Chiapas cuisine: what it is and its Maya heritage dishes

What is it?

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

Origin and history

Chiapas cuisine has deep roots in the Maya (Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilán) and Zoque civilisations, millennia-old farmers of maize, cacao, bean and cucurbits. Chiapas 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; that is why it shares many features with Guatemalan cooking: strained tamales, recados and butifarras. Chiapa de Corzo, founded in 1528, is the traditional Zoque culinary heart and where the famous cocido or Chiapas cocido is prepared, according to Larousse Cocina. Soconusco coffee, cultivated since the nineteenth century on the slopes of the Tacaná, obtained a designation of origin and is one of the finest in Mexico. San Cristóbal de las Casas, an old colonial centre, preserves the bread soup, a sixteenth-century Franciscan dish, and the pan compuesto, a monastic tradition.

Characteristic ingredients

Chiapas maize is consumed in very varied tamales: of chipilín (a very green and aromatic leaf), de bola (with masa ground with chillies), tabacos (of tender maize and sweet chilli), de cambray, de mole. Pozol is an ancestral drink of maize masa whisked with water, cold or hot, plain or with cacao; Soconusco cacao produces one of the finest chocolates. Chiapas butifarra, an adapted Catalan legacy, is a cured and dried pork sausage, similar to longaniza but milder. Cochito al horno is a suckling pig marinated with ancho and guajillo chillies and spices, baked in clay ovens. The 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. Double-cream cheese, fresh and semi-soft, is made in Pijijiapan. The salt of Ixtapa, from the Pacific marshes, gives a regional seasoning. Plantain appears in mogo-mogo and stews.

Cultural significance

Chiapas cuisine is living heritage of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO in 2010, with an emphasis on Maya traditions. The great festivities of Chiapa de Corzo (15-23 January), declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, include the Chiapas 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 (a fermented drink) and beef broth. Soconusco coffee competes with the great world origins and sustains indigenous economies in producing regions. Chiapas 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 revive traditional recipes. Chiapas cuisine also sustains community economies of indigenous women through cooperatives of coffee, cacao, melipona honey and culinary crafts.

Frequently asked questions