Tamaulipas cuisine: what it is and typical dishes to try

What is it?

Tamaulipas cuisine is the culinary tradition of the state of Tamaulipas, on Mexico's north-eastern border with the United States along the Gulf of Mexico. It is a dual cuisine that combines the cattle ranching of the semi-arid north with the seafood of the coast, giving dishes such as carne asada a la tampiqueña (an iconic creation of a Mexico City restaurant in 1939 inspired by Tampico), Tampico stuffed crab, crab crackling, Victoria gorditas, Tampico enchiladas, mochomos (shredded, browned meat), Victoria flautas and northern flour tortillas with frijoles charros. It is eaten daily in Tampico, Ciudad Victoria, Matamoros and Reynosa, with a strong Tex-Mex influence in the border area and a Huastec heritage in the south of the state.

Origin and history

Tamaulipas cuisine inherits from the Huastec peoples of the south of the state (ancestral cultivators of maize and zacahuil), from the Pames and Huachichiles of the centre, and from the influence of colonial cattle ranching on the haciendas of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The founding of Nuevo Santander by José de Escandón in 1748 (with towns such as San Carlos, Santander, Burgos, Camargo, Reynosa, Mier and Matamoros) organised the territory around cattle raising. Tampico, founded in 1823 on the remains of ancient Pánuco, became one of the Gulf's principal oil and fishing ports from the late nineteenth century. Tampico stuffed crab is a local heritage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Carne asada a la tampiqueña was in fact created by José Inés Loredo at his Tampico Club restaurant in Mexico City in 1939 (not in Tampico), according to Larousse Cocina, inspired by the Huastec coastal tradition; it consists of grilled cecina or steak served with a mole enchilada, refried beans, guacamole and chilli strips. Mochomos and machaca are traditional of the north of the state. The border with Texas and constant migration have generated a strong Tex-Mex fusion with burritos, fajitas and chimichangas.

Characteristic ingredients

Beef is the star in grilled cuts, cecina, mochomos (shredded meat browned with onion and chilli) and machaca with egg. Pork appears in crackling, frijoles charros, roasts and carnitas. The most-used chillies are ancho, guajillo, chipotle and chiltepín (wild in the Tamaulipas sierra). The Huastec cooking of the south stands out for zacahuil (a giant tamal up to a metre long wrapped in banana leaf with pork or chicken in guajillo chilli), Huastec enchiladas, bocoles (small gorditas) and Huastec pasilla chilli. Tampico's blue crabs are the base of stuffed crab (with tomato, olives, capers and raisins), crisp crab crackling, crab tamales and consommé. Gulf prawns, Tampico oysters and fish such as sea bass and red snapper are eaten fresh. Victoria gorditas are fried in lard and filled. The piloncillo of the Huasteca produces alegrías, candied squash and typical sweets. Beer and sotol are northern drinks, along with the cane spirit of the Huasteca.

Cultural significance

Tamaulipas cuisine is an identity of the north-eastern border and of the Huasteca. Carne asada a la tampiqueña is one of the most internationally imitated Mexican dishes, present on menus from Madrid to Tokyo under the name 'Tampiqueña'. Tampico, a historic port city, sustains a vibrant cuisine of crab, oysters and fish that attracts culinary tourism. Festivities such as the Tampico Carnival (one of the most important on the Gulf), the festivals of the Pueblo Mágico of Mier and the Huastec celebrations in Tampico Alto, Tantoyuca and Tempoal feature traditional food as a cultural axis. The Tamaulipas Huasteca preserves the pre-Hispanic zacahuil, declared cultural heritage by the state government. Extensive ranching sustains the rural economy of the centre and north of the state. The Tex-Mex cooking of the border (burritos, fajitas, chimichangas, queso fundido) has roots in Tamaulipas and became popular in Texas with migration. Historic restaurants such as Loredo in Tampico and Mexico City preserve the original tampiqueña recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Is carne asada a la tampiqueña really from Tampico?

Not exactly. Although it bears the name of Tampico, it was created by José Inés Loredo at his Tampico Club restaurant in Mexico City in 1939, inspired by the Huastec-coastal tradition of grilled cecina. Today it is an emblematic dish of Tamaulipas and of all Mexican cooking, served with a mole enchilada, refried beans, guacamole and poblano chilli strips.

What are mochomos?

It is a dish of northern Tamaulipas and Chihuahua: beef is cooked, finely shredded and then browned in lard with onion, garlic and red or ancho chilli until crisp and dry. It is served in flour tacos with guacamole, refried beans and salsa. The name comes from the mochoma ants, comparing the granular texture of the meat with those ants.

What does Tamaulipas cuisine taste like?

It has the robust flavours of the north (grilled beef, lard, ancho chilli) combined with fresh coastal notes (crab, lime, tomato, coriander) and Huastec heritage (pasilla chilli, maize, pork in zacahuil). The border adds queso fundido, cumin and flour tortillas. It is an abundant, hearty and diverse cuisine owing to the mix of the state's landscapes.

Where does Tamaulipas cuisine come from?

It originates in the state of Tamaulipas, on Mexico's north-eastern border with Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. It combines Huastec heritage (south of the state), the ranching tradition of Nuevo Santander founded by José de Escandón in 1748 (centre-north), the fishing of Tampico (created in 1823) and the Tex-Mex fusion of the border with Texas, especially in Matamoros and Reynosa.