Veracruz cuisine: meeting of sea, sierra and Caribbean

What is it?

Veracruz cuisine is the gastronomic tradition of the state of Veracruz, located on the Gulf of Mexico coast, and constitutes one of the most diverse and mestizo cuisines of the country. It combines indigenous Totonac, Nahua and Huastec heritage with Spanish, Afro-Caribbean and Arab contributions, fruit of five centuries of port activity since the founding of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz in 1519. Its emblematic dishes include red snapper Veracruz-style, arroz a la tumbada, chilpachole, picadas, volovanes, Huasteca gorditas, zacahuil and Veracruz moles. They are consumed daily in port markets and fondas, reaching their splendour during the Veracruz Carnival in February, the oldest in Mexico, and at the Candelaria festivities in Tlacotalpan.

Origin and history

Veracruz cuisine has its foundations in the Totonac (vanilla, chilli, tomato), Olmec (cacao), Huastec and Nahua peoples. The port of Veracruz was the first city founded by the Spanish in Mexico in 1519 and became the main gateway for trade between Europe, Asia (via the Manila Galleon) and the Americas for 300 years. This introduced olives, capers, almonds, spices, rice, plantain, coffee and sugar cane. The African slave trade in the 16th and 17th centuries brought techniques, products and rhythms that enriched the Afro-mestizo cuisine of Yanga, the first free town in the Americas. Larousse Cocina documents the red snapper Veracruz-style as a Creole creation of the 18th century that combines Mesoamerican fish with Mediterranean olives and capers. Arabica coffee arrived in Coatepec and Córdoba in the late 18th century and today Veracruz is one of the main national producers. México Desconocido also highlights the role of Tlacotalpan, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998, as guardian of traditional Jarocho cuisine.

Characteristic ingredients

Veracruz chillies include the Tlilapan chipotle (denomination of origin), the fresh jalapeño originally from Xalapa, the Chinantec chilli and the dried Veracruz chilli. Vanilla from Totonacapan has denomination of origin and is the base of desserts and drinks. Maize is consumed in picadas (small sopes with salsa), gorditas and tamales such as the Huasteca zacahuil, a giant tamale wrapped in banana leaf. Fish and seafood — red snapper, sierra, snook, crab, prawn, oysters — are stars on the coast. Meat features in Xico moles, chileatole and picadillos. Aromatic herbs such as acuyo (Veracruz hoja santa), epazote and coriander perfume broths. Plantain, brought by Africans, is used in mogo-mogo, stuffed plantains and caldo largo. Coatepec coffee accompanies breakfasts with lard-based sweet bread such as pulque bread and chamucos. Sugar cane produces piloncillo and torito aguardiente, a local drink with tropical fruits.

Cultural significance

Veracruz cuisine is one of the great pillars of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Veracruz Carnival, held since 1866, is the oldest in Mexico and brings together danzón, Jarocho music and marine cuisine as cultural axes. The Candelaria festivity in Tlacotalpan, declared World Heritage by UNESCO, gathers thousands of visitors who enjoy torito, griddle-roasted fish and mojarras. The Totonacapan region, with its Cumbre Tajín, preserves the ritual cuisine of vanilla and Totonac maize. The Afro-mestizo cuisine of Yanga and Mata Clara preserves techniques and stews of African origin that are little documented. Veracruz is the leading national producer of sugar cane, orange, Persian lime and vanilla, and Coatepec coffee competes with the best in the world. Restaurants such as Villa Rica Mocambo and La Parroquia (with its famous lechero) sustain the Jarocho gastronomic legacy.

Frequently asked questions

What does fish Veracruz-style contain?

It is a Creole sauce from the 18th century with tomato, onion, garlic, green olives, capers, long güero chillies, parsley, bay and olive oil, over a whole red snapper or other white fish. It combines Mesoamerican ingredients (tomato, chilli) with Mediterranean ones (olives, capers) and is served with white rice. It is one of the most representative mestizo dishes of Mexico.

What does Veracruz cuisine taste like?

It has fresh and coastal flavours dominated by the sea, citrus and herbs. The acuyo adds an anise note, the chipotle smoke gives depth, the olives and capers add Mediterranean saltiness, and plantain provides Caribbean sweetness. Veracruz coffee is aromatic and medium-bodied, with sweet notes typical of the humid mountains of the Cofre de Perote.

What is a Veracruz picada?

It is a typical antojito from Xalapa and central Veracruz: a small thick maize tortilla, 'pinched' at the edges, fried in lard and topped with green or red salsa, onion, fresh cheese and cream. It is served by the dozen as breakfast or a light supper. Its size is smaller than a sope and the texture is spongier.

Where does Veracruz cuisine originate from?

It originates from the state of Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico coast, where the Totonac, Nahua, Huastec, Popoluca and Olmec peoples come together with the Spanish colonisers since 1519, the African slaves freed in Yanga and the Italian and Lebanese immigrants of the 19th century. This mixture makes it one of the most complex mestizo cuisines of Mexico.