The typical foods of Chihuahua are based on abundant beef and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Among these dishes, some stand out like the discada or the red chili with dried meat.
As for fish, there are some foods prepared with those that are fished in the dams. Chihuahua is one of the Mexican states bordering the United States of America.
Its capital bears the same name, while its most populated city is Ciudad Juárez.
It is very marked by the presence of the desert, which occupies a third of the territory. For this reason, it is the one with the lowest population density in the entire country.
Typical foods of Chihuahua: featured dishes
The gastronomy of the State is marked by the abundance of bovine livestock throughout the area. Various species are raised that offer high quality meats, such as white face or Angus.
The other characteristic that has marked its dishes is the custom of drying a good part of the fruit, grain or even part of the meat harvest.
This is due to the weather conditions, with very extreme climates that made it necessary to look for ways of conservation and storage.
1- Crush
The basis of this dish, dried meat, comes from the need that the inhabitants of the area had to dry the meat to extend its conservation, eating it as it was when they needed it.
According to an oral tradition, the machaca is born when some miners, fed up with eating the meat alone, asked to vary the dish a bit. The cook drew on what she had: some chili peppers, onion, tomato, and eggs.
The dish is usually eaten as breakfast and consists of sautéing all the ingredients and, when they are ready, adding the eggs until they are done to the taste of each one.
2- Dialing
The cattle tradition is the origin of this dish. Not only because of the main ingredient, beef, but also because the container in which it is traditionally made is a plow disc to which legs are added.
It is said that it was the workers who, for spending so long in the fields, had to start cooking with what they had on hand.
Apart from the beef, the discada has pork meat, as well as chorizo, bacon and ham. As for vegetables, it includes onion, peppers and jalapeño pepper. All of them are chopped and added to the fire.
3-
The red chili with dried meat is a dish that, like others, shows the importance of beef and its preparation in the form of dried meat in the State.
The origin of this recipe, according to tradition, can be found during the Mexican Revolution, when in Ciudad Juárez an establishment began to prepare larger tortillas, to prevent the food that was wrapped from getting cold.
It is usually eaten in burritos and anaheim or guajillo chili is used. The meat is shredded and joined with some potatoes and the sauce made with the chili and garlic.
4- Bear broth
Although the gastronomy of the State is very marked by the cattle tradition, there are also some dishes made with fish, such as this bear broth.
The origin of this name seems to come from an expression used by the workers who built a dam and who, every day, had to eat the fish that was collected there.
So tired were they that they started calling it "hateful soup." After a few years, the name was shortened, until it reached the current one.
The food is prepared with catfish, making a broth that also includes ancho chili, tomato, carrot, thyme or marjoram.
5-
Not only dry meats are used in the gastronomy of Chihuahua. It was also common for fruits to undergo this process in order to extend their conservation, since the climate did not allow there to be many harvests each year.
Besides, among other sweets, the zucchini apricots with cheese stand out. To make them you need small pumpkins that are carefully emptied.
Later they are filled with the pulp, cheese, beaten egg and ground bread, all refried. Finally, put everything in the oven until ready.
References
- Chihuahua, dawns for everyone. Gastronomy. Obtained from chihuahua.gob.mx
- Chihuahua tourism. Typical Food of Chihuahua. Obtained from chihuahuamexico.com.mx
- Graber, Karen. Mexican Dried Beef with Eggs: Machaca con Huevos. Obtained by mexconnect.com
- Frommers. Food & Drink. Retrieved from frommers.com
- Chavez, Stephen. Latino Recipes For The Holidays: Machaca Con Huevos. (December 26, 2013). Retrieved from huffingtonpost.com