrito is 

always better with 

tortillas and spicy salsa. 

Cabrito roasted on a 

wood fire. 

Cabrito served at the 

table with all the 

condiments. 

Riñonada de cabrito. 

Goat kidneys. 

glorias 

Round candies of 

boiled goats’ milk, 

pecans, sugar, honey, 

and vanilla are the 

emblematic sweet of 

the Northeast. 

n 

Cabrito al ataúd. Colorfully known as “cabrito in a coffin,” this is the name 

for dishes prepared in a large iron or sheet metal “drawer,” where a tray with 

charcoal embers is placed on top, as if a pressure cooker lid. It is believed that 

this method of cooking was devised by cowboys in Texas; although it might 

have come from the ancient way of roasting meat in a hole in the ground. 

Inside the “coffin” the carcass is spread out and seasoned with salt and 

oregano on a tray that will catch the juices; it is covered with the other tray 

that seals it off, and lit charcoal is added, allowing the meat to roast slowly for 

hours. The meat is turned over for even roasting. Some people like to cook 

the cabrito with two sources of heat, above and below the meat, for quicker 

results, but it is not opened until the cabrito is just right. Other cooks let the 

meat rest a few minutes before opening the cooker and serving the meat. 

This technique is also used on a smaller scale to make the famed local 

dish: pollo violado. The whole chicken carcass is placed seated on a beer can 

after it is seasoned with a marinade made of onion, garlic, oregano, and a bit 

of beer pureed in the blender. It is covered with a galvanized metal bucket. 

Two fires are stoked until the chicken is cooked. Then it is served doused in 

beer mixed with the roasted chicken’s own juices. 

Cabrito a la griega. “Greek-style cabrito” is the local tradition that involves 

cooking cabrito skewered horizontally over the charcoal, with a handle to 

turn it slowly as it cooks and is basted in its own juices and with a stock 

seasoned with spices to prevent the meat from drying out. It is a cooking 

technique used in northern Mexico, the land of sheep, deer, and other game 

animals, because hunting there is not a sport, but rather defines male identity 

and the customs and needs of rural societies for subsistence. 

The complementary dishes on tables in the North are well defined: beans, 

usually bayo or pinto, because other types are seen as fit only for cattle. This 

belief as well as flour tortillas began in the North with Jewish settlements, mainly 

Sephardic communities, which reflect the union of ingredients and cultures. 

In the North flour tortillas accompany all meals; this is what people expect. 

To accompany cabrito and grilled meat, flour tortillas and avocados from Sabinas 

Hidalgo, Nuevo León, are indispensable, served with guacamole and rice, always 

with a touch of cumin, which is a must. 

In general all grilling is done outdoors and is the work of men. Friends 

gather to grill meat after buying it and preparing all the essential ingredients. 

In the countryside, as the men do the cooking, the women keep an eye on their 

children and finish the salsas and guacamole that will be put on the table. In 

this ritual the men never sit down; talking about tales and glories of the past 

enlivens them while the heat of the grill rises and they drink ice cold beer. The 

women wait around the table for the sausages and meat as they come off the 

grill, while the men sample them directly from the grill. As the women await 

the platters piled with the succulent pieces of meat, the children frolic and 

play, as the sun and the temperature go down and night begins to fall. 

In the North, you don’t need any special reason to have a barbecue; so 

you can have it on a Tuesday, a Wednesday, or even a Thursday, in all cases 

a small start for the big weekend. That is how our society is in the North, 

always on the lookout for lifelong and new friends, reserving the weekends 

for important family gatherings, to get to know each other better and to 

provide mutual support. This is the Northeast, which is Mexico as well. ▲ 

cabrito 

Is the milk-fed 

young goat 

eaten when it is 

three months old. 

Older goats have 

stronger taste 

and smell. 

n 


t h e 

NORtheast 

CABRITO EN FRITADA 

(GOAT IN BLOOD SAUCE) 

serves 6 | 4 hours plus time to rest the meat | easy 

typical 

Enchiladas from San 

Luis Potosí are fried 

corn tortillas that have 

chile ancho salsa added 

to the dough; they are 

filled with cheese and 

onion and served with 

salsa and cream. They 

are also popular in other 

parts of Mexico. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

1 young goat, 4 kilos, with head, 

blood, and entrails 

8 cups lard 

Salt 

Fritada: 




2 carrots, sliced 

1½ onions, julienned 

6 tomatoes, chopped 

2 poblano chiles, deveined, in thin 

shreds 

5 cloves garlic, minced 

8 cups dark beef broth 

8 cups water 

5 bay leaves 

1 sprig desert oreganillo 

To serve: 

Pickled red onions 

1 small can green chiles in 

escabeche 

PREPARATION 

Cut the goat in small pieces. 

Separate the ribs. 

Sprinkle with salt and leave in the 

refrigerator overnight. 

Wash the intestines inside and out. 

Repeat 3 times. 

Heat the lard to 90°C. Add the ribs 

and cook for 2 hours at a uniform 

temperature. 

Fritada: 

Boil the chiles. Liquefy with a small 

amount of water, salt and pepper. 

Set aside. Sauté the rest of the 

cabrito in oil until well browned. 

Add the carrots, onion, tomato, 

and poblano chiles. Lower the 

flame. Add the entrails, including 

the intestines. Stir in the blood 

and garlic; continue cooking until 

browned. 

Pour in the broth and water. Turn 

the flame to high and heat to a boil. 

Add salt and pepper. Lower the 

flame to the minimum and add the 

guajillos. Simmer for 3 hours and 

add bay leaves and oreganillo. 

To serve: 

Place the fritada broth and 

vegetables in a soup bowl. 

Add cabrito pieces and ribs. 

Serve the pickled onions and green 

chiles on the side. 

juan 

ramón 

cárdenas 


t h e 

NORtheast 

The Navigable 

Rivers of Beer 

in Mexico 

■ ricardo bonilla 

Although the beer world is not always easy, when one 

realizes that this drink goes well with grilled meat, seafood, 

soups, salads, and spicy adobos, pickled escabeches, as well 

as rich pipian and mole sauces, they have to wonder why this 

marvelous beverage was not enjoyed before. 

In Mexico beer has now become the national drink. Our people—lovers 

of good food, pleasant conversation, and friendly companions could 

do no less than adopt this liquid expression of European culture as our 

own. It is indispensable at get-togethers where it furthers a pleasant, 

relaxing, joyful, entertaining, and refreshing moment with one’s closest 

companions. Beer is especially delicious, comforting, close at hand, 

accessible, and intimate. 

Although beer is now as popular as corn, the Mexican dinner drink was 

not always the “king” that it is now. This dynasty can be seen in two different 

ways—two ways of approaching beer and both have to do with the nation’s 

history. One is to drink it “ice cold” and the other is to drink it “chilled to 

perfection.” The first way is to enjoy it as close to freezing as possible and the 

other is to drink it at five, seven, or more degrees Celsius (41 to 45 degrees 

Fahrenheit), usually on tap, depending on the style. One has to do with 

industrially brewed beers, the other with craft beers. 

For beer purists the temperature of the beverage is a serious matter 

because it affects the aroma, the flavor, and the experience. Some people are 

opposed to drinking cold beer; others only enjoy it ice cold. 

It was not until Porfirio Díaz was in power that the economic and 

ideological features of the Republic helped beer become more popular. 


t h e 

NORtheast 

Malted barley is one of 

the four ingredients in 

beer and is the source 

of more than 92 

thousand jobs. 

The Mexican beer 

industry generates 55 

thousand direct jobs 

and 2.5 million 

industry-related jobs. 

One of the largest 

breweries in Latin 

America. Zacatecas. 

Craft beer is becoming 

more and more popular. 

92 

thousand farm 

workers are part of 

the brewing industry. 

n 

The “scientists,” as his presidential cabinet was called, convinced 

Díaz that the Mexican diet of pulque, chile, beans, and corn was one of 

the reasons Mexico was backward when compared with Europe. A new 

diet was proposed to achieve modernity, and beer, because it was seen as 

European, caught on with a helping hand from public policy. The railroad 

ushered in the growth of the breweries from 1884 on. In 1891 Monterrey 

saw the first industrial plant that would create the large-scale replacement 

of pulque by beer. 

The culture of cold beer came into vogue then. The climate of this 

northern city and the beer created by the brewmasters were the key to 

creating a taste for this beverage that was consumed ice cold as the public 

preferred it and enjoyed it without paying a lot of attention to it. 

Pablo Díez Fernández came on the beer scene in 1925. He brewed, 

distributed, and sold beer in Mexico City and set up the model in 1933 that 

led to exportation. In 1954 the first canned beer was developed in the town 

of Tecate. In the 1980s and 90s the taste for cold beer increased throughout 

Mexico. Moreover a touch of lime and salt became popular—unheard of in 

Europe but acceptable to Mexicans. Sophistication, openness, freedom, or 

gastronomic corruption? I don’t know but that is the way we do it and it is 

not always a bad idea, especially if we start with a deeper understanding of 

the national palate. 

The particular culture of the perfect temperature for beer came into 

vogue in 1995 when microbreweries came on the scene. Craft beer and 

international standards together sparked this revolution. Enthusiastic beer 

drinkers—a bit like Cossacks—began to demand and enjoy their beer with 

new standards that butted heads with the tradition that had been in place 

since the end of the nineteenth century. 

By 2002 this became more obvious with microbreweries cropping up 

all over. In 2008 the Asociación Cervecera de la República Mexicana came 

into being in order to promote craft beers. New types of beer were brewed 

and more discerning consumers were motivated to enjoy more intimate 

relations with their favorite beer. Quality and creativity are important aspects 

of microbreweries, but the amount they can make has certain limitations. 

However industrial beers continue to produce the same quality in impressive 

amounts. We now have two beer cultures immersed in a history of shared 

success. 

We are living in a fortunate age. Customers are more frequently asking for 

beers by type rather than by brand name. Microbrewers have discovered 

a public capable of testing and enjoying their foamy alternatives. Certain 

beers are recommended to be paired with certain dishes. Possibilities are 

sought out that foster the expression of our cuisine and increase sales and 

consumption. Tourists can enjoy local meals and find the right beer to go 

62 

liters of beer 

are consumed per 

person per year 

in Mexico. 

n 


t h e 

NORtheast 

6 TH 

place worldwide 

is Mexico’s rank 

in beer production. 

n 

with them. Mom and pop restaurants and avant-garde establishments alike 

have menus with beers that meet these expectations, while bars and canteens 

are taking heed of this trend. 

In the long run Mexican cuisine is the winner because nowadays we not 

only have Pilsener, Vienna, Bock, and Munich—traditional fare of the major 

breweries—but we can also enjoy Golden Ale, Brown Ale, India Pale Ale, 

Dark, Pale Ale, Porter and Imperial Stout, to mention just a few possibilities. 

Creativity and quality are increasing despite the fact that sometimes the 

journey is difficult for local breweries. 

The beer we drink today is made from malted barley, water, hops, and 

yeast. The possible combinations are what determine the style of beer. 

Brewers use precise recipes to create all the types and all the styles. Briefly 

stated: the barley is malted and this is one of the conditions that most defines 

the flavor. The roasting determines the shade of the color. There are two 

basic fermentation methods, top fermenting that produces Ales and bottom 

fermenting that produces Lagers. Other types are Lambic and Hybrids. 

The hops determine the variations of bitterness in the flavor. The water is 

indispensable in the brewing process. The taste of the brewmaster leads to 

the results and future customers. 

It is exciting that many brewmasters are combining their talent with 

traditional and avant-garde Mexican cuisine, which enables the adventurous 

traveler to discover delicious combinations of beers and dishes. Thus there 

are more possibilities and tastes are diversified. 

The first time I was in a brewery I was very surprised at how clean it was. 

Nothing is allowed to contaminate the precious liquid. The exacting hygiene 

of a brewmaster is a must to obtain the best results. Years later I made India 

Pale Ale and experienced the care used to process it. 

Today, when I drink a beer, I always think about how healthy a drink it is. 

If we drink moderately it can do a lot for us. The alcohol content is usually 

low and this minimizes the negative effects. It contains carbohydrates, B 

vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9), antioxidants, minerals, and proteins. It 

helps prevent heart disease, some kinds of cancer, and degenerative illnesses. 

Because of its low sodium content, it is a diuretic. The fiber it contains aids 

digestion. It is not fattening and, indeed, is an excellent drink to toast the 

health of all of one’s loved-ones. ▲ 

Beer can be enjoyed in all settings in Mexico. From beaches to cities there is always a bar or restaurant to satisfy a craving. 

The enormous variety of styles caters to multiple tastes. Craft beers have steadily been growing in popularity. 


the 

flavors 

of the 

t h e 

NORtheast 

region 

cocada 

NUEVO LEóN: CABRITO 

(GOAT) / EMPALMES 

(TWO TORTILLAS WITH 

ASSORTED FILLINGS) 

/ MIGAS 

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ: 

CABELLOS DE ÁNGEL 

(CHILACAYOTE 

SQUASH DESSERT) 

/ ENCHILADAS 

POTOSINAS 

TAMAULIPAS: 

ROAST PORK IN 

TEQUILA / HUATAPE 

TAMAULIPECO 

(SHRIMP SOUP) 

ZACATECAS : ASADO 

DE BODA (ROAST PORK 

WITH CHILE ADOBO) 

/ CALDO DE BORREGO 

(LAMB BROTH) 

COAHUILA: MENUDO 

NORTEÑO (A TRIPE 

DISH) / MACHACA CON 

HUEVO (JERKED BEEF 

WITH SCRAMBLED 

EGGS) 


What would the Northeast be like without nut-candy street vendors in 

Bustamante, Nuevo León, hawking: "nogada de nuez, nogada de nuez"? 

And what about the famed glorias from Linares; the distinctive flavor of 

pinyon nuts from the Coahuila pine forests; quince from the plains; guavas 

and coconuts from the coast? The deserts give us tunas, nopales, palmas, and 

pitahayas. 

And now for the sweets: custards, leche quemada (burnt milk candy), 

semitas chorreadas (sweet buns with unrefined brown sugar), pemoles (toasted 

corn cookies), churros (funnel cakes), gorditas de azúcar (cookies), arroz con 

leche (rice pudding), nueces garapiñadas (candied nuts), quince or guava 

filled nut candy, cabellos de ángel (angel hair) made from squash, mostachones 

(nut-filled macaroons), and savory cocada (grated dried coconut, eggs, sugar, 

butter, cinnamon, and lime)—desserts that temper the extreme hot summers, 

and the long humid winters, giving a natural touch to the region’s tables. 

Galletitas de pinole 

The sweet homeland steps 

elegantly forward with the pinole, who 

prepares himself when the trumpet 

sounds and gallops off to the palate.” 



COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

country 

and city 

aguascalientes / mexico city / 

state of méxico / guanajuato / hidalgo / 

morelos / querétaro / tlaxcala 

166 — Ven a Comer COUNTRY AND CITY — 167

COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

Aerial view of Teotihuacan. 

A weekend destination. San 

Miguel Regla, Hidalgo. 

The Museo de 

Aguascalientes houses the 

most important collectionof 

works by Saturnino Herrán. 

