CULINARY THUMBNAIL

Here are three characteristics of this state's cuisine:

1. expert beef preparation associated with its arid-inland ranching
2. much processed food and articles made of wheat flour instead of cornmeal because of its proximity to the USA
3. Mennonite settlements providing good cheese

TRADITIONAL DISHES TO LOOK FOR

• T-bone and Sirloin -- but pronounced differently
• Cabrito al pastor -- roasted goat
• Burritas -- wheat-flour tortillas wrapped around various fillings such as machaca (macerated dried beef), ham and cheese
• Sopaipilla -- to the masa used for making tortillas a bit of baking powder is added. The tortilla is then made, cut into four parts, and fried. This can be eaten with the meal or it can be smothered in "brown-sugar molasses" (melaza de piloncillo) and served as a dessert

SPECIAL CHEESES

• Menonita or Chihuahua -- cheese traditionally produced by the Mennonites
• Asadero -- mainly in Villa Ahumada, a cheese traditionally eaten with Chihuahua's exceptionally large, thin, wheat-flour tortillas

TRADITIONAL ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

• Tesgüino, called by the Tarahumara Batari or Sugiki -- traditionally, grains of corn (maize) are spread over a bed of pine needles, covered with pine boughs and kept moist until they germinate. The sprouts are then ground up and boiled, strained, and the liquid is allowed to ferment in large pots. A certain grass is added to accelerate the fermentation process, which takes only one or two days. The result looks like a thick, milky liquid and has a somewhat bitter taste.

Information on this page based on material presented in Gastronomía: Atlas cultural de México, 1988, an extensive and well illustrated work by various authors, published by the Secretaría del Educación Pública, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City.