Photo by Pablo de Aguinaco
The cuisine of Eastern Mexico – encompassing the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Veracruz – is a blend of the norteña traditions of its northern neighbors with the sophisticated cuisines of central Mexico. The cultural features of a region are usually very heavily dependent on the forces of nature and the unique ecosystem of each physical setting that interacts with human inventiveness. The state of Veracruz, for instance, is the greenest region of Mexico with a warm, humid tropical climate and an impressive coastline of about 725 kilometers, broken up in many places by waterways that teem with shellfish. Coahuila, in contrast, presents an arid and semi-arid climate with little rainfall and a mild year- round temperature between the ranges of 12 and 24 degrees centigrade. The eastern Sierra Madres Mountains form a part of the state. The topography of the state is ideal for the production of livestock, and some of Mexico’s best meat comes from this region. The climate of the state of Nuevo Leon is varied, in part due to the Sierra Madre Mountains that take up a large portion of the land. Tamaulipas has a sub-humid temperate climate, and is one of the most cyclone-ridden areas of Mexico.
Eastern Mexico, thus, boasts a physical setting that includes highlands, lowlands, deserts, tropics and forests. The result is a cuisine that is well-rounded, both nutritionally and in terms of versatility. This area of Mexico boasts an extensive coastline which accounts for the wealth of fish and seafood preparations. In addition to these, the preferred meat of the region is the cabrito or goat meat, which is cooked in every conceivable way and relished together with the usual Mexican staples of tortillas (mostly flour tortillas), salsas and frijoles or beans. The norteña influence on the local cuisine can be felt in dishes such as tacos de harina, which are basically large flour tortillas wrapped around a myriad of fillings, including meats, beans and cheese. This simple dish is reminiscent of the burritos that are a norteña staple. The region is also well known for a large variety of sweets and candy it produces – some of which utilize the leche de cabra or goat milk while others are based on local fruit.
Coahuila
Coahuila is the third largest state in Mexico, and is distinguished for its biodiversity. The mountainous regions of the state feature trees such as pine and cedar, while in the plains, plants such as yuca and agave abound. Coahuila offers tourist attractions in ecotourism, and additionally is home to various museums and archeological sites – amongst them the Museo del Vino or the Wine Museum, and Cuevas de Candelaria which are caves located in San Lorenzo. Gastronomically, the most popular items on the must try list include preparations such as huevos con machaca or eggs with dried beef, as well as other dried beef preparations; cabrito or goat prepared in a variety of different ways, but specifically cabrito al horno or baked goat, and fritada de cabrito which is goat cooked in its blood. Also worth a try is the estofado de aguayon, a dish composed of strips of sirloin steak marinated in olive oil and seasonings and cooked with onions, mushrooms and peppers. A popular bean preparation from the state is frijoles froterizos, which are beans cooked with bacon, poblano peppers and panela cheese. Another notable side dish is chile con queso which is a dip made of melted yellow cheese seasoned with tomatoes and chile peppers, and sometimes ground meat. Coahuila produces a large variety of fruits such as apples, figs and peaches, and these are made into delicious conserves. The fruit is also utilized in the production of various fruit liquors. Coahuila also produces wines; the most famous of these is the Sangre de Cristo, which is used in consecration as well as at the table.
Nuevo Leon
The state of Nuevo Leon is home to Monterrey, one of Mexico’s largest and most important cities. Touristically, Nuevo Leon has a lot to offer – for the culturally-inclined, there are numerous museums, including the superb Museum of Mexican History, for the adventure tourism enthusiast there are various options in terrestrial, aerial and aquatic sports, as well as various ecotourism, camping and fishing sites, and enchanting nature tours. The cuisine of Nuevo Leon is decidedly norteña – in a survey it was established that Monterrey consumes more meat per capita than any other city in Mexico! Apart from the superb locally raised beef, there is also a great fondness for the cabrito which was initially used by the Spanish conquistadores as a substitute for lamb. The famous goat dishes from the region are cabrito al pastor – a Jewish manner of roasting a whole baby goat seasoned simply with salt and mild spices and eaten with salsa and corn tortillas, and lonches de cabrito which are strips of fried goat meat eaten with tortillas and a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and chile. Both of the above dishes are often served with frijoles charros – beans cooked with bacon, pork, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro, or frijoles borrachos, which are basically frijoles charros with the addition of beer. The two cuts of meat most loved in this region are the famed arrachera or flank steak, usually marinated in spices, olive oil and lime; and the carne zaraza, which are steak strips that are served with guacamole. For the sweet tooth, Nuevo Leon offers the glorias, which are candy made of caramelized milk and nuts, and empanadas de calabaza con piloncillo, which are pumpkin and raw sugar turnovers. One culinary item that makes a superb gift and should be brought back from the region is the conserva de naranja, an orange conserve made from the superb oranges grown in this region.