THE CENTRAL REGION OF MEXICO HAS WIDE OPEN SPACES, ANCIENT 

TRADITIONS, AND INTERNATIONAL FAME. 

let´s fly! 

Adrenalin and 

excitement go 

along with flying 

in a balloon. León, 

Guanajuato hosts 

the yearly Festival 

Internacional de 

Globos Aerostáticos. 

The renowned fair, the Feria de San Marcos, takes place in 

Aguascalientes. Nearby hot springs and spas do justice to its 

name, which means “hot waters.” 

The State of Mexico boasts Pueblos Mágicos (Magical 

Towns), national parks, sanctuaries, and volcanoes, such as 

the snow-capped Nevado de Toluca. 

Mexico City is the largest city in Latin America. Its Historic 

Centre and Xochimilco have been designated a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site. It has the largest number of museums in the world. 

Guanajuato has viceregal cities that flourished from 

the wealth of its silver mines. The state capital hosts the 

world-renowned Festival Internacional Cervantino. 

Hidalgo offers archaeological zones, colonial churches and 

convents, pulque-producing haciendas, national parks, and 

old mining towns. 

Cuernavaca, the so-called city of eternal spring, shares its 

privileged climate with other places in the state of Morelos 

that have delightful mineral water facilities. 

The State of Querétaro abounds with historical, cultural, 

and natural attractions. The Historic Centre of the state 

capital is a World Heritage Site. 

A land of agaves and haciendas where fighting bulls are raised, 

Tlaxcala has major archaeological sites with mural paintings and 

a Magical Town where colorful carpets are made of flowers. ▲ 

Streets and alleyways. San 

Miguel de Allende, 

Guanajuato. 

The Peña de Bernal. The 

third largest monolith in the 

world. Querétaro. 

Basilica of Our Lady of 

Ocotlán, a baroque work of 

art. Tlaxcala. 

The Angel of Independence 

monument. Mexico City. 

Water park. Temixco, 

Morelos 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

FLOATING PRICKLY 

PEAR PADS 

serves 4 | 1 hour 30 minutes | easy 

FLOATING 

GARDENS 

Called chinampas, 

they are earth-covered 

rafts that absorb water 

through their porous 

floatingstructure and 

are highly productive. 

In 1987 they were 

declared a World 

Heritage Site. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Nopales: 

15 nopales (prickly pear pads) 

50 grams coarse salt 

4 eggs Salt and pepper 

Salsa: 

100 grams pasilla chiles, 

deveined 

2 teaspoons vegetable oil 

4 plum tomatoes, cut in quarters 

½ white onion, chopped 

1 clove garlic, diced 

4 teaspoons grated tablet of 

drinking chocolate 

Powdered chicken consommé 

Nopal sheets: 

3 prickly pear pads 

To serve: 


½ white onion, slivered 

Dry oregano 

Watercress 

preparation 

Nopales: 

Cut the prickly pear pads into 

strips 3 cm long by 5 mm wide. 

Put them into a bowl and add 

salt; set aside for 30 minutes and 

then rinse thoroughly. Repeat the 

procedure 3 times. 

Cut 4 large pieces of plastic wrap. 

Break an egg on each of the pieces 

of plastic wrap, season with salt 

and pepper, and tie them into 

individual packets. 

Cook the eggs in boiling water for 

four minutes.. 

Salsa: 

Fry the chiles in oil in a saucepan 

until they are golden. Add the 

tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, and 

pepper. Add the chocolate and 4 

cups of water. Season with chicken 

consommé and boil for 5 minutes; 

cool and purée in a blender. 

Nopal sheets: 

Cut the flat side of the prickly 

pear pads into thin sheets with a 

mandolin. Put them on a baking 

sheet and dry them in the oven at 

a low temperature. 

To serve: 

Sauté the onion and prickly pear 

strips in oil in a frying pan until they 

are slightly golden. Add oregano, 

salt, and pepper. 

Serve the prickly pear strips in 

deep bowls, topping each with 

a cooked egg; garnish with the 

watercress, dried prickly pear 

sheets, and salsa. 

pablo 

salas 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

Cuisine in 

Central 

Mexico 

n alonso ruvalcaba 

THE CUISINE OF MEXICO CITY, 

LOCALLY KNOWN AS COCINA 

CHILANGA, IS NOT FROM A SINGLE 

KITCHEN. IT IS MIXED, ADOPTED, PART 

OF A LARGE FAMILY. 

It is fascinated with its own mestizaje and 

incestuous relationships with parents and 

siblings. It is not obliging: it is rebellious 

and has always been unstable. It is not a 

cuisine that is urgently seeking to become 

established. The cuisine of Mexico City and 

its environs wants to be in movement. Eating 

while standing up is its most intelligible 

expression. 

Here is a gem of truth: street food is one 

of the ways a city —any city— can express 

itself. The ways we express ourselves are 

those that make us what we are: they identify 

us, they unify us. Hence, the city is also itself 

because of its street food. As an idiolect, 

each city speaks through a street cuisine that 

is recognizably its own, even though it has 

adopted the accents or language of other 

cities. Let’s consider the iconic Mexico City 

dish: tacos al pastor (tacos of spit-grilled 

pork). 

We are a pork-eating city but our pigpen 

is closer to Toluca. Have you tried the head 

cheese from Mexicaltzingo? 

A wealth of aromas, color, 

and flavors in a market 

fruit stand 

The chefs at Biko define 

their cooking as gachupa 

(Spanish roots, Mexican 

ingredients). Fine cuisine. 

Mexico City. 

Head cheese. 

Handcrafted fruit 

preserves. 

The new Mexican cuisine: 

traditional ingredients, 

modern technique. 

Esquites: tender kernelsof 

corn with condiments to 

taste 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

taco placero= Tortilla + pork crackling + 

prickly pear pads + avocado + salsa 

Mexicaltzingo is a small town of twelve 

square kilometers. It has a fabulous list of 

meat processors—deli meat workshops— 

markets—one fixed, one itinerant—and lots of 

taco stands. The meat processors take several 

pig heads and place them in a large cooking 

pot with water and salt. Hours later they 

remove them from this witch’s cauldron and 

separate the parts: tongue, ears, eyes, cheeks, 

snout: they cut them into large pieces and 

put them in another container with lard, pork 

broth, salt, garlic, and bunches of herbs. They 

boil this for another hour, stuff it into a palm 

leaf basket called a tompiate, and put a heavy 

iron weight on it. By the next day the natural 

gelatin will have taken effect in this head 

cheese from Mexicaltzingo, a true delicacy that 

ranges in color from pink to amber to gray. 

Head cheese is a dish on its own and is also 

the start of one of the other great dishes from 

central Mexico that has spread throughout 

the country: the torta compuesta, also known 

simply as torta. It is a cold hero-style sandwich, 

“although the layer of refried beans is usually 

warm,” according to José N. Iturriaga. It is 

always made on the kind of bread known as a 

telera. The compuesta (composite) part of the 

name “alludes to its key secret: it is not bread 

filled with any old thing, rather it is a composite 

filling of a number of things.” And what are 

the fillings? Head cheese, pork tenderloin, 

leg of pork, turkey, ham, veal cutlet, chicken, 

chilaquiles. And of course, it can be a tamale, a 

very special filling. A tamale torta, by the way, 

is the only torta compuesta that must be served 

on a roll called a bolillo rather than on a telera. 

But, as we said, chilanga cuisine is not 

just one cuisine. It is a pressure cooker of 

regional cuisines. Street food in the Valley 

of Mexico can be cochinita pibil (Yucatán 

spiced pork) in a taco, a panucho, or a torta; 

there are pozoles from Guerrero (especially 

a 

classic 

Tacos al pastor are the 

undisputed favorites 

in Mexico City. A corn 

tortilla (usually a 

small one), marinated 

pork cooked on a 

spit, garnished with 

pineapple, cilantro, 

onions, and 

its customary chile 

de árbol salsa. 

Salsas for every taste, an 

indispensable flavor 

sensation for Mexican 

snacks. 

Chef Jorge Vallejo in his 

kitchen-laboratory. 

Sweet chilaquiles at Los 

Hijos del Maíz. Mexico 

City. 

Traditional Mexican 

recipes reinterpreted at 

Limosneros, Mexico City. 

Chef Gerardo Vázquez 

Lugo, Restaurante Nicos. 

Tradicional Mexican 

cuisine. Mexico City. 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

on Thursdays); there are moles, tasajos, and 

quesillos (string cheese) from Oaxaca (the vans 

marked “productos oaxaqueños” that also sell 

candies are an institution on Mexico City street 

corners); there are ceviches and cocktails from 

Veracruz (it could be argued that the dish we 

know as fish Veracruz Style is as chilango as 

it is Veracruz); there are enchiladas from San 

Luis Potosí; tortas ahogadas from Jalisco; tortas 

tampiqueñas de la barda (toasted roll, ham, 

cheese, sausage, yellow cheese, white cheese, 

and best of all, chicharrón in green sauce). 

Add cecina (cured, dry meat) from Morelos, 

barbecue and pasties from Pachuca, and moles 

and cemitas (roll sandwiches) from Puebla and 

we approach redundancy: Morelos, Hidalgo 

and Puebla share our sky and our sun. 

The cuisine of the Valley of Mexico is its 

recipes as much as its ingredients. And the 

ingredients are its milpa. The milpa, or corn 

patch, is not exclusive to the Valley of Mexico 

(there are milpas as far away as Yucatán and 

Nicaragua) but its name, from the Nahuatl 

millipa, recalls the sweep of the Aztec empire 

and its heart, Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The milpa 

is an ecosystem: the earth, parcel of ground, 

planting system, vegetables planted in it, and 

life around it. Its main representatives: corn, 

beans, squash, and chile. Edible insects and 

weed-like quelites are also milpa. Its daily 

expression is in the markets, in the tortilla 

factories where lines get long around one in 

the afternoon. Its intimate expression is seen 

in the woman who spreads out a cloth on 

the sidewalk to set out ears of corn, quelites, 

squash blossoms, piles of chiles. Gastronomy 

in the Valley of Mexico is in constant flux 

because its arms are always open. It is a 

cuisine of migrations, mestizaje, adoption. It 

is a family kitchen always waiting for the birth 

of a new family member. This kitchen sings a 

song of welcome. ▲ 

Elena Reygadas, one of 

Latin America’s most 

renowned female chefs. 

Rosetta and Lardo 

restaurants. Mexico City. 

Tacos al pastor, a tradition 

in central Mexico. 

Tacos de canasta, (tacos 

in a basket), a classic 

lunch dish in Mexico City. 

Sweet bread in Mexico 

has a long history: a 

legacy from Spain and 

France. 

A serving of turkey with 

green pipian salsa. 

The Carmen Market. 

Sharing a table is a new 

option for sophisticated 

diners. Mexico City. 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

LAMB MIXIOTES WITH 

PRICKLY PEAR PAD SALAD 

serves 4 | 4 hours plus marinating time | easy 

DAY OF THE 

DEAD 

November 2 is for 

celebrating the Day of 

the Dead. The souls 

of the deceased are 

believed to return to 

the world of the living 

and are welcomed 

with an offering of 

their favorite foods. 

Pan de muerto is a 

tradition with its aroma 

of orange blossoms 

and bone dough 

designs sprinkled with 

sugar. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Mixiotes: 

4 guajillo chiles, deveined and 

toasted on a griddle 

4 ancho chiles, deveined and 

toasted 

3 chiles de árbol, toasted 

½ small onion, toasted 

3 cloves garlic, toasted 

3 whole black peppercorns, toasted 

3 whole cloves, toasted 

½ teaspoon oregano, toasted 

¼ teaspoon cumin, toasted 

6 cups chicken stock 



4 avocado leaves, toasted 

2 kilos leg of lamb and lamb shank 

4 mixiote (agave) leaves 

8 tender nopales (small prickly 

pear pads) 

4 spring onions 

8 new potatoes, boiled 

Nopalito (prickly pear pad) salad: 

8 tender nopales (small prickly 

pear pads) 

3 cups of coarse salt 

1 red onion, cut in strips 

3 tomatillos (Mexican green 

tomatoes), cut in strips 

4 new potatoes, cooked in salted 

water and toasted 

8 spring onions, toasted 


4 tablespoons pineapple vinegar 

PREPARATION 

Mixiotes: 

Boil all the griddle-toasted 

ingredients with chicken stock. 

Purée it in a blender, strain it, and 

fry it in a saucepan with oil. Season 

with salt and pepper 

Add the avocado leaves and boil on 

a medium flame for 30 minutes. 

Remove it from the stove and let 

it cool. Cut the lamb into mediumsized 

cubes, cover it with the 

salsa, and leave it overnight in the 

refrigerator. 

Open the agave leaves and place 

prickly pear pads, onions, and 

potatoes on them. Add the meat, 

tie the leaves at both ends to form 

little packets and steam them for 

3 hours. 

Nopalito salad: 

Place the prickly pear pads into 

a bowl and cover with a cup of 

coarse salt. Let them sit for 10 

minutes and rinse. Repeat the 

process 2 more times. In a bowl 

mix all the ingredients and add the 

olive oil and pineapple vinegar. Let 

it sit for 20 minutes.. 

To serve: 

Serve the mixiote packets open 

accompanied by the prickly pear 

pad salad. 

gerardo 

vázquez 

lugo 


THE MULTI-FACETED FLAVORS OF 

CENTRAL MEXICO COOKING ARE A 

DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE, ESPECIALLY 

THE EXOTIC ELEMENTS SUCH AS 

COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

MAGUEY WORMS, ANT EGGS, AND FRIED 

GRASSHOPPERS. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE 

EPAZOTE, CACTUS FRUIT, AND PRICKLY 

PEAR PADS. PULQUE IS A MUST. 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

maIze 

GODDESS ILAMATECUHTLI 

“Which of these corns takes the shortest time?,” I asked. 

The gray-haired elderly man with wrinkled leathery skin said: 

“The yellow [corn] takes five months, the purple six, and the white seven.” 

“And which one yields the most?” 

“The yellow a bit, the purple a bit more, and the white is the best.” 

“Ah! And why not plant all white instead of this mixture?” 

The old man smiled, showing some small crystalline teeth, like bursting corn kernels. 

“That’s what my son said. But tell me, mister, how are the rains going to be this year?” 

“Hey, I’m an agronomist, not a fortune teller.” 

“You see. Only Father God knows. But planting this way, if it rains a little, I harvest 

the yellow; if it rains more, I pick more, and if it rains a lot, well I pick a little more 

of the three kinds.” 

Efraín Hernández Xolocotzi (1913–1991) 

Mexican ethnobotanist 

n alicia gironella 1 

Mexican gastronomy is the only kind in the world that has a common denominator 

for all of its cuisines: the maize god; our history is born and dies with him. It is a product 

that unites us from East to West and from North to South. It is our identity. 

I went to the Tarahumara mountains for a crisis: the drought in 2011 had killed 

the maize crop for the next year, and we had to do something. This led to Semillatón, 

a program to increase, distribute, and preserve the maize races local to the region, 

which were in serious danger of extinction. 

