When you hear about Mexico, what do you think about?

When you hear about Mexico, what do you think about?  Cancun? Cabo? For those of you that are a bit more adventurous you probably think of Guanajuato or Oaxaca.  But I’m sure you don’t think about the state of Hidalgo.  Hidalgo is my home state where I lived until I was 10 years old.  I want to share some of the rich culinary and cultural treasures from Hidalgo, Mexico.

The name of the state comes from the priest that led the Mexican independence from Spain.  But before the Spanish conquest, Hidalgo already had advance ancient civilizations such as the Toltec in Tula.  Today, Hidalgo still has one of the largest populations of indigenous people in central Mexico.

Some of the today’s favorite Hidalguense food and drinks date back to ancient times such as the Barbacoa, a whole sheep which is slowly cooked in a hole dug in the ground and cover with agave leaves. This is the most famous dish that came out of Hidalgo.  It’s a common dish for special events such as quinceaneras and weddings.  The tender meat is eaten with a spicy salsa, cured onions, cilantro and fresh tortillas made with black corn. The barbacoa usually is complemented with a pitcher of fruit-flavored pulque, a fermented agave drink which was first drank by the pre-Hispanic people of Mexico and which inspired the making of tequila.  One cannot forget the succulent tlacoyos, which are made with masa and potatoes and smothered in a spicy tomatillos salsa and cover with cheese, onions and radish. This is by far my favorite dish from Hidalgo and it brings me memories of when I was a child in Mexico and my grandmother used to make the best tlacoyos right out of the comal.  In the Pachuca area, which is the capital of the state, miners have enjoyed “pastes” for centuries.  This is an empanada-like pastry which is stuff with different condiments. The pasties were introduced to the Hidalgo mines by the Cornish people of England centuries ago and have been added to the Hidalguense diet.  Although, we don’t offer some of these items at Zocalo (yet), we still have some of the Hidalguense flavor in our food through two of our kitchen staff members:  Jane Garcia and Ignacio Larrieta whom both have been with us since day one!

Although, you probably will still vacation in Cancun or Cabo, hopefully next time you hear of Hidalgo at least you will think of good food!