San Luis Potosí cuisine: what it is and typical dishes

What is it?

San Luis Potosí cuisine is the culinary tradition of the state of San Luis Potosí, in central-northern Mexico, one of the most diverse in the country as it brings together four culturally distinct regions: the Huasteca (east), the Middle Zone, the Central Zone and the Altiplano (west). Its emblematic dishes are enchiladas potosinas (with dough coloured by ancho chilli), Huastec zacahuil (a giant tamal up to a metre long), Potosí asado de boda, pemoles (lard biscuits), Potosí fiambre, oven-baked gorditas, prickly-pear cheese of the highlands, bonete (an indigenous dessert), palomas (tamales without dough) and Huastec cane spirit. It is eaten daily in markets such as the Hidalgo and the Merced of the capital, and in Huastec markets such as that of Ciudad Valles and Tamazunchale. The Huastecos celebrate Xantolo (the Huastec Day of the Dead), one of the most intense culinary festivities in Mexico.

Origin and history

San Luis Potosí cuisine has roots in the Huastec (Tének) peoples of the east, the Pames of the centre, the Huachichiles of the highlands and the scattered Nahua and Otomí groups. The Huasteca potosina is one of the regions with the most living pre-Hispanic cooking in the country. The founding of San Luis Potosí in 1592 by Captain Miguel Caldera, after pacifying the Guachichil Chichimecs, gave rise to the colonial city, today with its historic centre declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 (as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro). The silver mines of Cerro de San Pedro prompted its founding. Enchiladas potosinas are a modern creation of the twentieth century: around 1948, Doña Cristina Vázquez, originally from Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, began selling at the Hidalgo market some enchiladas made with dough tinted with ancho chilli, filled with cheese and served with beans, according to Larousse Cocina and family documentation. The coloured dough allows them to be made in advance. Zacahuil is a pre-Hispanic Huastec dish that survives without major changes for more than 500 years: a giant tamal wrapped in banana leaf with coarsely ground maize dough, chino and guajillo chilli, and a whole pig or chicken. México Desconocido documents its communal preparation during Xantolo.

Characteristic ingredients

Enchiladas potosinas are unique in the country: the maize dough is mixed with cooked ancho chilli purée, giving an intense orange-red colour. They are made as small little empanadas or flat enchiladas, filled with ranch or white cheese, fried in oil or lard, and served with refried beans, avocado, lettuce, cream and cheese. Zacahuil contains stone-ground maize dough (not nixtamalised), mixed with chino chilli, cascabel chilli, garlic, cumin, salt and lard, wrapping a whole pig or chicken in banana leaf and then in maguey or palm leaves. It is cooked in a wood-fired oven for 8-12 hours. It can feed 30-50 people. Potosí asado de boda is similar to the Zacatecas one: pork in a sauce of guajillo chilli, orange, vinegar and sweet spices. Pemoles are biscuits of lard, flour, piloncillo, aniseed and cinnamon, a convent heritage. The prickly-pear cheese of the highlands (Charcas, Catorce) is a solid sweet made with concentrated prickly-pear juice, with no dairy. Palomas are 'tamales without dough': meat wrapped in maize leaf and steamed. Huastec huapangos contain thick atole with fresh cheese. Xoconostle (a sour prickly pear) and yucca flower complement Huastec ingredients.

Cultural significance

San Luis Potosí cuisine stands out for its regional diversity and its Pueblos Mágicos: Real de Catorce (highlands), Xilitla (Huasteca), Aquismón (Huasteca) are important destinations. The Huasteca potosina celebrates Xantolo from 31 October to 2 November, a syncretic funerary festivity where zacahuiles, tamales, atoles and bocoles are prepared to honour the dead; it is recognised as the intangible cultural heritage of the state. It is part of the UNESCO dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010. San Luis Potosí (the city) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010 as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. The San Luis Potosí International Festival, held annually, includes gastronomy as a cultural axis. The Tének indigenous festivities in Tamazunchale, Xilitla and Aquismón maintain pre-Hispanic culinary traditions with huehue dances, ritual food and offerings. The state government promotes the Huasteca Route and the Missions Route as culinary attractions. Pemoles, enchiladas potosinas and prickly-pear cheese are identity products with growing exports.

Frequently asked questions

What makes enchiladas potosinas special?

What is distinctive is that the maize dough is mixed with cooked ancho chilli purée before being shaped into tortillas, giving an intense orange-red colour to the tortilla. They are made small (5-7 cm), filled with ranch cheese, folded like empanadas and fried. They are served with refried beans, avocado, lettuce and cream. They are a creation of Doña Cristina Vázquez at the Hidalgo market in San Luis around 1948.

What is zacahuil and where is it from?

It is a giant pre-Hispanic tamal of the Huasteca (shared by San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Hidalgo and Tamaulipas). It measures up to a metre long, contains coarsely ground maize dough (not nixtamalised) with chino and guajillo chilli, wrapping a whole pig or chicken in banana leaf. It is cooked in a wood-fired oven for 8-12 hours and feeds 30-50 people. It is a ritual dish of Xantolo, the Huastec Day of the Dead.

What does San Luis Potosí cuisine taste like?

It varies greatly by region. Enchiladas potosinas taste of fruity ancho chilli and cheese. Zacahuil is spicy, smoky and deep from the long cooking in a wood-fired oven. Asado de boda is sweet-and-sour and spiced. Pemoles are sweet with lard and aniseed. Huastec cooking is tropical and spiced; the highland cooking is more austere and arid with prickly pears and goat's-milk cheese.

Where does San Luis Potosí cuisine come from?

It originates in the state of San Luis Potosí, in central-northern Mexico. It combines four cultural regions: the Tének Huasteca (east, pre-Hispanic), the Pame Middle Zone, the Spanish colonial Capital (founded in 1592) and the Altiplano of Real de Catorce (mining). Enchiladas potosinas are a twentieth-century creation of the capital; zacahuil is pre-Hispanic Huastec with more than 500 years of history.