After being immersed in the immensity of the Sierra Tarahumara, I confirmed and 

tested my theories: corn is the common thread that joins all cuisines in Mexico. It is 

not governed by political divisions, but rather by the biodiversity and culture of each 

area. Corn is the essential base for recognizing the flavor of each people, each family, 

each cook. 

1 With the collaboration of Luis Alberto Vargas Guadarrama, Gustavo Romero Ramírez, and María Luisa de Anda y Ramos 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

UNCOOKED GREEN SALSA= 

Raw tomatillos + green serrano chiles + white onions + 

garlic + cilantro + salt 

BLACK 

MuSHROOMS 

Cuitlacoche (or 

huitlacoche) is a 

fungus that grows on 

tender ears of corn. It 

is very popular and is 

widely regarded as a 

delicacy. 

n 

It is one of humanity’s basic grains, given its historical, social, 

cultural, economic, and biological meanings. Its exploitation has 

gone hand in hand with its specific uses in each place. It encapsulates 

multiple flavors and forms of biodiversity. 

In Mexico there are more than sixty races of corn, which originated 

more than six thousand years ago. The ancient people of Mesoamerica 

patiently gave life to maize starting from teocintle (teosinte), a plant that 

produced spikes with fewer than twenty grains, until large cobs with 

multiple rows of grains were obtained and given specific culinary uses. 

It is not possible to understand Mexico without maize. For 

millennia there was an intimate relation between the grain and the 

civilizations that chose it as their material and spiritual foundation, 

and they did so on the basis of their cuisine. Impressive and 

exclusive particularities have been invented to process it: the sowing, 

the milpa, the technique of nixtamalization, the utensils for its 

transformation, multiple culinary preparations, diverse agricultural 

and spiritual rituals, among many other practices. 

Milpa is a crop system native to Mexico and based on corn planted 

in harmony with other plants such as beans, squash, chili, and 

others depending on the area. The milpa provides all the nutrients 

necessary for a healthy diet. 

Nixtamalization is a process that revolutionized maize 

consumption. It transformed it into a complete food: soaking 

the dried kernels in water with ash or lime yielded proteins, the 

precursors of niacin and calcium. 

Maize races survive in many social groups, in both rural and urban 

settings. Its sweeping presence led to local dishes, which today are the 

basis of Mexico’s cultural and culinary richness. It is not the same to 

savor a tortilla made by hand with blue corn from the Teotihuacan area 

as a machine-made product churned out in a Mexico City tortillería. 

I am thrilled to have traveled Mexico discovering maize diversity 

throughout the country, finding a product that is used and 

transformed in different ways, from the simplest, such as a boiled 

corncob, to a tamale or atole (corn dough beverage). An extremely 

ancient way of processing it is as pinole, obtained from different 

classes of mature grains. It is a powder made from toasted corn, 

ground, passed through a sieve, and prepared as a beverage with 

water. It is the natural food for those who work the land. It is the ash 

of our deity that feeds us and shows how we are made of corn. It is 

the wise great-great-grandfather of products today known as instant 

beverages, with the advantage of being healthy. 

Few species of domesticated plants can be prepared in as many ways as corn. It is a versatile ingredient, the core of Mexican cuisine. 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

Preparing corundas. 

Mole de olla, a spicy 

soup. 

Corn atole, a sweet 

drink. 

Sopa de tortilla. Tortilla 

soup. 

from 

mexico 

to the 

world 

Through exports 

and 79 international 

plants,subproductsof 

Mexican corn reach 

112 countries. 

n 

Traveling you discover that maize used in Puebla, Tlaxcala, and 

Morelos is not the same, although we can find some shared and 

specific elements in its vast culinary expressions. In the central zone 

—Hidalgo, Morelos, Puebla, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico, and 

the Federal District (Mexico City)— Puebla and Tlaxcala were and are 

still the most important regions for its cultivation in the area that was 

once Mesoamerica. 

It is incredible to see how the entire maize plant is exploited. It is 

food for people and fodder for animals. Kernels from fresh ears of corn 

are roasted or cooked in different ways, as well as the corn silk and 

the leaves, not to mention huitlacoche, a fungus delicacy that grows on 

maize. Toasted kernels from dried corncobs are used in pinoles, atoles, 

and cookies; the nixtamalized and ground grains are made into dough, 

the basis for tortillas and an infinite array of traditional dishes. What’s 

more, the leaves and stalks are employed not only in the kitchen, but 

also for medicinal and industrial purposes. 

What other country has such a wide range of cultural expressions 

as maize in Mexico? Let’s see only a few examples: 

Mexica deities related to maize: 

Centeotl, god of the milpa, who sank into the earth to produce plants 

to feed the people. 

Tonantzin, goddess associated with Mother Earth and maize cultivation. 

Xilonen, goddess of tender young maize. 

Ilamatecuhtli, goddess of mature maize. 

Chicomecoatl, goddess and giver of life, who taught how to make tortillas. 

Xipe Totec, god of fertility and plant renewal. 

Popular sayings related to corn: 

The jenny’s back in the corn and the foals in the corncobs (Here we go again!). 

It’s raining in his cornfield. (He’s going through a rough patch./He’s having 

great luck.) 

It doesn’t matter if they sleep up high, giv’em maize and they’ll come down. 

(Women can’t resist gifts.) 

He doesn’t plant corn because he’s afraid of magpies. (Said of lazy people who 

look for pessimistic outcomes.) 

Silence, chicks, you’ll get your corn! (Said to calm a rambunctious group.) 

Give atole with one’s finger. (Pull someone’s leg or cheat someone) 

If you’re born for a tamale, the leaves will fall from the sky. (Heaven will 

provide./You can’t escape fate.) 

He who has more saliva can swallow more pinole. (Big fish eat little fish.) 

Some of the best known traditional dishes: 

Tamales, fresh corn tamales, ceremonial tamales, tamale casserole, tortillas, 

tacos, flautas (fried and filled tortillas), chilaquiles, enchiladas, corundas 

(triangular tamales), tostadas, quesadillas, chalupas, chilapitas, panuchos, 

white, red and green pozole (hominy), and beverages: atole, champurrado, 

chileatole, tejate, pozol, tascalate, teshuino. 

Mexico is a unique country. Maize is the basis of our patrimony. Let’s 

protect it! 

22 

million tons of corn 

are produced in 

Mexico every year. The 

annual consumption 

per person is 235.4 kg, 

around 2,120 tortillas. 

n 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

TILAPIA ROASTED OVER A 

PIRUL WOOD FIRE WITH MILPA 

SALAD AND WHITE ESCABECHE 

SERVES 4 | 45 minutes | easy 

nopal 

Prickly pear pads 

consumed annually 

per person amount 

to 6.4 kg. In 2013 

exportsof this tasty 

product increased. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Tilapias: 

Salt and white pepper 

4 tilapias, scaled and cleaned 

40 grams epazote leaves, 

chopped 


20 totomoxtle (dried corn husk) 

leaves. 

Pirul wood (pepper tree; Schinus 

molle) 

Milpa salad: 

80 grams fresh quelites (Mexican 

wild greens) 

60 grams green beans, scalded 

110 grams corn kernels, cooked 

1 cucumber, sliced in rounds 

1 carrot, julienned 


5 tablespoons lime juice 

White escabeche: 


500 grams white onion, julienned 

60 grams dried sweet xoconostle 

(acid prickly pear fruit), 

julienned 

1 cup pineapple vinegar 

½ cup water 

Dried oregano 

PREPARATION 

Tilapias: 

Sprinkle tilapias with salt, pepper, 

epazote, and olive oil. Wrap them 

in the dried corn husks and roast 

them over the pepper tree wood 

for 25 minutes. 

Milpa salad: 

Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. 

Whip the olive oil with the lime 

juice until it makes an emulsion 

and add it to the vegetables; 

season with salt and pepper. 

White escabeche: 

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the 

onion until it becomes transparent. 

Add the other ingredients and 

bring it to a boil. 

To serve: 

Serve the roasted tilapias with the 

salad and sauce. 

gerardo 

vázquez 

lugo 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

pulque 

n josé N. iturriaga 

Before the enormous inflorescence several meters tall 

of the maguey (Agave salmiana) to make pulque is born, the 

leaves are cut from the upper part and the voluminous 

sprout or oval center is hollowed out, forming a 

recipient able to hold several liters, where the aguamiel 

or agave juice naturally flows. Every day this sweet sap is 

extracted by suction (with a gourd acocote), left to 

ferment, and is converted into pulque. 

In pre-Hispanic Mexico, pulque (octli in Nahuatl) was a ritual drink, an 

indication of the importance of agave in the life of those peoples. In fact, 

besides pulque, they made honey, sugar and vinegar bread from the aguamiel 

extracted from the maguey (or metl); thread to sew, make cord and rope, 

straps and tumplines, bags and sacks, as well as clothing and footwear, cloaks 

and capes from the fibers of the leaves. The spines served as awls, nails, and 

tacks; “they could make a small spine removed with its fiber to serve as a 

needle and thread,” wrote Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinía. 

Large sections of the leaves served as trays, platters, and receptacles in 

kitchens and specialized craft workshops. Whole leaves were used to make 

channels, walls, roofing tiles, and “they make good paper” from its pulp. 

The tall central inflorescence (quiote), once it was dried, served as a trunk in 

construction; fresh, it produced small edible flowers. The large leaves were 

burned as fuel and the ash was good for making lye; “it is very healthy for a 

wound or for a fresh sore. The hot juice from the leaf is very good for snake 

bite.” The cooked heart is very tasty and sweet, like candied citron. Motolinía 

continues: “some whitish worms lived near the root, which when toasted and 

served with salt are very good to eat; I have eaten them many times on fasting 

days in the absence of fish. With wine they make very good rinses for hair. 

Travelers find water on the leaves or blades of this agave.” 

Moreover pre-Hispanic priests pierced the skin of their arms, legs, chest, 

cheeks, and penis whith a spine to extract sacrificial blood in propitiatory rites. 1 

The Nahua people had a number of gods related to pulque, which was 

a vehicle to communicate with divinities. Therefore, it was a beverage 

1 Toribio de Benavente Motolinía, Historia de los indios de la Nueva España, Mexico City, Porrúa, 1984. 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

Agave patch. Pulque 

zone of Apan, Hidalgo. 

Fruit-flavored pulque to 

accompany traditional 

dishes such as mole 

from Tlaxcala. 

Tinacates (tubs) for 

fermenting pulque. 

The tlachiquero 

removes the flower 

stalk of the maguey 

plant and scrapes the 

sides of the inner 

depression. A few days 

later he can harvest the 

aguamiel sap from the 

heart of the plant. 

Pulque has indigenous 

roots. 

reserved for priests and nobility, although its profane and widespread use 

was eventually permitted, but not overindulgence: punishment for its abuse 

ranged from beating, cropping or burning a person’s hair, destroying a home 

or selling the guilty party into slavery, even death by hanging, stoning, or 

crushing the individual’s skull with a rock. 

With the end of pre-Hispanic regulation implied by Spanish control, 

nothing replaced the effective mechanisms of indigenous self-regulation that 

held back alcoholism, which began to rise. The Spanish Crown made several 

half-hearted inefficacious attempts to prohibit the sale of pulque to the native 

population, but given the profitable fiscal benefits it produced, its commerce 

was officially recognized through the Ramo del Pulque, established by the 

king in 1672. 2 

Despite vague indications of pre-Hispanic distilled beverages in Jalisco 

and Colima, the modern-day distillation process (the still of Arab origin) 

was brought by the Spaniards, above all to make liquor from sugarcane. 

Nevertheless, for the three centuries of the viceroyalty, pulque continued to 

be the principal drink for the masses; nor was its consumption affected by 

the importation of other spirits and wines. At the end of the colonial period, 

2 Sonia Corcuera, El fraile, el indio y el pulque, Mexico City, FCE, 2013. 

the production of mescals (agave liquors, including tequila) grew and in the 

nineteenth century beers began to be popular, although pulque remained 

the choice of the ordinary people until the mid-twentieth century. Today, 

the fondness for pulque is more of a rural than urban phenomenon, but 

generally limited in cities to the humblest barrios. 

Since pre-Hispanic times, pulque exploitation has been limited to central 

Mexico (where this maguey species flourishes), mainly in what are the 

modern-day states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Mexico City, and the 

higher regions of Morelos. As to be expected, maguey and pulque are closely 

tied to traditional cuisine, particularly in the case of barbacoa, mixiotes, and 

salsa borracha. 

This Pre-Columbian culinary technique of cooking meat wrapped in 

maguey leaves and roasted in a pit is made with venison, iguana, rabbit, 

or turkey, although today mutton and goat predominate. In the same 

underground barbecue, consommé is poured, mixiotes are cooked —small 

packets of meat prepared with a spicy paste and wrapped in thin parchment 

covering agave leaves. It is also where montalayo, the name for the stomach 

of the animal filled with diced and spiced viscera, is roasted. To serve a 

barbacoa taco, salsa borracha (drunk sauce)— a blend of pasilla chilies, garlic, 

and a touch of pulque—is a must. People in-the-know serve their barbacoa 

BETWEEN 

7&15 

per cent alcohol in 

pulque. There is a 

popular saying, “With 

just one percent more 

it could be meat,” as 

this beverage has 

traditionally been 

served to stave off 

hunger. 

n 


COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

with a white (unflavored) pulque or at most pulque blended with pineapple, 

strawberry, celery, or oatmeal. The well-to-do, when feasting on barbacoa 

can savor it along with pulque flavored with nuts, pistachios, and even pine 

nuts. 

Other consecrated dishes are tacos stuffed with maguey worms with 

guacamole from Pachuquilla; rabbit stewed in pulque from Tlaxcala; tacos 

de obispo (pit-roasted intestine stuffed with marrow and brain) from Ixtapan 

de la Sal, made of nixtamal (corn dough) cooked in a pit; not to mention the 

Mixtec version near Huajuapan de León; chicken with prickly pear mixiotes 

from Hidalgo; pulque bread from various states; barbacoa consommé with 

goats’ feet from Ahuatepec in Cuernavaca; and rabbit mixiotes from Chalco. 

The presence of pulque in Mexican life gave rise to an array of proverbs, of 

which we offer a small sample with diverse meanings: 

BETWEEN 

3 &4 

liters of aguamiel are 

extracted every day 

from the core of a 

mature, ten-year-old 

agave . 

n 

New acocote, old tlachiquero (New equipment, experienced worker) 

Water from the green plants [pulque], you knock me down, you kill me 

There’s no use taking an acocote to maguey that doesn’t give pulque 

It’s good to scrape magueys, but don’t pull’em out (Don’t overdo things) 

A young simpleton (guaje: gourd) grows up into a big one (acocote) 

Better to have a little gourd than to have an acocote someday (A bird in the hand 

in worth two in the bush) 

It’s not the pulque’s fault, but the drunkard’s 

Likewise, a popular phrase nowadays is: He has a pulque belly. 

The quick fermentation of aguamiel once it is extracted from the agave means 

that pulque fermented for one day is mild and appealing to any palate; 

but two- or three-day pulque is thick and viscous, with a sharp sour smell, 

palatable only to experts. 

