Chiapan cuisine: tamales, cocido and Zoque-Maya heritage

What is it?

Chiapan cuisine is the gastronomic tradition of the state of Chiapas, on the southern border of Mexico, and is characterised by its exceptional biodiversity and the strong heritage of Maya peoples (Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Chol, Tojolabal, Mam, Lacandón) and Zoque. It combines jungle, sierra, Pacific coast and highlands to produce a diverse cuisine with dishes such as oven-baked Chiapan cochito, chipilín tamales, butifarra, white and cacao pozol, tasajo with pickled onion, cocido or beef broth, San Cristóbal bread soup and ne galán. Chiapan cacao has a long history and is the base of drinks such as tascalate and pozol. It is consumed daily in markets such as that of San Cristóbal de las Casas and Comitán, reaching its splendour in religious festivals such as those of San Sebastián in Chiapa de Corzo and Holy Week in the Tzotzil highlands.

Origin and history

Chiapan cuisine has deep roots in the Maya (Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilán) and Zoque civilisations, age-old farmers of maize, cacao, bean and cucurbits. Chiapan cacao was a sacred product and currency in Mesoamerica, cultivated in Pichucalco and the Soconusco region for more than 3,000 years. The arrival of the Spanish from Guatemala in 1524 introduced cattle and pigs, spices and European baking. The region was part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala until 1824, when it was annexed to Mexico; this is why it shares many features with Guatemalan cuisine: strained tamales, recados and butifarras. Chiapa de Corzo, founded in 1528, is the traditional Zoque culinary heart and where the famous cocido or Chiapan cocido is prepared, according to Larousse Cocina. Soconusco coffee, cultivated since the 19th century on the slopes of Tacaná, obtained denomination of origin and is one of the finest in Mexico. San Cristóbal de las Casas, an old colonial centre, preserves bread soup, a Franciscan dish from the 16th century, and pan compuesto, a monastic tradition.

Characteristic ingredients

Chiapan maize is consumed in very varied tamales: of chipilín (a very green and aromatic leaf), of ball (with dough ground with chillies), tabacos (of tender elote and sweet chilli), of cambray, of mole. Pozol is an ancestral drink of maize dough whisked with water, cold or hot, alone or with cacao; Soconusco cacao produces one of the finest chocolates. The Chiapan butifarra, an adapted Catalan legacy, is a cured and dried pork sausage, similar to longaniza but milder. The oven-baked cochito is suckling pig marinated with chiles ancho, guajillo and spices, baked in clay ovens. San Cristóbal bread soup carries sliced bread, chicken broth flavoured with clove, cinnamon and saffron, vegetables and raisins. Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata) is an endemic legume also used in soups and rice dishes. The double-cream cheese, fresh and semi-soft, is made in Pijijiapan. The salt of Ixtapa, from Pacific marshes, gives regional seasoning. Plantain appears in mogo-mogo and stews.

Cultural significance

Chiapan cuisine is a living heritage of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO in 2010, with emphasis on Maya traditions. The Grand Festivities of Chiapa de Corzo (15-23 January), declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, include the Chiapan cocido or pucherito, dancing parachicos and food offered to saints. Holy Week in San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán is one of the most intense in the country, with rituals that combine Catholicism and Maya religiosity, accompanied by chicha (fermented drink) and beef broth. Soconusco coffee competes with the great world origins and sustains indigenous economies in producing regions. Chiapan cacao and chocolate project the state as a slow-food destination. San Cristóbal de las Casas is a Magical Town and a gastronomic reference with restaurants such as Tierra y Cielo that rescue traditional recipes. Chiapan cuisine also sustains community economies of indigenous women through cooperatives of coffee, cacao, melipona honey and culinary craft.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chiapan pozol?

It is an ancestral Maya and Zoque drink made with nixtamalised maize dough whisked with water, served cold and refreshing. White pozol is only dough, water and salt; cacao pozol incorporates ground cacao and sugar, giving a very nutritious frothy drink. It is an everyday drink of Chiapas and Tabasco that replaces breakfast or a light meal in hot climates.

What is the difference between cochito and cochinita pibil?

Both are marinated pork, but Chiapan cochito is baked in a clay oven after being marinated with chiles ancho, guajillo, garlic, cumin and vinegar; it ends up browned on the outside. Yucatecan cochinita pibil is buried in a pib (underground oven) wrapped in banana leaf with achiote, sour orange and red recado; it ends up juicy, shredded and citric. Different cuisines that share colonial origin.

What does Chiapan cuisine taste like?

It has fresh, aromatic and herbal flavours, dominated by chipilín, native coriander, hoja santa and achiote. Cacao provides noble bitterness; Soconusco coffee fine fruity notes. It is less spicy than central cuisine but more spiced, with Central American notes such as cumin, cinnamon and clove in moles and butifarras.

Where does Chiapan cuisine originate from?

It originates from the state of Chiapas, on the southern border of Mexico with Guatemala. Its roots are Maya (Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Chol, Lacandón) and Zoque, with more than 3,000 years of tradition. It was part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala until 1824, which explains its similarities with Guatemalan cuisine, especially in tamales, recados and butifarras.