State of Mexico cuisine: barbacoa, green chorizo and the central altiplano

What is it?

State of Mexico cuisine is the gastronomic tradition of the State of Mexico, on the central altiplano that surrounds Mexico City, and combines Matlatzinca, Otomi, Mazahua, Nahua and Spanish heritage with products from the Toluca Valley, the Anahuac lakes and the volcanoes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Its emblematic dishes are Capulhuac barbacoa (the national barbacoa capital), Toluca green chorizo (with tomatillo, coriander and poblano chilli), Toluca plaza tacos, Lerma 'mosquitos' (small fried fish), the caldo de oso of Tenancingo, Taxco-Mexico pink mole, the pulques of the shared Apan valley, State of Mexico tamales, mixiote and Toluca sweets such as garbanzas and bunuelos. It is one of the most diverse regional cuisines in Mexico because it covers everything from the Lerma basin to the peaks of the Nevado de Toluca.

Origin and history

State of Mexico cuisine inherits from the Matlatzinca peoples (Toluca Valley), Otomis (north and sierra), Mazahuas (east) and Nahuas (south), who dominated the altiplano before the Spanish arrival. The region fed the Mexica empire with valley products: maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, Lerma fish and migratory ducks. The Lerma lagoons, today partially drained, were a lacustrine fishing ecosystem with axolotls, charales, frogs and ducks. The Spanish conquest in 1521 introduced pig, sheep and goat, the drivers of the later barbacoa. The founding of Toluca de Lerdo in 1530 organised the trade of the valley. Capulhuac, a town near Tianguistenco, has been since the 17th century a centre of mutton barbacoa production in an earth pit wrapped in maguey leaves; today it is a national emblem, according to Larousse Cocina. Toluca green chorizo, a State of Mexico creation of the 19th-20th centuries, is attributed to the town of Capultitlan: pork chorizo with tomatillo, coriander, poblano chilli, almonds and spices, unique in Mexico. Mexico Desconocido documents that Toluca plaza tacos (steamed sweated tacos) were born in itinerant markets. The Lerma basin was one of the great pre-Hispanic pantries, now in clear decline due to industrial drainage.

Characteristic ingredients

Capulhuac State of Mexico barbacoa is the most famous in the country alongside that of Hidalgo: whole mutton seasoned with chile ancho, guajillo and pasilla, wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked in an earth pit with mesquite wood for 8 to 10 hours. It is served with consomme (the cooking broth), tortillas, salsa borracha (chile pasilla with pulque), onion, coriander and lime. Toluca green chorizo contains minced pork, tomatillo, coriander, poblano chilli, serrano chilli, almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, vinegar and garlic, stuffed in natural casing and air-dried. The caldo de oso of Tenancingo is a spicy broth with vegetables and meat, no bear (a folkloric name). Plaza tacos are steamed tacos sweated in a reed basket with lard, filled with potato, chicharron in green sauce, green mole, dark mole or refried beans; classics of the Toluca plaza. Lerma 'mosquitos' are small fried whole fish as a snack, today endangered by river pollution. The most used chillies are ancho, guajillo, pasilla, mulato and poblano. Pulque from the shared Apan valley is consumed daily. Romeritos in mole, Metepec tortas and Toluca sweets (lemons stuffed with coconut, garbanzas, bunuelos) complete the regional recipe book.

Cultural significance

State of Mexico cuisine is one of the most deeply rooted in central Mexico, part of the UNESCO inscription of traditional Mexican cuisine in 2010. Capulhuac, known as the national capital of barbacoa, celebrates the Barbacoa Fair every year, where tonnes of the dish are prepared and master barbacoyeros are recognised. Sunday barbacoa is an urban ritual of central Mexico: thousands of people in Mexico City, Toluca and municipalities of the state eat barbacoa on Sundays as a deeply rooted family tradition. Toluca is the national capital of chorizo (green and red) and cured meats. The Candelaria festival in Tlaxcala-State of Mexico and the celebrations of magical towns such as Metepec, Valle de Bravo, Malinalco and El Oro include traditional food. Metepec produces the famous Tree of Life in ceramic, a cultural icon. The Mazahua and Otomi cuisine of the north of the state preserves pre-Hispanic traditions. The state government promotes routes such as the Pulque Route and the Mole Route. The Nevado de Toluca (Xinantecatl), an inactive volcano, is a natural setting complementing the cultural-gastronomic offer.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Capulhuac the capital of barbacoa?

Capulhuac, in the State of Mexico near Tianguistenco, specialised in mutton barbacoa production in an earth pit wrapped in maguey leaves from the 17th century. Today, more than 80% of professional barbacoyeros in central Mexico originate from or are trained in Capulhuac. The town supplies barbacoa to Mexico City, Toluca and nearby municipalities every weekend. Its technique has been maintained almost without change since the colonial period.

What is Toluca green chorizo?

It is a chorizo unique in Mexico produced in Toluca and Capultitlan, State of Mexico. It contains minced pork, tomatillo (which gives it the green colour), coriander, poblano chilli, serrano chilli, toasted almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, vinegar and garlic, stuffed in natural casing and air-dried. It has a unique sweet-sour-herbal flavour, different from traditional red chorizo. It is a typical breakfast dish with egg, cheese and tortillas.

What does State of Mexico cuisine taste like?

It has diverse altiplano flavours: barbacoa smoked with maguey and deep consomme, green chorizo herbal and sweet, mineral dark mole, lacustrine fish and ducks with marine-lacustrine notes, salsa borracha with pulque and chile pasilla. It is peasant cuisine of the valley with products from Lake Lerma (on a smaller scale today), the forest and the volcanic peaks; less spicy but very aromatic.

Where does State of Mexico cuisine come from?

It originates from the State of Mexico, on the central Mexican altiplano surrounding Mexico City. Its roots are Matlatzinca, Otomi, Mazahua and Nahua, with a strong Spanish colonial imprint from 1521. Toluca (1530) was the commercial centre of the valley, and Capulhuac (17th century) the cradle of mutton barbacoa in a pit. The lacustrine cuisines of the Lerma and those of the altiplano gave a unique regional diversity.