As a result, foreigners have expressed the most varied of opinions, from 

German scientist Alexander von Humboldt, 3 who around 1803 declared 

that pulque smelled like rotten meat, to marquise Calderón de la Barca (an 

Englishwoman married to a Spaniard), who one day in 1839 wrote: “For the first 

time I conceived the possibility of not disliking pulque. . . and found it rather 

refreshing, with a sweet taste and a creamy froth upon it.” Later she fell in love 

with pineapple-flavored pulque: “very good,” she confessed. And two years later, 

when she was packing her bags to return to Europe: “I now think [it is] excellent, 

and shall find it very difficult to live without!" 4 ▲ 

3 Alexander von Humboldt, Ensayo político sobre el reino de la Nueva España, Mexico City, Porrúa, 1966. 

4 Madame Calderón de la Barca (Frances [Fanny] Erskine Inglis), Life in Mexico during a Residence of Two 

Years in That Country [1843], Century, London, 1987. 

The maguey farms in the Llanos de Apan and the Mezquital Valley in Hidalgo produce the best pulques, 

whose name means “drink of the gods.” 


THE 

FLAVORS 

OF THE 

REGION 

COUNTRY 

AND CITY 

AGUASCALIENTES: 

TACOS DE LECHÓN / 

TEJAS DE PEPITAS / 

TORREJAS WITH AGAVE 

SYRUP 

FEDERAL DISTRICT: 

CALDO TLALPEÑO / 

TACOS AL PASTOR 

STATE OF MEXICO: 

SOPA DE MÉDULA / 

TRUCHA EMPAPELADA 

GUANAJUATO: 

GUACAMAYAS (PORK 

TORTAS) / NICUATOLE 

(CORN ATOLE) 

HIDALGO: BARBACOA 

(LAMB BARBEQUE) / 

PASTIES 

MORELOS: CECINA 

(DRIED MEAT) / 

TACOS ACORAZADOS 

(DOUBLE CORN 

TORTILLA TACOS WITH 

DIFFERENT FILLINGS) 

QUERÉTARO: CONEJO 

EN CHILE MULATO 

(RABBIT) / MOLE DE 

PANCITA (TRIPE MOLE) 

TLAXCALA: BARBACOA 

DE BORREGO 

(BARBEQUED LAMB) / 

TACOS DE ESCAMOLES 

OR TACOS DE GUSANOS 

DE MAGUEY 

buñuelos 


In central Mexico the taste for honey and sweet sap developed long before sugar came 

into use. Sahagún described how the ancient Mexicans delighted in sweetening their 

atoles and desserts with maguey sap, tuna, bee honey, and ant honey. 

Viceroys and convents in Mexico City received culinary ingredients and products 

from all points of the compass —always timely and in abundance. This tradition still 

continues: our markets make the country’s products available with unmatched quality 

and quantity. 

This is a land of grasshoppers, prickly pear fruit, tejocotes (hawthorn) for conserves, 

amaranth blended with honey, milk and red tuna sherbet— a hit for its color and 

texture; chirimoyas (cherimoya fruit), figs, brevas (black figs); honey and pinole candy; 

vanilla to perfume a cup of chocolate. And the festive buñuelos, deepfried flour, egg, 

and butter dough served with molasses, and in some places topped with curd cheese 

(this distant reminiscence of French crepes from the Porfirio Díaz era became one of the 

most popular desserts in the Central Plateau). 

pirulís 

“Children twirl the 

spectacular colorful, striped 

candy in their mouths: a joy 

to behold as they paint a memory 

of a happy moment.” 



T H E 

Southeast 

the 

Southeast 

campeche / quintana roo / 

tabasco / yucatán 

198 — Ven a Comer the southeast — 199

T H E 

Southeast 

AS THE SACRED BOOK OF THE MAYAS, THE POPOL VUH, SAID THE 

GODS GAVE HUMANKIND “A BEAUTIFUL LAND FULL OF DELIGHTS.” 

THIS DESCRIBES LIFE IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO. 

UNDER 

WATER 

The waters of the 

Caribbean afford 

visibility of 40 to 

50 meters for their 

transparency, great 

for diving in one of 

the zones richest in 

coral reefs and marine 

species. Cenotes 

(sinkholes) offer other 

underwater diving 

experiences in the 

region. 

The state of Campeche is tropical, with enigmatic 

archaeological zones hidden in the jungle. Its capital has the 

remains of a wall that protected it from pirates. Campeche 

is the only place in the world where jipi palm is woven into 

world renowned Panama hats. 

Bathed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean with the 

most picturesque beaches in the Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo 

has one of the most important tourism zones in the world: 

Cancún. Vestiges of Maya cities, an enormous biosphere 

reserve, and one of the largest natural aquariums in the 

world are among its treasures. 

Tabasco is a territory of water and exuberant tropical 

vegetation, the cradle of Olmec civilization. Its landscape, 

the refuge of extensive land and sea fauna, includes jungle, 

mangrove stands, swamps, and coast. 

The legendary land of Yucatán houses major 

archaeological sites, handsome colonial cities, stately 

henequen haciendas many of which are now luxury hotels, 

and sacred cenotes venerated by the ancient Mayas. ▲ 

Aerial view of the Maya 

city of Tulum, Quintana 

Roo. 

Former monastery of 

Izamal, Yucatán. 

Centla Swamps, Tabasco. 

Hotel Hacienda Temozón, 

Yucatán. 

Olmec head at La Venta, 

Tabasco. 

Xel-há nature water park, 

Quintana Roo. 

Street in the Historic 

Center, Campeche. 


T H E 

Southeast 

ONIONS 

WITH RECADO NEGRO 


cochinita 

pibil 

An emblematic dish 

from the Yucatán 

peninsula. It is 

prepared with suckling 

pork seasoned with 

red (annatto) recado 

combined with bitter 

orange juice. It is 

usually cooked in a 

wood-burning oven 

underground known 

as a pib. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Habanero sauce: 

3 habanero chiles, toasted and 

seeded 

2 egg yolks 

1 lime, juice 

Salt 

2 cups vegetable oil 

Tempura: 

200 grams flour 

200 grams cornstarch 

75 grams recado negro (a prepared 

paste made of charred ground 

chiles) 

2 cups water 

Onions: 

2 white onions, in 3-cm wedges 

Flour 

Oil for frying 

PREPARATION 

Habanero sauce: 

Put the chiles, egg yolks, lime juice, 

and a pinch of salt in the blender. 

Purée while gradually adding the 

oil in a thin stream until it forms a 

uniform mixture. 

Tempura: 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to 

form a smooth batter. 

Onions: 

Dredge the onion wedges in the 

flour one by one, shaking off any 

excess, and cover completely with 

the tempura batter. Fry until golden 

all around. 

Serve the fried onions with the 

habanero sauce. 

roberto 

solís 


T H E 

Southeast 

sOUTHEASTERN 

mexico 

40 

n ricardo muñoz zurita 

THIS REGION SHARES MOST OF ITS 

RECIPES, ALTHOUGH EACH STATE 

GIVES THEM A LOCAL TOUCH AND 

SOMETIMES DIFFERENT NAMES. 

True adepts of Tabasco cuisine should listen to 

Pepe del Rivero sing about typical foods and 

dishes in “Mercado de Villahermosa,” where 

fried fish is sold for take-out; an extensive 

production of dairy products: poro, doble 

crema, and requesón cheeses; longaniza 

(sausage), condimented with Tabasco 

“pepper” (allspice); the chicharrón is thick 

and has a layer of pork, quite different from 

the thin pork crackling of central Mexico; 

chanchamito is a pork tamale mixed with chile 

ancho wrapped in corn husks and shaped into 

a ball; small tamales of chaya (tree spinach), 

and chipilín greens; the tender young corn 

tamale —known as a corn tamale in other parts 

of Mexico— mixed with cheese and raisins; 

or pigua from Tenosique —an esteemed river 

prawn— famed for its lobster-like flavor. 

There are all kinds of coconut candies 

and combinations with pineapple or sweet 

potato, lemons, green papayas, oranges, coyol 

palm, and the most emblematic of all: the 

oreja de mico, a small papaya the size of a lime; 

when split in half it looks like a monkey’s ear. 

Panal de rosa is an ancient traditional dessert 

like a meringue. In the town of Torno Largo 

an industry of homemade sweets is famous 

throughout the state. 

The principal chile is the amashito, also 

known as chile amax, amash or machito. It is a 

thousand rooms 

in more than 400 

hotels make the 

Riviera Maya one 

of Mexico’s most 

important tourist 

destinations. 

n 

Arrival of a cruise in the 

port of Progreso, 

Yucatán. 

Chef Roberto Solís. 

Néctar restaurant. 

Mérida, Yucatán. 

Restaurant in the hotel 

zone of Cancún. 

Lebanese and Mexican 

food in Quintana Roo. 


T H E 

Southeast 

tiny oblong chile piquín that is crushed with 

salt and lime juice. There are two typical 

herbs, oreganón, an aromatic heart-shaped leaf 

with a strong flavor; and perejil ranchero, a tiny 

agave that smells like coriander and parsley. 

Typical dishes include puchero (meat 

and vegetable stew), duck with rice, carne 

claveteada (stuffed meat studded with cloves), 

grilled pejelagarto (gar), salpicón de res (beef 

salad), tamales de masa colada with a texture 

of warm gelatin, maneas de res (chopped beef 

with tomato sauce and creamy cheese). 

The peninsula of Yucatán brings to 

mind cochinita pibil, panuchos, salbutes, 

papadzules, queso relleno, relleno negro 

and escabeche oriental. They are the most 

famous dishes in the states on the peninsula. 

However, each one —Campeche, Quintana 

Roo, and Yucatán— has a gastronomic wealth 

and its own traditional foods. 

Shrimp from Campeche is famous 

throughout the southeast for its size, quality, 

freshness, and flavor. It is usually arrayed on 

a plate and not served in a glass as in other 

regions in the country. Crab is made in soup, 

stir-fried with vegetables and served in a shell. 

Crab claws of cangrejo moro cannot be missed. 

Pampano is the favorite fish in the region. 

Old recipes of squid and octopus in its ink or 

smothered in garlic are still to be found. Oysters 

are eaten on the half shell, with lime juice or a 

spicy sauce. They are also breaded, cooked with 

tomato or fixed au gratin or in escabeche. 

Tamales include brazo de reina, brazo de 

mestiza, and pibipollos, which are only made 

in November for Day of the Dead. 

Campeche, the state capital, sums up the 

best of the state: roast suckling pig with crispy 

skin and tender meat; lentil soup, white bean 

soup and chirmoles of crab, shrimp, or duck; 

shark dishes, and the famous shrimp breaded 

with coconut, served with different salsas. 

The names of desserts in Campeche 

evoke degrees of happiness: suspiros (sighs), 

axiote 

Wild tree 

originally from 

the Amazon. It 

grows in tropical 

zones of Mexico. 

Its (ground) 

seeds are used in 

traditional dishes, 

such as cochinita 

pibil. 

campechanas 

Originally from Campeche. It is crunchy bread with a sweet flavor 

made with flour, sugar, salt, water, and shortening. The dough is cut 

into squares and sprinkled with sugar for a carmelized shiny surface 

when they are baked. 

Coconut shrimp. La 

Pigua. Campeche. 

Stuffed cheese. 

Valladolid, Yucatán. 

Local woman with 

typical dish.Yucatán. 

Tabasco is Mexico's 

biggest banana 

producer. 

Moro crab claws. 

Campeche. 

Supper spot. 

Campeche. 

Chef Aquiles Chávez. La 

Fishería restaurant. 

Playa del Carmen, 

Quintana Roo. 


T H E 

Southeast 

bien me sabe (it tastes good to me), alegría de 

coco (coconut joy), manjar de coco (coconut 

delight), pan payaso (clown bread), pan de 

seda (silk bread), torta de cielo (heavenly 

torte), pastel celestial (heavenly cake) . . . 

The hotels in Cancún offer the widest 

array of diverse gastronomic disciplines, but 

once you venture inland you will find Maya 

communities, such as Cobá, where the people 

still cook in a pib, an underground cooking pit. 

They cook totzel, based on white beans called 

ibes; or tamales, such as the vaporcito; and 

several stews wrapped in a green chaya leaf in 

the pib. 

Habanero chile is ground or crushed with 

bitter orange juice or lime juice and salt to 

make the famous salsa tamulada. 

In Mayabalam and Cuchumatán they 

produce the famous recados (spice mixtures). 

In Chetumal, sea conch in ceviche or 

escabeche, salbutes of breaded pork, relleno 

negro, shark turnovers , beans with pork and 

alcaparrado de gallina (hen with capers), red 

chicken escabeche and lobster salad are also 

on the menu. 

On the north coast fish is made into 

culinary delights. From Chuburná to Dzilam 

de Bravo they prepare the famous fish tikin 

xik, coated with recado rojo and grilled over 

red-hot coconut shells. Boquinete has sweet 

white flesh. Peje rey is popular because it is 

very meaty. They prepare lisa in poc chuc 

style—charcoal grilled—before it produces its 

highly prized eggs. 

Many dishes converge in Mérida. As a starter 

try sikilpak, a thick sauce of pumpkin seeds with 

tomato and spring onions; huevos motuleños 

or cochinita pibil slathered with a red annatto 

recado and roasted in the pib; tamal pibil, 

chirmole blanco, and chirmole negro. 

Valladolid longaniza is well-known, while 

queso relleno (stuffed cheese) is a Spanish 

specialty, venison dzik, puc chuc from Maní, 

panuchos and salbutes. Countless other dishes 

have been left unnamed, but the table is set. ▲ 

Chef Gabriela Ruiz.Villa 

Hermosa, Tabasco. 

Breakfast on the beach 

at Xpu Ha, Quintana 

Roo. 

People of Yucatán 

welcoming visitors. 

Seafood platter, Cancún. 

Rabbit with rabbit leaf. 

Kuuk restaurant. Mérida, 

Yucatán. 

Lunch on a Caribbean 

beach, Quintana Roo. 


T H E 

Southeast 

fish in season, 

GREEN APPLE, AND 

SEAWEED AGUACHILE 

serves 4 | 2 hours | difficult 

shark 

Cazón is a type 

of dogfish used in 

several dishes on 

the Gulf Coast and 

Yucatán peninsula. 

n 

INGREDIENTS 

Aguachile: 

50 grams fish in season 

20 grams cilantro 

20 grams white onion 

Salt 

200 grams cucumber, peeled and 

seeded 

3 tablespoons lime juice 

1.5 grams sodium citrate 

1 serrano chile 

Aguachile salsa: 

1 gram xanthan gum 

1 cup aguachile broth 

2 green apples, sliced 

Avocado: 

2 Hass avocados, peeled 

Cucumber: 

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded 

Tostadas: 

10 corn tortillas, cut with a ring 

10-cm in diameter 

Lime caviar: 

1 tablespoon lime juice 


1 gram sodium citrate 

2 grams salt 

2 grams agar agar 


Avocado cream: 

300 grams Hass avocado 

8 grams salt 

3 grams sodium citrate 

1½ tablespoons lime juice 

PREPARATION 

Aguachile: 

Purée all the ingredients in the 

blender. Strain to drain out the liquid; 

set aside both the broth and solids. 

