Zacatecas cuisine: what it is and its typical dishes

What is it?

Zacatecas cuisine is the culinary tradition of the state of Zacatecas, in the northern Mexican highlands, marked by mining heritage, ranching and the historic crossroads between the centre and the north of the country. Its emblematic dishes are Jerez asado de boda (pork in a sauce of dried chillies and chocolate), Zacatecas beef birria, oven-baked Zacatecas gorditas, the region's red and green tamales, adobera cheese, ranch bread, Zacatecas enchiladas, romeritos and adobada meat. Zacatecas, a colonial city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993, preserves a mestizo culinary tradition that combines Caxcan, Tepehuan and Huachichil roots with the Hispanic heritage of the richest silver mines in New Spain. It is eaten at family celebrations and religious festivities, especially weddings and baptisms where asado is a must.

Origin and history

Zacatecas cuisine inherits from the Caxcan, Tepehuan, Huachichil and Zacateco peoples, Chichimec groups who resisted the conquest during the Chichimec War (1550-1590). The discovery of the silver mines by Juan de Tolosa in 1546 gave rise to the city of Zacatecas, which became one of the richest in the Americas. Its mines supplied a fifth of the world's silver for 300 years. The founding of mining and ranching haciendas across the Zacatecas highlands introduced cattle, goats and pigs, as well as European products such as wheat, the vine, garlic, onion and spices. Jerez asado de boda was born in Jerez de García Salinas, according to Larousse Cocina, as a colonial festive dish of the haciendas; it consists of pork cooked in a sauce of ancho and guajillo chillies, orange, chocolate, vinegar and sweet spices, a Baroque heritage. The mezcal of the Zacatecas highlands (Sombrerete, Pinos) has a tradition of more than 300 years. México Desconocido documents the adobera cheese of Río Grande and ranch cheese as a ranching heritage. The city of Zacatecas became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 for its colonial historical value. Zacatecan migration to the United States since the 1940s has taken asado de boda and birria to California, Texas and Illinois.

Characteristic ingredients

Jerez asado de boda is the emblematic dish: pork cooked in a strained sauce of ancho and guajillo chilli, garlic, orange juice, apple-cider vinegar, bay leaves, clove, cinnamon and a touch of dark chocolate. It has a sweet-and-sour, spicy flavour and is served with white rice and tortillas. Zacatecas birria is made with beef (not goat like in Jalisco) marinated with ancho and guajillo chillies, cumin and oregano, cooked in a pot with vegetables, served on a plate with consommé and lime. Oven-baked Zacatecas gorditas differ from those of the Bajío: they are baked, not fried, crisp on the outside, layered like puff pastry, slightly sweet, and eaten plain or with cheese. The most-used chillies are ancho, guajillo, pasilla and cascabel (rumeño) chilli. Adobera or ranch cheese, pressed in square moulds, is a semi-aged cow's milk cheese. Ranch bread is semi-sweet, round and sold in markets. Zacatecas romeritos in pipián are an eighteenth-century convent heritage. The mezcal of Pinos and Sombrerete accompanies roasts. Milk sweets, puchas (sweet bread) and prickly-pear cheese are regional delicacies. Wine is produced in small family wineries near Fresnillo and Ojocaliente.

Cultural significance

Zacatecas cuisine is an identity of one of the states with the most migrants in the United States (especially Chicago, where Zacatecas has almost half a million compatriots). Zacatecas asado de boda is the festive dish par excellence: no traditional Zacatecan wedding, baptism or quinceañera is considered complete without it. It is part of the UNESCO dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010. Zacatecas, a UNESCO World Heritage city since 1993, attracts significant culinary tourism: restaurants such as Acrópolis and Quinta Real Zacatecas preserve traditional recipes in an impressive colonial setting. The Zacatecas International Folklore Festival, held every August, includes gastronomy as a cultural axis. Traditional festivals such as the Morismas de Bracho (the epic battle with thousands of participants) and the festivities of the Virgen del Patrocinio include traditional foods. Mass migration to the United States has taken asado de boda, beef birria and adobera cheese to the Latino shops and restaurants of Chicago, Aurora and Joliet, where 'Zacatecas in Illinois' is a demographic reality.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Zacatecas and northern asado de boda?

Zacatecas asado de boda (from Jerez) is pork cooked in a strained sauce of ancho and guajillo chillies with orange, vinegar, chocolate, clove and cinnamon; a sweet-and-sour, spiced flavour. Nuevo León asado de boda is similar but with almonds and prune. Both are festive wedding dishes; the Zacatecas one is darker and sweeter, the Nuevo León one thicker and with nuts and dried fruit.

Why is Zacatecas birria made with beef and not goat?

In Jalisco, the birthplace of birria, goat was originally used because it was abundant as livestock introduced in the sixteenth century. In Zacatecas, cattle ranching was more important owing to the large highland areas given over to mining-ranching haciendas. That is why Zacatecas birria evolved with beef and is the direct forerunner of the Tijuana-style beef birria popularised globally.

What does Zacatecas cuisine taste like?

It has the Baroque flavours of the colonial highlands: deep dried chillies (ancho, guajillo), dark chocolate, sweet spices (cinnamon, clove), vinegar, fresh cheese and lard. Asado de boda combines sweetness, acidity and heat in a single sauce. Zacatecas birria is subtler than the Jalisco version because it uses beef. The mezcal of Pinos adds smoke to festive dinners. It is a hearty, festive cuisine.

Where does Zacatecas cuisine come from?

It originates in the state of Zacatecas, in the northern Mexican highlands. It combines Caxcan, Tepehuan, Huachichil and Zacateco heritages (Chichimec groups) with the Spanish colonial tradition of the silver mines discovered in 1546 and the later consolidation of mining and ranching haciendas. Jerez de García Salinas is the birthplace of asado de boda, the state's emblematic festive dish.