The typical food of Morelia stands out for recipes and dishes such as the michoacan carnitas, corundas, uchepos or chongos zamoranos. The gastronomy of Morelia is one of the most recognized in Mexico, most of the typical dishes of that region are the result of the combination of Purepecha cuisine with European.
The options found in this state range from varieties of tamales, meats, to desserts and drinks. There are towns within Michoacán that specialize in private meals.
Morelia downtown street
For example, Queréndaro is famous for its chili peppers, Cotija for its cheeses, Zamora for its sweets, Uruapan for its breads and avocados, Jiquilpan for its birotes, among others.
In 2010, UNESCO included the food of Michoacán, the capital of Morelia, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Typical dishes of Morelia
Michoacan carnitas
Carnitas are large pieces of pork, fried in lard. To serve, they are cut into small pieces or finely chopped to fill a tortilla and make a taco.
Some of the municipalities most recognized for the production of carnitas are: Tacámbaro, Pátzcuaro, La Piedad, Morelia, Uruapan, and Zitácuaro. Although, the most famous are from Quiroga and Huandacareo
In March 2017, the State Secretariat for Economic Development launched a call to register the Collective Trademark of Michoacán-style carnitas before the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.
Corundas
Its name comes from k'urhaunda, a purépecha word that means tamale. The dough is made with nixtamalized corn, that is, cooked with water and lime.
In addition, they are usually eaten with cheese, cream, hot sauces, or pork. Unlike other varieties of tamale, corundas are wrapped in corn husks, not corn, and in a triangular shape.
There is a Festival of the Enchilada and the Corunda, which is celebrated during the month of October, in Morelia.
Uchepos
The uchepos are another type of tamale, they are typical of the hot land area. As opposed to corundas, they are made with young corn, and can be sweet or savory.
Usually, they are accompanied by milk, atole and the salty ones can have sauces.
Chongos zamoranos
The origin of this dessert was in the city of Zamora de Hidalgo, north of Michoacán. There are different versions of its emergence.
One of them points out that it was created during the Mexican revolution, to welcome the former president of Mexico, Álvaro Obregón. According to another, a peasant added sugar to the milk that had curdled at home, due to overproduction, and thus got this sweet to be born.
Traditionally, the recipe includes curdled milk and sugar, however, over the years other variants have been created. For example, you can add liquor or cheese, in the same way, some mix it with vanilla and cinnamon.
References
- Excelsior, “Traditions: And for dessert… some chongos from Zamorano” (2017)
- UNESCO, "The gastronomic tradition of Michoacán traditional Mexican cuisine, community, ancestral and living culture - The paradigm of Michoacán" (2010)
- Aristegui Noticias, “Corundas, a food offered by Michoacan destinations” (2016)
- P'urhépecha gastronomic culture as a great tourist asset in Michoacán, Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural (2011).