Aguachile salsa: 

Blend the xanthan gum in the broth 

with an immersion blender to obtain 

the right consistency. 

Avocado: 

Cut into thin slices with a peeler, 

without cutting the seed. Cut the 

slices in the shape of disks 1 cm in 

diameter using a box cutter. Arrange 

the avocado disks on a plate, cover 

with plastic, and set aside. 

Cucumber: 

Cut the cucumber into thin slices. 

Tostadas: 

Put the tortillas between two cookie 

sheets. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. 

Lime caviar: 

Mix the lime, water, sodium citrate, 

and salt in a saucepan. Heat to 

boiling. Gradually add the agar agar, 

beating with a whisk. Bring to a 

boil. Add drops of the lime mixture 

to the cold oil with an eyedropper. 

Strain the lime pearls and set aside. 

Avocado cream: 

Purée all the ingredients to produce 

a thick purée. Pour into a plastic 

squeeze bottle. 

To serve: 

Serve the aguachile solids with 

salsa. Add the apple slices, avocado 

disks, cucumber, and tostadas. 

Decorate with lime caviar and 

avocado cream. 

JONATÁN 

GÓMEZ 

LUNA 


T H E 

Southeast 

AS TIME PASSED, MAYA GASTRONOMY HAS UNDERGONE 

CHANGES IN THE PREPARATION OF ITS DISHES, BUT IT 

OWES ITS FAME TO THE EXTRAVAGANT COMBINATION 

OF ITS HUNTING AND FISHING PRODUCTS WITH ITS 

CONDIMENTS AND SPICES: PUMPKIN SEEDS, ACHIOTE 

(ANNATTO), HABANERO CHILE, RED ONION, AND 

OREGANO. 


T H E 

Southeast 

Spiciness 

for the World 

n LALO PLAScENCIA 

For any Mexican, enchilarse means cooking with and eating 

chiles and feeling the spiciness; it is a verb, a way of life, and 

a genetic need. Without pedantic euphemisms or archaic 

nationalist rhetoric, Mexico can define itself through 

chiles, using them as a starting point and moving forward 

through their virtues and consequences. 

Yes, 99 percent of all Mexicans consume chiles in one presentation, dish, 

or expression or another. The other one percent who claim avoidance 

might be lieing or may simply be unaware of the countless ways they have 

eaten them in recipes, industrial products, or food that would appear not 

to contain them. For the Mexican, life is defined by the addictive process of 

eating chiles. 

Social differences might be explained through the infinite number of 

varieties or expressions of our chiles. While dried chiles are the origin of 

most hot or cold dishes in most of the Mexican states, in the north and on 

the Yucatán peninsula this changes radically with fresh piquín, ma’ax and 

habanero chiles taking the lead. 

While guajillo, ancho and pasilla are the basic chile triad of inland 

Mexico, the habanero chile is sovereign in Maya territory. An heir to 

ancestral traditions, now deeply rooted in society, it has conferred unique 

symbolic values on the land. Its economic importance has provided it 

protection with a Designation of Origin, and its culinary possibilities have 

given it the role of eternal transformer of Yucatán gastronomy. 


T H E 

Southeast 

salsa xni-pec= Tomato + habanero chile 

+ cilantro + red onion + salt + bitter orange juice 

3,400 

tons was the 

total of Mexico’s 

habanero chile 

production in 2011. 

Some 80 percent 

is sold fresh and 

20 percent is 

used in salsas, 

pastas, and dried 

products. 

n 

Eating chiles in Mexico is not a matter of chance. It is an addiction that 

can be considered genetic; only formal scientific studies might reveal that the 

need for consuming chiles is codified in the Mexican genome. The privileged 

geographic location of the country has enabled it to develop its history 

and social progress around chiles as original food items consumed by Pre- 

Columbian peoples, along with corn, beans, squash, and quelites (greens that 

grow in the milpa). 

They were a rich source of vitamin C for the pre-Hispanic ethnic groups 

for centuries prior to the cultural syncretism of the sixteenth century. In 

combination with the other foods in their habitual diet, they provided 

most of the nutrients. Thus, the Mayas, Aztecs, Zapotecs, Tarascans, 

and Purépechas enjoyed enviable good health, no obesity, and very few 

illnesses. 

Grinding tomatoes and chiles together was a wise nutritive and 

gastronomical combination. A cooked dish with chiles in it is a source of 

both flavor and health passed down for generations and perpetuated by 

Mesoamerican families over the centuries. The need for chiles is alimentary, 

cultural, as well as genetic. 

Chiles were core components of the agricultural and cultural system known 

as the milpa, fields sowed with corns, beans, and squash. Planted around the 

more delicate vegetables, they protected them from being eaten by predators. 

In the case of the habanero chile, it was used as a natural pesticide: crushed in 

water and sprinkled over the Maya croplands. 

But the most significant of its functions has been as a means of 

ameliorating the effects of the abrasive heat of the Yucatán. By generating 

internal heat, it refreshes the body through the sweat process when the 

weather is extremely hot; in cold weather it helps warm the person who 

eats it. When one does not have enough to eat, it gives the empty stomach 

the sensation of being full. 

In order to prove the practical and historical function of the Yucatán 

habanero, pieces of it would have to be consumed at noon on a May 

Sunday in Merida with the temperature at 40ºC in the shade but feeling 

like 45 to 48ºC in the sun, when the unbearably humid temperature makes 

shoes seem to melt, soaks clothing in perspiration, and triggers headaches 

because of the blinding white glare of the sun. 

At the table it is enough to have a taco of cochinita pibil with a fresh 

habanero on the side of the Jaguar variety that goes back to chiles consumed 

by the Maya kings over five hundred years ago. It is bright green, as luminous 

as limestone, perfectly designed by nature to withstand the inclemencies 

of the environment. One bite is enough to free the essential oils of its veins 

and seeds —the capsicum— that is the spiciest in the world and it would seem 

impossible to find in such a small container. 

The habanero chile attracts attention for its beauty, but it conquers the palate. Serious chile lovers consider it a delicacy. 

On the Yucatán peninsula many typical dishes are garnished with this aromatic chile. 


T H E 

Southeast 

The egg that wants to 

be a panucho, by 

Jonatán Gómez Luna. 

Le Chique, Riviera Maya. 

Yucatán style venison 

cocktail. 

Shrimp kebbes with 

chileatole and salsa 

xcatic, by Roberto Solís, 

at Néctar, Mérida. 

Escamoles (ant eggs) 

with habanero, by 

Jonatán Gómez Luna of 

Le Chique. Riviera Maya. 

500 

thousand tons of 

fresh chiles and 

60 thousand tons 

of dried chiles are 

exported to twentytwo 

countries 

annually. The United 

States is the principal 

importer. 

n 

The first taste of chile can be violent for the novice. Eating any kind of raw 

chile takes practice, but you need a master’s degree to handle habaneros. In 

the first thousandths of a second the sensation in the mouth is refreshing, 

of white flowers, and damp herbs. After the first cool wave comes the 

abrasive sensation of the chile: the heat at its maximum, one of the culinary 

expressions most studied by psychologists who affirm that it is a quasimasochistic 

experience, a way to obtain pleasure from physical pain. 

To be enchilado is to feel a biting heat that seems interminable: first on 

the tongue, then on the face and neck, then extending to other parts of the 

body. Unlike some of the dried chiles, such as chile de árbol used in salsas in 

Central Mexico, or the jalapeños and fresh serranos toasted on a griddle, the 

heat of the habanero is not that of interminable violence. As the mouthful 

moves on, the burning sensation withers, sweat is released, and a feeling of 

coolness completely takes over the body that is seeking to recover from the 


That taste explosion that builds glorious mouthfuls next to the cochinita 

pibil is part of the enchantment to continue eating. The addiction is not 

only mental, but is physical as well, as the body, once the first shock of the 

chile has been overcome, seeks to repeat the process in order to review its 

curves of pain, improve the scale of perception and reduce the sensation 

of heat in an environment that might seem it could never cool off. At the 

second bite, and once the violence of the process has been overcome, a 

person can consider himself addicted to the habanero. 

For this and many other reasons, the habanero is sovereign in Maya 

territory: its presence is praised at the table; it is a side to certain dishes; 

it is used crushed or chopped in salsas, and it is almost never submerged 

or hidden in other dishes. While the red, black, and green Yucatán recados 

(preparations of spices) are the backbone of seasoning in regional dishes, 

the fresh habanero is transformed into salsas to provide half the flavor of 

anything cooked in the Yucatán. 

It has distinctive character, its gateway to being quintessentially Maya. 

Eating habanero chiles is more than anecdotal, folkloric, or referential. 

It is a social discourse with glints of the future that reveals origins and 

destinies of a cuisine constantly seeking definition, in ongoing revelation of 

its imposing character, and in an unending path to offer itself to the world 

as an unyielding cultural pillar. From Mexico, eating chiles is and must be 

an addiction, the best of all addictions, the most noble. It is the addiction to 

having half of an habanero brush against one’s lips—lips that want to cry out 

to the world that Mexico cares for its cooking and its chiles, its past and its 

future, its image that reflects its destiny. ▲ 

3,900 

tons of habanero chile 

are produced in Mexico 

annually. Ranging 

from green to orange, 

they are an excellent 

condiment for the 

region’s food. It has had 

a D.O. since 2012. 

n 


T H E 

Southeast 

INGREDIENTS 

Lamb belly: 

440 grams lamb belly, in 

110-gram pieces 

20 grams coarse salt 

Cauliflower/eggplant purée: 

300 grams cauliflower 

2 cups milk 

1 eggplant 

Salt 

Plantains: 

2 plantains 

Chichilo sauce: 

7 grams chilhuacle chile seeds 

5 grams mulato chile seeds 

150 grams tomatoes 

125 grams tomatillo 

10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled 

1 tortilla, burnt 

4 cups beef stock 

1 teaspoon cumin, toasted 

2 cloves, toasted 

4 chilhuacle chiles, toasted 

and soaked in water 

3 mulato chiles, toasted and 

soaked in water 

1 teaspoon lard 

4 cups pork stock 

2 avocado leaves 

Pickled onion: 

¼ onion, thinly sliced 

½ lime, the juice 

Grilled onion: 

2 medium spring onions, 

½ cup vegetable stock 

Tortillas with hierba santa: 

300 grams hierba santa 

150 grams corn tortilla dough 

To serve: 

12 sorrel leaves, 12 beetroot 

leaves, 12 nasturtium leaves, 8 

mizuna leaves, 8 bok choy leaves, 

20 grams green peas, 4 borage 

stalks, 4 baby onions, 4 kale leaves 

SLOW-ROASTED LAMB 

BELLY, CAULIFLOWER 

AND EGGPLANT PURÉE 

WITH TUBERS 

PREPARATION 

serves 4 | 5 Hours | medium difficulty 

Lamb belly: 

Put the lamb belly mixed with 

salt in an airtight plastic bag 

for sous-vide cooking. Seal 

and cook at 80°C for 13 hours 

in an immersion circulator or 

steam oven. If you don’t have 

one, braise in the oven at 

120°C for 5 hours. 

Cauliflower/eggplant purée: 

Cook the cauliflower in milk 

until soft. Mash it with the 

milk, strain and season it. 

Roast the eggplant directly on 

the stove flame until black. 

Mash, strain, and season. 

Plantain: 

Cut the plantains with a 

cylindrical cutter. Fry until 

completely golden. 

Chichilo sauce: 

Toast the seeds until burned, 

without letting them turn 

to ash. Put them in a bowl 

with water and let sit for 15 

minutes. Rinse and soak 2 

more times. 

Roast the tomatoes, 

tomatillos, and unpeeled 

garlic. Remove the garlic 

peel and mash with 

tomatoes and tomatillo, 

strain. 

Grind the chile seeds with the 

tortilla, spices, chiles, and beef 

broth. Strain and mix with 

crushed tomatoes. 

JONATÁN 

GÓMEZ 

luna 

Heat a saucepan with lard and 

sauté the tomato mixture. 

Add the pork broth and 

avocado leaves; cook until it 

takes on a thick mole sauce 

consistency.. 

Pickled onions: 

Mix the onion and lime and let 

sit for 15 minutes. 

Roasted onion: 

Discard onion tails. Put the 

onions and vegetable broth 

in an airtight bag. Seal and 

steam at 80°C for 8 minutes. 

Remove the bag, cut the 

onions in half through the 

middle, and roast. 

Tortillas with hierba santa: 

Fill a saucepan with water and 

heat to a boil. Add the hierba 

santa leaves and cook for 1 

minute, drain, and chill in ice 

water. Grind the leaves with 

a dribble of its cooking liquid 

to produce a smooth paste. 

Strain. 

Mix the hierba santa purée 

with the corn dough. Shape 

tortillas and cook on a griddle 

until they puff up. 

To serve: 

Serve the lamb belly with 

the purées, plantains, and 

chichilo sauce. Decorate with 

pickled and roasted onion and 

the Asian leaves. Serve with 

tortillas with hierba santa. . 


T H E 

Southeast 

Libations of 

Fire and Ice 

n Héctor galván 

Kakaow, our old grandfather emerged from darkness at night ages ago. His father, Ak, 

smoke, awakened him on the swamps and gave him brothers . . . flowers, fruit, tubers, 

and nocturnal fish. Jaguar, the transitory creature of darkness, blew the embers of 

grandfather Ak, smoke, and from them arose the stars that bound Kakaow to water and 

land. And the water called to the air, the mangrove’s son, who gave him the gift of froth 

with which his sons and his sons’ sons would drink it, those who are always together, like 

[the figures] in Offering 4 from La Venta, to remember that distant quaternary night 

when his father cacao and chocolate was created… 

Mexico is a refreshing country. Every time I go to the cacao haciendas in 

the southeast, I bid farewell to my city, crossing Iztaccíhuatl as I imagine 

that the “Sleeping Woman” dreams of chocolate ice cream, while the 

nervous Popocatépetl smokes a cigar from Veracruz. When I go up the 

highway, I tell or imagine the same story: when Cortés arrived at the pass 

between the volcanoes and set eyes on Tenochtitlán, he had already tasted 

chocolatl. 

Not the way Bernal Díaz del Castillo described it in his chronicles, instead 

the way that Malinche, who came from Tabasco, undoubtedly must have 

secretly sipped it with Hernán, sealing a carnal and spiritual pact with which 

they would make a new world. 

Because we also discovered America, a spiritual proposal of mestizaje 

or blending has survived on our table. Therefore, I feel that what I’m doing is 

not new; instead I’m continuing the path of my grandparents and forebears, 

clearly leaving my passion and my present, like Octavio Paz’s poem “Piedra 

de Sol” (Sunstone). 

Dedicating myself to chocolate, I gave myself the opportunity to cross 

Mexico fording rivers and sometimes on foot, at times by car and now on 


T H E 

Southeast 

Cacao plantation, 

Tabasco. 

Cacao seeds and 

products. 

Chocolate is a beverage 

that originated in Mexico. 

Luis Robledo, renowned 

Mexican chocolatier. 

Dessert made of diverse 

types of chocolates. 

Pastry made with 

Mexican chocolate. 