Tamaulipas
420 kilometers of beaches on the flat coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, ecotourism in the famed El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, and cities, both colonial and neocolonial with an unspoilt rural feel, are the attractions that draw visitors to Tamaulipas. Located in the southern part of Tamaulipas is Tampico, one of the region’s most famous beach destination, which has year -round boating, fishing and sailing competitions. Gastronomically, Tamaulipas offers the whole gamut of dishes from the complex and sophisticated to simple home fare. As with the rest of Eastern Mexico, cabrito also rules the roost here and can be had in all the varieties typical of the region – baked, stewed in its blood or roasted. One signature dish from the region that is well-known and enjoyed all over Mexico is the carne a la tampiqueña, which is grilled beef served with frijoles refritos or refried beans and sautéed chiles and onions.
Other local staples include machaca or dried beef that is cooked in a stew with onions, tomatoes and chiles; and gorditas de guisados, which are masa-based turnovers with a myriad of stews and cooked meats as fillings. Other dishes to try in Tamaulipas are mole de olla con lentejas, a stew made of lentils and meat (usually pork) with a combination of chiles; tamales de calabaza con camaron which are pumpkin and shrimp stuffed tamales; tamal de cazuela or a large tamale cooked in a casserole; conejo al guajillo, which is a rabbit stew flavored with guajillo chiles; and calamares al vino or squid cooked in wine. The desserts from the state include camote con piña or sweet potatoes with pineapple, frutas cristalizadas or candied fruit, and a delectable sweet made from dates and nuts called dulce de datil y nuez.
Veracruz
Amongst Mexicans, Veracruz is famed as the liveliest state in all of Mexico. One possible reason for this liveliness could be the blend of distinct races – Afro-Cuban, Native American and Spaniard. Along with the racial blending, the veracruzanos probably managed to take the best from each of these cultures. Amongst the biggest tourist attractions of Veracruz is the fort of San Juan de Ullua, which was built by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes to deter pirates. The Buluarte Santiago is the small remaining section of an extensive military wall that was built in the 1600’s. Veracruz also has beaches, archaeological ruins, rivers, and forests which make it a good ecotourism option. Veracruz is a coastal state, and the staple here is seafood and fish, and perhaps the best known dish from the state is the exquisite huachinango a la veracruzana, which is a whole grilled red snapper bathed in a spicy tomato sauce flavored with capers, garlic and olive oil. Another superb dish from the region is the arroz a la tumbada, which is a concoction of white rice, shrimp, octopus, clams, fish filets and crabs flavored with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Other typical dishes from this state are the cazuelas de mariscos or mixed seafood stew, empanadas de camaron of shrimp turnovers, and ceviche which is a dish of fish marinated in lime juice. Also relished are pato a la veracruzana which is a delicious duck preparation, and estofado de pollo or chicken stew. One simple and utterly delicious botana or snack available in virtually every street corner in Veracruz are the picaditas veracruzanas, which are a mouth watering treat of masa cakes topped with Veracruz style frijoles negros or black beans and salsa. A wonderful cocktail served here is the toro, which is made by combining evaporated milk and fruit puree with white rum. For dessert, one could enjoy a dulce de pepita de calabaza, a pumpkin seed candy, or an empanada de guayaba, which are guava turnovers, or a panque a la naranja, which is a refreshing orange cake.