Whip 

and 

whip 

The molinillo, the 

lathed wood stick 

used as a beater, is 

rubbed between the 

hands to dissolve 

ingredients and froth 

beverages like hot 

chocolate. 

n 

amazing highways, as well as in dreams, when I look for hidden cacaos 

in modern times that safeguard incredible flavors full of Jurassic eras and 

primitive gods, like smoke and lightning . . . I think of finding myself in a 

cultivated country still full of celebrations and my work is to bring these 

flavors and seeds to modernity and share them in our chocolates. 

Drinking Chocolate. From Veracruz to Yucatán and from Michoacán to 

Chiapas these beverages are made full of freshness and technique. 

When you cross the Sotavento region of Veracruz, with its rivers 

resonating with music, you reach Tlacotalpan, that tiled town echoing 

Marseilles, cast in shade, replete with artists. There you drink popo, a 

cold toasted cacao, rice, cinnamon and chupipi fruit drink; a refreshing 

drink with Philippine and indigenous influence, a frothy aromatic cacao 

horchata (sweet rice drink) that impregnates the nose with smoky, toasted 

and reinvigorating notes; something very cosmetic that reminds us of pre- 

Hispanic love by kissing the foam. 

In the municipality of Cosoleacaque, on another river in the south, popo 

assumes a distinct more indigenous touch through the addition of leaves 

from the ezquiote, a plant that gives the froth body and creaminess. They 

even drink it without sugar, with a more ceremonial charge. Sip it slowly 

and let the siesta take over. 

Waking up in Tabasco is like understanding once and for all the origin 

of chocolate and its marriage with maize. In Comalcalco —a unique city 

built more than a millennium ago with terracotta bricks made from clay 

from the Centla marshes— you can sense the richness and importance of 

cacao, a myth that is still heard in family gardens, surrounded by fruit and 

neighboring paths and lagoons full of ancient life, as well as avocadoes 

40cm long, gars, and land shrimp in smoky kitchens amidst hundreds of 

rivers and lagoons that blur with the sea. 

On the paths you can find signs for “Pozol served here.” This 

Chontal Maya beverage, based on fresh corn dough, ground with cacao 

and Tabasco pepper, is truly a superfood that can keep your energy 

level up. It’s like drinking cake that lowers the body temperature and 

that encourages digestion of its thick and fresh consistency with the 

pepper. 

Without doubt, the fruitiness of Tabasco cacao always ends with notes 

of yellow joy. Our farmer friends, with Olmec and pirate blood, are still 

accustomed to sowing other plants near the cacao to stimulate its notes 

of flavor and to keep the economy of their planting areas full of howler 

monkeys, toucans, three-humped turtles, iguanas, and chayotes that are 

part of the last jungles and forested reserves in the state. 

200 

grams of cacao 

is consumed on 

average per person 

per year in Mexico; 

around 50,000 

tons of chocolate 

are produced in the 

states of Chiapas and 

Oaxaca. 

n 


T H E 

Southeast 

27,619 

tons of cacao are 

produced in Mexico 

mainly in the states of 

Tabasco and Chiapas. 

Mexico is the 8th 

producer of cacao 

worldwide. 

n 

Tejate is a celebration in Huayapam, where cacao is combined with 

cacao blossoms, corn, and mamey pit in Oaxaca’s most representative 

drink, which enjoys fame in markets in the central valleys. The drink is 

unquestionably one of the most complex and delicious in Mexico: the 

oils from the toasted mamey pit give it a bit of fat and a delicate amaretto 

aroma, while the toasted cacao flower imbues it with deep nut and jasmine 

notes. More important is its unique molecular state. Drinking it in an open 

gourd caresses your face. 

Popo might have come from this beverage, but it became mestizo with 

the addition of rice. Oaxaca has powerful drinks made with considerable 

culinary technique, filled with chocolate and flowers of sweetened 

caramelized milk. It has tejate, with flowers and ashes that attest to our 

connection with the past of a profound culinary devotion. 

In Guerrero chilate, a drink made from three roots: black, Indian, and 

Spanish-Asian, combined with cacao, rice, and toasted corn. They blend and 

sweeten the solid brown sugar to give it a cookie flavor, which is also used as 

a thickener. 

In the Afro-mestiza region on the Costa Chica, from Acapulco to Pinotepa, 

chilate is imbibed at Carnival and religious celebrations. We can also find it 

on some of the spectacular beaches on the Pacific coast. 

Taxcalate in Chiapas is a brick-colored beverage, made with achiote 

(annatto), cacao, corn pinole, and cinnamon. It is thirst-quenching and 

helps digest food like grilled meat and cheeses. 

In the state remarkable cacao known as Real (Royal) Soconusco is 

produced with fine floral and aromatic notes, in addition to cheeses. It was 

a cacao that was paid in tribute to Moctezuma and that the Catholic Kings of 

the Old World tasted for the first time. 

It doesn’t matter if you go to Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, and find a version of 

a cup of chocolate very typical of New Spain or extremely indigenous in a 

cacao peel atole. If you go to Teotihuacan and follow some outdoor markets 

around this ancient city, you can find this precious water made from cacao 

toasted with magnolias, oregüela flowers, hoja santa, and morita chile, which 

Nezahualcoyotl once consumed. 

Drinking chocolate in our rivers, cities, and mountains is an act of 

modernity that shares the use of volcanic stone that gives heat and awakens 

the aromatic molecules of the cacao and blossoms, like vanilla, to then move 

them to the soul and our memory to share it. ▲ 

Cacao has been consumed in Mexico for hundreds of years. 

Traditional cooking incorporates it into diverse dishes and contemporary chocolatiers made it sublime. 


T H E 

Southeast 

Campeche: Codzitos 

(FRIED TACOS WITH 

SALSA AND CHEESE) 

/ Pan de cazón 

(TORTILLAS LAYERED 

WITH SHARK MEAT AND 

SALSA) 

Tabasco: 

Pejelagarto en 

verde (GAR IN 

SOUP GREEN FROM 

CHIPILÍN, CHAYA, 

CHILE AMASHITO 

AND MEXICO GREEN 

TOMATOES) / Puchero 

tabasqueño (STEW 

MADE FROM MANIOC, 

SWEET POTATO, 

GREEN BEANS, 

SQUASH, CORN, 

CHAYOTE, GREEN 

PLANTAIN, AND BEEF) 

Yucatán: Cochinita 

pibil / BEANS WITH 

PORK 

THE 

FLAVORS 

OF the 

region 

Quintana Roo: 

Joroch (SQUASH 

BLOSSOM SOUP WITH 

CORN CAKES) / 

Mac-cum de robalo 

(SEA BASS STEW) 

dulce 

de zapote 


Sweets in the Southeast are a pleonasm. You have to go there and seek out 

the torta de cielo (almond cake); margaritas de almendra (almond lilies) full 

of surprising sweet explosions; rosca brioche (balls of brioche dough cooked 

in a ring mold) that recalls European and Arabic influence from the Iberian 

Peninsula. 

The dulce de zapote dessert: a simple, flavorful combination of sapodilla 

pulp, sugar, orange juice and a bit of lime. Delicious native fruit, such as 

green papaya, cocoyol, marañón, nances and yucca are transformed into 

conserves and compotes; sweet potatoes blend with coconut; caballeros 

pobres (bread with honey and raisins); panetela (cylinder-shaped sponge 

cake) and atropellados (candied sweet potato); marquesitas (rolled wafers 

stuffed with Edam cheese and caramel sauce) sold by street vendors; and 

Campeche puff paste with our regional hot chocolate —flavors and forms to 

delight the most exacting palate. 

pan de muerto 

Death is tasted, eaten. 

It makes us laugh, it makes 

us cry. Near or far, we enjoy 

it by the mouthful when 

it’s made of bread." 



GLOSSARY 

230 — Ven a Comer GLOSSARY — 231

A 

Achiote 

Annato. A reddish 

fruit whose seeds are 

used as a condiment 

or coloring agent 

mainly in southeast 

Mexico. 

Acitrón 

Candied citron 

usually a translucent 

white, obtained from 

candying the fruit of 

the biznaga (barrel) 

cactus. 

Aguachile 

A plate of shrimp 

or seafood “cooked” 

in lime juice and 

seasoned with red 

onions, cucumber, 

chile de árbol, 

and salt. 

Aguamiel 

Also called agua 

de miel, it is the 

freshly collected 

juice of any of several 

Mexican agaves that 

becomes pulque 

(a pre-Hispanic drink) 

when fermented. 

Ajonjolí / sésamo 

Sesame. A small, 

straw-color seed 

that can be 

easily toasted. It 

is an important 

ingredient in moles, 

encacahuatados, 

and pipians. It is also 

sprinkled on baked 

bread. 

Albóndigas 

Meatballs. Small 

balls of ground 

beef, chicken, or 

pork, often served 

in a sauce of 

tomato and chipotle 

chile. 

Alfeñique 

Sugar-paste candy 

shaped into different 

kinds and colors 

of figures. 

Algodón 

DE AZÚCAR 

Cotton candy. 

Spun sugar on 

a stick. Popular 

worldwide. 

Amaranto 

Amaranth. Plant 

whose long spikes 

have lots of tiny 

flowers. The seeds are 

used in cereals, flours, 

and candies. It is a 

source of vegetable 

protein. 

Anafre 

A portable cooker of 

clay or metal with an 

interior space for live 

coals. 

Antojitos 

Simple dishes of 

traditional Mexican 

fare for snacks or 

starters. The variety is 

enormous. 

Apaxtle 

A tall jug with a small 

mouth made of 

Alfeñiques 

Ate with cheese 

polished clay. It is 

a kitchen utensil 

and a container 

that keeps water 

cool. 

Asado verde 

A dish usually made 

of pork that contains 

tomatillo, poblano 

chile, cilantro, and 

avocado. 

Atápakua 

A thick corn-based 

salsa of Purépecha 

origin. Chiles, 

tomatoes, cilantro, 

and mint are added 

and some kind of 

meat or vegetable is 

cooked in it. 

Ate 

A thick, sliceable 

fruit paste made 

from fruit cooked with 

sugar. 

Atole 

A hot drink of corn 

flour or masa mixed 

with water or milk. 

Usually it is flavored 

with chocolate, 

vanilla, strawberry, 

and cinnamon. 

Atropellado 

A preparation of dried 

beef and a salsa of 

tomatoes, onions, 

garlic, and serrano 

chiles. 

B 

Balché 

A fermented drink 

made from the 

trunk of the tree 

of the same name. 

Barbacoa 

Barbecue. Lamb or 

goat meat wrapped 

in maguey leaves and 

cooked in an earth 

oven. 

Bastimento 

A cookie-like 

bread of corn and 

wheat flours with 

a little salt. 

Bien me sabes 

A dessert created 

by nuns of the order 

of Saint Clare from 

Malaga. Literally 

“you taste good to 

me,” it contains 

sugar, almonds, 

eggs, syrup, sponge 

cake, and ground 

cinnamon. 

Birria 

Lamb or goat barbecue 

served in a broth made 

from the meat juices 

with grilled tomatoes 

and chiles. The meat 

is so tender it falls off 

the bones. 

Biznaga 

A barrel cactus 

from which juice is 

extracted; acitrón is 

made from it. 

Bolillo 

A crusty white bread 

roll of wheat flour, 

pointed on both ends. 

Brazo de reina 

A large tamale said 

to look like an arm, 

prepared at the time of 

Day of the Dead and 

40-day commitments. 

It is made from corn, 

contains chaya, and is 

topped with a tomato 

salsa and pumpkin 

seeds. 

Buñuelo 

An oversized round 

fritter deep-fried in oil. 

It is served drizzled with 

syrup or molasses. 

Burrito 

A flour tortilla wrap 

filled with refried 

beans, shredded beef 

and red chile. It is 

especially popular near 

the border with the 

United States. 

C 

Cacahuate 

Peanut. Also called 

maní or cacahuete in 

Spanish. 

Caimito 

Star apple. A meaty 

fruit with an earthy 

flavor, originally from 

southern Mexico, 

Central America, 

and South America. 

Cajeta 

A creamy thick 

syrup made of 

burnt goat’s milk 

and sugar. 

Camote 

Sweet potato. It is an 

ovoid tuber, pointed 

on both ends, with 

white, yellow or orange 

flesh. 

Campechana 

A sweet bread made 

from wheat flour. It is 

fragile, crunchy and 

similar to puff paste. 

Chaya 

Capirotada 

A dessert of day-old 

bread, coconut, 

nuts, raisins, and 

molasses baked 

in the oven. 

capsaicina 

Capsaicin. The 

chemical in chiles 

that causes a 

burning sensation 

on the palate 

and skin. 

Carnitas 

Slow-cooked pork 

deep-fried in lard. 

Cebiche 

A preparation 

of fish or seafood 

“cooked” in lime juice 

and blended with 

onions, tomatoes, 

and chiles. 

Peanut atole 

Cecina 

Salt meat dried in 

the air or sunshine, 

or smoked. 

Cemita 

A round savory 

roll approximately 

9 cm in diameter that 

is sliced horizontally 

and filled with regional 

ingredients. The 

Puebla cemita is the 

most common and 

is filled with string 

cheese, chipotle, and 

papaloquelite. 

Chalupa 

Oval-shaped base 

of fried corn masa 

for toppings. 

Champurrado 

An atole beverage 

made with toasted and 

ground corn masa. 

It is sweetened with 

brown cone sugar 

and seasoned with 

cinnamon. 

Chanchamito 

A tamale with 

meat filling. 

Chapulín 

Grasshopper. 

Usually eaten fried 

or toasted. 

Charal 

Silverside. A small fish, 

similar to an anchovy. 

Usually eaten dried. 

Chaya 

A bush whose cooked 

leaves are used in 

several dishes of Maya 

cuisine. 

Chayote 

A variety of plaintasting 

squash 

endemic to Mexico. 

Chical 

Soup made of kernels 

of corn and chile. 

Chicharrón 

Pork crackling. 

Chilapita 

A small toasted corn 

tortilla in concave 

shape. It can be used 

as an edible spoon 

and filled with diverse 

preparations. 

Chilaquiles 

Triangles of fried or 

toasted corn tortilla, 

covered with tomato 

or tomatillo salsa, 

and decorated with 


cream, cheese, some 

sort of shredded 

meat or a fried egg. 

Chilate 

A beverage similar 

to atole made from 

toasted corn, cacao, 

chile, and aromatic 

spices. 

Chilatole / 

chileatole 

A savory corn atole, 

seasoned with chiles. 

Chile amashito / 

amaxtli 

A small, spherical, 

very spicy chile 

mainly grown in 

Tabasco. It is also 

called chile piquín. 

Chile ancho 

The dried form of a 

poblano chile. It is very 

dark brown, almost 

black. 

Chile chipotle 

Dried and smoked, 

this chile is dark brown 

and has a wrinkled 

texture. The fresh 

form is called jalapeño; 

it is one of the 

spiciest of the dried 

chiles. 

Chile habanero 

One of the spiciest 

of all the chiles. 

They come in different 

colors and may be 

green, red, white, 

orange, brown, and 

yellow. 

Chile morita 

Dried and smoked, 

it is small, purple 

in color and has a 

smooth shiny skin. It 

is similar to a green 

jalapeño but is smaller 

and thinner. 

Chile pasilla 

A long dried chile, 

from 15 to 20 cm 

long. It is dark brown, 

shiny, and has a 

wrinkled texture. 

Not very spicy. 

The fresh form 

is called chilaca. 

Chile piquín 

There are various 

varieties of this small 

spicy chile. Its name 

may vary depending on 

the state where 

it is grown. 

Chile Simojovel 

A round, small, 

cone-shaped chile, it 

originated in Simojovel, 

Chiapas. Usually eaten 

dried. It is not very 

spicy. 

Chimichanga 

Taco made from a very 

large flour tortilla. It 

has a meat filling and 

is fried in oil. 

Chorizo 

Chinampa 

The ancient 

agricultural system 

in the Valley of 

Mexico. It is a manmade 

island of reeds 

and earth. 

Chipilín 

A small, intensely 

aromatic leaf used 

in diverse dishes in 

southern Mexico. 

It is rich in minerals 

and is used in soups, 

tamales, and meat 

dishes. 

Chirivía 

Parsnip. An edible 

root vegetable that 

looks somewhat like a 

carrot. 

Chirmole 

A traditional salsa 

Chayotes 

from southern Mexico 

and Guatemala of 

tomatoes, onions, 

garlic, cilantro, 

chiltepín chiles, lime, 

and salt. 

Chorizo 

A slightly spicy 

sausage flavored with 

spices, chiles, and 

vinegar. 

Chupipi 

The root of a climbing 

plant that grows on 

the Veracruz coast. 

It is used to make the 

famous beverage 

called popo. 

Clamato 

A beverage of tomato 

juice, garlic, onion, 

pepper, and cilantro. 

Originally it had 

a little clam juice in it. 

For cocktails it 

can be combined with 

distilled spirits 

or beer. 

Clemole 

A soupy preparation 

rich in proteins that 

contains beef, pork, 

vegetables, legumes, 

and chile. 

Cocada 

A dessert of grated 

coconut, eggs, sugar, 

butter, cinnamon, 

and a small amount 

of lime. 

Cochinita pibil 

Pork marinated with 

spices and bitter 

orange, steamed in an 

earth oven. 

Codzito 

A taco of corn 

tortilla, fried in lard, 

smothered in a sauce 

of tomatoes, chiles, 

and garlic, and topped 

with crumbled dry 

cheese. 

Comal 

A circular, flat metal 

or clay utensil used in 

a traditional Mexican 

kitchen as a griddle. 

Corico 

A crunchy cookie 

made from corn flour. 

Cortadillo / 

cuajito 

A stew of minced beef, 

potatoes, carrots, 

onions, bell peppers, 

tomatoes, chiles, garlic, 

salt, and cumin. 

Corunda 

A tamale made of 

white corn. Lard is 

mixed into the masa 

with water and salt. 

It is shaped like a 

triangle and wrapped 

in corn husk. 

Coyol 

Fruit of the coyol 

palm (Acrocomia 

mexicana), greenishyellow 

skin, sticky 

pulp, slightly sweet 

and viscose. 

Coyota 

A wheat-flour 

turnover sweetened 

with cone brown 

sugar. 

Cucharilla 

A type of agave used 

to make distillates and 

liqueurs. 

Cuexcomate 

An adobe granary, 

whose design is very 

effective for storing 

and protecting the 

harvest. 

Curado 

A pulque drink 

mixed with some sort 

of fruit or dried fruit 

to give it flavor. 

D 

Discada 

Chopped 

beef fried with 

sausages and 

vegetables 

and served on the 

disc of a plow. 

Cocada 

Dulce de frijol 

Milk, sugar, cinnamon, 

and nuts mixed 

into a paste of beans 

to make a milky 

dessert. 

E 

Embutido 

Chopped meat 

and seasonings in a 

sausage case of pork 

intestine. 

Empalme 

A simple dish of 

beans sandwiched 

between two corn 

tortillas. The tortillas 

are dipped in hot 

lard and served 

smothered with a 

tomato, chile and 

oregano salsa. 

Empanada 

A wheat (or 

occasionally corn) 

flour turnover filled 

with meat, vegetables, 

or cheese and baked 

in the oven. 

Enchiladas 

Soft tacos of corn 

tortillas, usually 

filled with meat 

or vegetables and 


salsa—tomato, 

tomatillo, or very 

hot—topped with 

cream and cheese. 

Enjitomatadas 

Tortillas dipped 

in a tomato or 

tomatillo sauce, 

then folded in half 

and filled with chicken, 

beef, cheese, or 

beans. Decorated 

with cream and 

cheese. 

Epazote 

Considered the 

most-used Mexican 

aromatic herb. 

The plant has many 

branches of light 

green leaves, long 

and elliptical in shape, 

very flavorful and 

fragrant. 

Escabeche 

A pickling liquid 

of vinegar and 

spices used to 

preserve and can 

all kinds of food. 

Esquiate 

A beverage-food 

related to the nomadic 

highland cultures. 

Esquites 

Corn kernels boiled 

with salt and epazote. 

They are served 

warm with chile, lime, 

and salt. 

Comal 


F 

Flautas 

Literally “flutes.” Long, 

thin fried tacos usually 

filled with shredded 

meat, requesón, 

potatoes, or beans and 

covered with cream, 

salsa, chopped lettuce, 

and crumbled dry 

cheese. 

Frijoles 

con veneno 

Literally “beans with 

poison.” Pork covered 

with an adobo of dried 

chiles and vinegar, then 

mixed with mashed, 

cooked beans and fried 

in lard. 

Fritada 

A stew of cabrito 

(young goat), cabrito 

blood, spices, chiles, 

garlic, onions, and 

other condiments. 

Frutos 

cristalizados 

Crystalized fruit. 

Cooked with alum in 

a plain sugar or cone 

brown sugar syrup. 

G 

Gloria 

A spherical candy 

made of pecans, 

burnt goat’s milk, 

and sugar. 

Gorditas 

calientes 

Flat rounds of corn 

masa fried in lard. 

They are cut in half 

horizontally and filled 

with cooked meats, 

vegetables, or cheese. 

Guajolote 

Turkey. A Mexican bird 

exported to Europe in 

the sixteenth century 

but domesticated in 

Mexico more than a 

thousand years ago. 

Guanábana 

A tropical green and 

ovoid fruit, with white 

flesh that is slightly 

sweet and sour. 

Guaya 

Guaya, huaya, limoncillo 

or mamoncillo is the 

fruit of a tree that 

grows in Central and 

South America and the 

Caribbean. 

H 

Haba 

Lima bean. An 

edible legume with 

a slightly pasty 

consistency. 

Hoja de mixiote 

The very thin outer 

skin of a leaf from a 

pulque maguey. 

Hojarasca 

A wheat flour cookie, 

covered with sugar 

and cinnamon. 

Horchata 

A refreshing drink 

of semi-cooked 

rice, milk, sugar, and 

cinnamon. 

Huachinango 

Red snapper. 

Huitlacoche 

A parasitic fungus 

on a tender ear of 

corn. It is edible and 

highly prized for its 

distinctive earthy 

flavor. 

J 

Jamaica 

Hibiscus flower 

used to make a tea 

that is diluted 

to make a sweet 

and slightly tart 

refreshment. 

Jamoncillo 

The name of several 

candies that have a 

firm, soft texture and 

contain ground pine 

nuts, pecans, peanuts, 

or pumpkin seeds. 

Jícama 

A crunchy edible 

tuber used as 

a snack with salt, 

lime, and chile 

piquín. 

Turkeys 

Jícara 

A concave container 

usually made from a 

gourd. 

Jumil 

An edible bug 

eaten alive or blended 

into salsa. It has an 

intense flavor and is 

fragrant. 

L 

Laurel 

Bay leaf. Used 

to flavor a large 

number of 

dishes. 

Longaniza 

A long sausage 

of highly spiced 

pork. 

M 

Machaca 

Jerked beef or fish. 

Machacado 

A plate of shredded 

dried meat, eggs, 

and occasionally 

covered with a spicy 

salsa. 

Lima beans 

Machitos 

A preparation made 

from the entrails and 

stomach of a cabrito. 

Manchamantel 

Literally “tablecloth 

stainer.” A type 

of Oaxaca mole 

containing pork or 

chicken, cooked 

fruit, and a rich salsa 

of chiles and dried 

fruits. 

Marañón 

A tropical species 

(cashew nut tree) 

whose fruit is rich in 

vitamin C. It can be 

eaten fresh or cooked. 

The nut is used in 

desserts. 

Martajar 

To grind foodstuffs 

manually. 

Memela 

A thick, oval corn 

tortilla spread with 

lard. It is filled 

with mashed beans, 

smothered with salsa 

and sprinkled with 

cheese. 

Menudo 

Tripe soup seasoned 

with garlic, onion, 

chiles, and avocado 

leaves. 

Mercado 

sobre ruedas 

Literally “market 

on wheels.” An 

itinerant market 

whose stands are 

set up in a different 

neighborhood each 

day of the week. 

Merengue 

Meringue. A dessert 

of beaten egg whites 

and sugar. 

Metate 

Grinding stone used 

to grind corn for 

masa. 

Mezcal 

An agave distillate. 

Migas 

Typical dish of eggs 

scrambled with 

pieces of tortilla. 

Milpa 

A cornpatch where 

beans, squash, and 

chile also grow on the 

same parcel of land. 

Miltomate 

Small green tomato also 

known as a tomatillo. 

Miltomate or tomatillo 

Mixiote 

A preparation of 

pieces of meat 

marinated in guajillo 

and pasilla chiles, 

pulque, cumin, 

oregano, thyme, 

bay leaf, garlic, 

and avocado leaves, 

then tied in a 

mixiote leaf and 

steamed. 

Molcajete 

Pre-Hispanic 

grinding bowl for 

crushing and mixing 


Mole 

A sauce of ground 

chiles (dried or fresh), 

spices (cumin, clove, 

cinnamon), dry fruit 

(pecans, walnuts, 

peanuts, almonds), 

and vegetables 

(tomato, chayote). 

There are more than 

70 basic moles in 

Mexico. 

Molinillo 

A lathed wood utensil 

rubbed back and forth 

between the palms 

of the hands to froth 

Molcajete 

traditional drinks 

such as chocolate. 

Molote 

A snack food of fried 

masa with a prepared 

filling. 

Montaloyo 

A dish made of beef 

or pork entrails. 

N 

Nance 

A small globular 

fruit of the 

malpighiaceae family. 

It is sweet and 

slightly bitter. 

Nicuatole 

A dessert made of 

boiled corn, milk, 

water, and sugar. It is 

similar to a custard or 

milk pudding. 

Nixtamalización 

Nixtamalization comes 

from the Nahuatl 

word for the cooking 

and steeping of corn 

in alkaline water. 

Nogada 

A sauce of walnuts, 

cream, and cheese 

used in chiles en 

nogada. It can also be 

made with almonds. 

Nopal 

Prickly pear cactus. 

It has edible green 

leaves studded with 

spiky thorns. There 


are two basic kinds: 

the one that gives the 

fruit called tuna and the 

one that is used as a 

vegetable. 

Olote 

Corn cob. 

O 

Orégano 

Aromatic herb used 

in dried form as a 

condiment. A must in 

every kitchen. 

Orejones 

Sun-dried fruit sold as 

loose slices of apple, 

peach, or apricot. 

Holiday fare. 

P 

Palanqueta 

A candy brittle made 

from nutmeats covered 

with caramel. Roast 

peanuts are the most 

popular. It tends to be 

hard and crunchy. 

Pambazo 

A popular snack 

consisting of a round 

roll, spread with red 

chile salsa and filled 

with beans or potatoes 

and sausage. They are 

fried to be eaten warm. 

Pámpano 

Pampano. A white 

fish consumed on the 

Mexican Pacific coast. 

Pitahaya 

Panucho 

A dish consisting of a 

small corn tortilla that 

puffs up when it is 

fried. It is quickly filled 

with strained refried 

beans, cochinita pibil 

and red onion in 

escabeche. 

Papadzul 

A corn tortilla wrap 

filled with egg and 


pumpkin seed sauce. 

Paste 

A wheat flour turnover 

with a savory or sweet 

filling, baked in a wood 

fire oven. 

Peje lagarto 

Gar. A fresh water 

fish with white meat, 

usually grilled. 

Penca 

A leaf or stem of a 

prickly pear cactus or 

agave. 

Peneque 

Corn masa filled with 

cheese and poached in 

a tomato sauce. 

Pepitoria 

Circular wafer 

of flour and water 

folded in half and 

filled with molasses. 

Pumpkin seeds trim 

the edges. 

Pib 

A traditional earth 

oven. 

Pibipollo 

A chicken dish roasted 

in an earth oven. 

Picadillo 

A dish prepared with 

ground pork or beef in 

a tomato sauce with 

chopped potatoes, 

carrots, and onions. 

Picadita 

A small fried snack 

similar to sopes and 

pellizcadas. It is usually 

served as a starter. 

Pigua 

A fresh-water crustacean 

similar to a prawn. 

Piloncillo 


nuts with undistilled 

cane sugar syrup. It is 

available as molasses 

or in solid form. 

Pinole 

Toasted corn ground 

with piloncillo and 

cinnamon. It can also 

be combined with 

powdered cacao. 

Pipián 

A sauce made from 

toasted, ground 

pumpkin seed. It 

often contains sesame 

and chile. it can be 

prepared with corn 

mixed with achiote. 

Pozole 

Pirul 

A leafy tree whose 

dried fruit serves as a 

spice. 

Pirulí 

A brightly colored 

cone-shaped hard 

candy on a stick. 

Pitahaya / pitaya 

Dragon fruit. A 

rather sour fruit that 

grows on certain 

species of cactus. It 

can be red, yellow, 

pink, or white. 

Pozol 

A thick drink made 

from chocolate and 

corn. 

Pozole 

A typical soup made 

from cacahuacintle corn 

(hominy), pork and 

water. It is served with a 

selection of condiments 

to be added to it: 

lettuce, radishes, 

oregano, onion, lime 

juice, and dry chile de 

árbol salsa. 

Puchero 

Also called cocido, a 

rich vegetable and 

meat soup. 

Pulque 

A fermented drink 

made from the aguamiel 

of the pulque-producing 

maguey. 

Q 

Quelite 

A tender green 

edible plant of high 

nutritional content. 

It is high in fiber, 

iron, potassium and 

vitaminns C and D. It 

grows mainly in the 

milpa. 

Quesadilla 

A tortilla folded in 

half, filled with cheese 

and heated on a 

griddle. Even if they 

don’t have cheese 

in them, the name 

is now used for any 

folded tortilla with a 

filling. 

Queso Cotija 

A hard, ripe, dry 

cheese made from 

cow’s milk. 

Queso de puerco 

Head cheese. Made 

from cooked meat 

from pigs’ heads and 

herbs. 

Queso relleno 

Stuffed cheese. A 

Dutch type cheese 

hollowed out and 

filled with chopped 

pork, tomato and 

cheese. 

Quiote 

The stalk of a maguey 

plant. 

R 

Raicilla 

A type of mezcal 

produced in Jalisco. 

Raspada 

A corn tortilla cooked 

on one side on the 

griddle. The other side 

is scraped to make it 

thinner. Then it is used 

as a tostada. 

Recado negro 

Mixture of spices 

and toasted or grilled 

chiles (so they look 

black) used as a 

seasoner for various 

dishes. 

Relleno blanco 


turkey bathed 

with a white sauce 

traditional in Yucatan 

cooking. 

Requesón 

Cottage cheese. 

It is made from milk 

curd. 

S 

Sacbé 

White road. Part of a 

network built by the 

ancient Maya. 

Salbute 

A snack of fried corn 

masa. It is round 

and is usually served 

with a venison 

preparation. 

Salpicón / dzik 

Shredded beef, 

venison, or pork, 

marinated in lime 

or bitter orange juice 

and mixed with 

onions, radishes, 

cilantro, and habanero 

chiles. 

Salsa borracha 

“Drunk salsa” made 

with pasilla chiles, 

pulque, onion, and 

garlic. 

Sarmiento 

Branch of a grape vine 

from which the leaves, 

buds, and bunches of 

grapes grow. 

Sopa aguada 

“Watery soup.” 

Tomato broth with 

some sort of pasta in 

it: noodles, alphabets, 

shells, and the like. 

Sope 

Also known as a 

pellizcada. A thick corn 

tortilla with a rim pinched 

all the way around. 

Usually fried or cooked 

on a griddle. Toppings are 

salsa, cheese, and onion. 

In some places a cooked 

preparation is used as a 

topping. 

T 

Taco al pastor 

Tortilla with pork 

seasoned with a salsa 

Papadzules 

of spices and dried 

chiles. It is served with 

pieces of pineapple, 

onion, and chopped 

cilantro. 

Taco de obispo 

Tortilla with a sausage 

made from meat from 

the head and brains of 

the pig. 

Tamal 

Tamale. A dough of 

masa and lard beaten 

together with a filling 

and wrapped in corn 

husks or banana 

leaves. 

tamarindo 

Tamarind. Edible fruit 

of the plant of the 

same name. Sweet 

and sour flavor and 

fibrous pulp, used to 

make candies or fruit 

water. 


Tomatillo / 

miltomate 

A small green 

tomato with a papery 

husk and less acidic 

flavor. 

Tompiate 

A wicker basket 

for storing food or 

other things. 

TUNa 

Fruit of the prickly 

pear. Among the 

most common 

varieties are the 

more neutral green 

tunas and the 

sweeter and juicier 

red ones. 

Torta 

White bread roll 

filled with any edible 

product. 

U 

Tasajo 

Salt meat, dried in 

the air or sunshine, or 

smoked. 

Tascalate 

Powder or paste made 

from achiote, cacao 

and corn, for hot or 

cold drinks. 

Tatemado 

Technique for grilling 

or cooking food on a 

comal or in a direct 

flame. 

Tejate 

A drink made from 

corn, cacao and 

water. 

Tejocote 

Mexican hawthorn. 

A thin-skinned 

fruit with a sourtasting, 

aromatic 

meaty pulp. 

Telera 

An oval, rather flat 

white roll of wheat 

flour used for the 

sandwiches called 

tortas. 

Tepache 

A slightly alcoholic 

drink made by letting 

the juice and pulp 

of a sweet fruit such 

as pineapple, guava, 

apple, or tuna 

ferment for several 

days. 

Tequila 

An agave distillate 

with a Designation of 

Origin. 

Tesgüino / 

teshuino 

An alcoholic beverage 

of ground and 

fermented corn 

sprouts. 

Torta 

Tlacoyo 

A snack of corn 

masa filled with 

beans, lima beans, 

cottage cheese, or 

pork crackling. It is 

rhomboid shaped and 

is cooked on a comal. 

It is served with salsa, 

nopales, and cheese. 

Tlayuda 

A corn tortilla 30 cm 

in diameter. It is hard 

and dry, similar to a 

tostada. 

Tejate 

Tostada 

Toasted corn 

tortilla that can 

be eated alone or 

with some sort 

of cooked 

preparation. 

Totomoxtle 

Dried corn husk. 

Totopo 

Toasted, crunchy 

tortilla cut in any 

of a number of 

shapes and sizes. 

Usually served 

with guacamole 

as a snack or 

starter. 

Toloposte 

Large thin corn 

tortilla similar to a 

totopo. It is cooked 

with lard. 

Trompada 

A type of brittle 

candy made with 

molasses, peanuts, 

coconut, and 

cinnamon similar to 

a melcocha. 

Uchepos 

Tamale of ground 

kernels of corn 

mixed with milk, 

sugar, cream, 

and salt. 

V 

vainilla 

Vanilla. A plant that 

produces a bean-like 

fruit, the seeds of 

which are aromatic 

and flavorful, 

one of the most 

expensive plants 

in the world. 

X 

Xoconostle 

Semidry sour tasting 

cactus fruit of a firm 

consistency, eaten as 

a vegetable. 

profiles 


Arisbeth Araujo 

FOOD WRITER 

Héctor Galván 

RESEARCHER 

Nico Mejía 

Chef and researcher 

Francisco Ruano 

Chef 

Member of the publishing collective 

TrincheEstudio. Food writer and journalist. 

Sommelier and gastronomic tourism guide 

in Mexico City. 

His branch of study is cacao, its promotion and 

consumption. His passion has taken him to 

France and Japan to give talks on the subject. 

He is the owner of La Casa Tropical. 

Chef from Colima residing in Guadalajara. 

Chef in the restaurant Cortez. 

Researcher in West Mexican gastronomic 

culture. 

He started in the kitchen at Quintonil, 

with Jorge Vallejo. After years of practical 

experience, he opened Alcalde, one of the best 

restaurants in Guadalajara. 

Ricardo Bonilla 

FOOD RESEARCHER 

Alicia Gironella 

CHEF AND RESEARCHER 

Ricardo Muñoz zurita 


Alejandro Ruiz 

Chef 

Professor, researcher, writer, advisor and food 

critic. Director of the food tourism agency 

Recorridos Gastronómicos "Come México." 

Marco Buenrostro 


Exhibition designer, editor and writer specializing in 

anthropological and gastronomic topics in Mexico. 

Member of the “Sin maíz no hay país” campaign. 

Juan Ramón Cárdenas 

Chef 

Cabrito breeder and chef expert in Northeast 

food based in Saltillo, Coahuila. Head chef at Villa 

Ferré (banquets) and Don Artemio. 

Abdiel Cervantes 

researcher 

Academic, food promoter and advisor. Devoted 

lover of Mexican food and properly teaching 

new generations. 

Martha Chapa 

PAINTER, SCULPTOR, WRITER, AND COOK 

Her art work focuses on the apple. She has had 

more than 250 exhibitions in Mexico and abroad 

and has penned various cookbooks. 

Hugo DACosta 

WINE EXPERT 

Defender and promoter of Mexican wine. He is 

the most important oenologist in Mexico. Owner 

of wineries Bodegas Casa de Piedra and Aborigen. 

Yuri de Gortari & Edmundo Escamilla 

RESEARCHERS AND HISTORIANS 

They specialize in Mexican gastronomic culture. 

Owners of the Escuela de Gastronomía Mexicana 

and promoters of pre-Hispanic techniques. 

A pillar of Mexican cuisine and member of the 

Conservatorio de la Cultura Gastronómica Mexicana. 

The author of the Larousse de la cocina mexicana. 

Fernando Gómez Carbajal 

photographer 

A photographer and video maker specializing in 

gastronomy and the most famed portraits of Mexico. 

Jonatán Gómez Luna 

Chef 

The chef at Le Chique on the Riviera Maya, who 

uses avant-garde techniques to put local 

ingredients to best use and transform them. 

Guillermo González BERISTÁIN 

Chef 

A mentor of many chefs who figure prominently 

in Mexico. Corporate chef of Grupo Pangea. 

In charge of the wine brand María Tinto. 

Diego Hernández 

Chef 

He was trained at three of the best restaurants in 

Mexico: Manzanilla, Pangea and Pujol. Today he is 

chef at Corazón de Tierra in the Valley of Guadalupe. 

Adrián Herrera 

Chef 

Columnist for Grupo Milenio. Specialist in 

Northeast cuisine. Chef at the Fonda San 

Francisco and the traditional Monterrey 

restaurant El Tío, Monterrey. 

José N. Iturriaga 

writer 

Vicepresident of the Conservatorio de la Cultura 

Gastronómica Mexicana. The author of more than 

forty books on history and Mexican cuisine. 

Chef at Azul Condesa, Azul Histórico and 

Azul y Oro. He is one of the most well-known 

researchers. He compiled the Diccionario 

enciclopédico de la gastronomía mexicana. 

Benito Molina 

and Solange Muris 

ChefS 

Since this duo came to Ensenada they have sought 

to glorify the products from the sea and land 

of Baja California. Their restaurant Manzanilla 

is the maximum expression of their food. 

Martha Ortiz 

GOURMET 

Researcher exploring social reality, she has a 

deep love for Mexico and its culture. Writer 

of various publications and chef at Dulce 

Patria. 

Cornelio Pérez 

RESEARCHER 

Coordinator of the Logia de los Mezcólatras 

for mezcal lovers. Tío (Uncle) Corne is 

dedicated to promoting research, awareness, 

and appreciation for traditional mezcal. 

lalo PlasCencia 

RESEARCHER 

Gourmet, researcher, chef, and promoter of 

Mexican cuisine. He is the founder of the Centro 

de Innovación Gastronómica and academic at 

the Instituto Técnico en Alimentos y Bebidas. 

Joan Roca 

Chef 

He is the head chef at the Celler de Can 

Roca, one of the best restaurants in the 

world. Born in Spain, he is an ardent admirer 

of Mexican cuisine and culture. 

He is deeply devoted to his homeland, 

Oaxaca, one of the states with the 

richest cuisine. At Casa Oaxaca and 

Mezquite, he incorporates the flavors of 

his land. 

Adalberto R. Lanz 

JOURNALIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER 

Editor, writer, documentary producer, radio 

commentator, and photographer 

specializing in tourism and gastronomy, 

with more than fifteen published books. 

Adalberto Ríos Szalay 

photographer 

He has traveled throughout Mexico and 

Latin America doing anthropological research 

and documentation. Writer and professor, 

the author of more than thirty books. 

Alonso Ruvalcaba 

WRITER AND JOURNALIST 

He is a poet, translator, essayist, and food 

critic. His obsessions are food, poetry, and 

film. He has published books, including 

Ciudad de restaurantes. 

Pablo Salas 

Chef 

Pioneer in the promotion and recovery of 

products from the State of Mexico. He is in 

charge of adding flavor to the restaurant 

Amaranta in the State of Mexico. 

Jesús Salazar 

COFFEE EXPERT 

Researcher, taster, and philosopher 

devoted to the study and promotion of 

coffee of excellence in Mexico and Latin 

America. 

242 — Ven a Comer profiles — 243

Rubi Silva 

Chef 

Food researcher and promoter of the culinary 

culture of Michoacán. Chef and proprietor of 

the restaurant Los Mirasoles in Morelia. 

Roberto Solís 

Chef 

Bringing out the flavors of Yucatán is one of his 

maxims. He is the chef at Néctar in Mérida and 

one of the first contemporary chefs in the 

country. 

Lucero Soto 

Chef 

She glorifies ingredients from Michoacán. In her 

restaurant Lú in Morelia she teaches the use of 

these products to the utmost avoiding their loss. 

Jair Téllez 

Chef 

Chef at Merotoro, Verde y Crema, and Laja 

restaurants. He is one of the maximum 

exponents of contemporary Mexican cuisine. 

Today he is the maker of his own wine. 

nacho Urquiza 

photographer 

Renowned in Mexico and abroad for his 

publications on food culture, architecture, and 

interior design. He is about to publish his 

hundredth book. 

Gerardo Vázquez Lugo 

Chef 

One of the maximum researchers of traditional 

Mexican dishes. His restaurant Nicos, in Mexico 

City, is one of the capital's favorites. 

Carlos Yescas 

INTERNATIONAL CHEESE JUDGE 

Owner of Lactography. He is an international 

cheese judge recognized by the Guild of Fine 

Foods, England, and the Guilde Internationale 

des Fromagers of France. 

Marta Zepeda 

Chef 

Exponent of San Cristóbal de las Casas cuisine 

and Chiapas products. The dishes at Tierra y Cielo 

in San Cristóbal de las Casas reflect her research. 

bibliography 

Calderón de la Barca, Madame (Francis Erskine Inglis). Life in Mexico during a Residence of Two Years in That Country, 

Century, London, 1987. 

Corcuera, Sonia. El fraile, el indio y el pulque, Mexico City, FCE, 2013. 

Humboldt, Alexander von. Ensayo político sobre el reino de la Nueva España, Mexico City, Porrúa, 1966. 

Mitos del maíz, Artes de México, no. 79, año 2006: “Deidades del panteón mexica del maíz,” pp. 16, 17; and “Los dichos del 

maíz,” pp. 54, 55 

Motolinía, Toribio de Benavente. Historia de los indios de la Nueva España, Mexico City, Porrúa, 1984. 

Muñoz Zurita, Ricardo. Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana, Mexico City, Ediciones Larousse, 2012. 


acknowledgments 

For their recipes: : Juan Ramón Cárdenas of Don Artemio, Jonatán Gómez 

Luna of Le Chique, Guillermo González Beristain of Pangea, Diego 

Hernández of Corazón de Tierra, Benito Molina and Solange Muris of 

Manzanilla, Francisco Ruano of Alcalde, Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca, 

Pablo Salas of Amaranta, Roberto Solís of Néctar, Lucero Soto of Lú, 

Gerardo Vázquez Lugo of Nicos, and Marta Zepeda of Tierra y Cielo. 

For their hospitality and generosity: José Ramón Castillo, José Miguel 

García, Marta Ortiz, Jorge Vallejo in Mexico City; Alfonso Cadena, Tomás 

Bermúdez and Fabián Delgado in Guadalajara; Dante Ferrero and Alfredo 

Villanueva in Monterrey; Graciela Ángeles, Diego Ayuso; José Manuel 

Baños, Pilar Cabrera and Rodolfo Castellanos in Oaxaca; Aquiles Chávez 

in Playa del Carmen; Roberto Alcocer, Hugo D’Acosta, Pablo Ferrer, 

Fernando Pérez Castro in Valle de Guadalupe. 

Cervecería Primus and Lactography in Mexico City; Coral & Marina hotel 

in Ensenada; Demetria hotel in Guadalajara; Villa de Patos in Coahuila; 

Cervecería Malafacha, Paralelo Norte and Propaganda Brewing in 

Monterrey; Casa de las Bugambilias hotel and Itanoní in Oaxaca; Cacao 

and Los Aguachiles hotels in Playa del Carmen; Azul Sensatori hotel on the 

Riviera Maya. 

Ven a comer (Savor Mexico) 

was printed in July 2015 with a print run of 3,000 

copies: 2,000 in Spanish and 1,000 in English.

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