Calabaza en tacha sweet: recipe for the Day of the Dead

What is it?

The squash sweet in tacha (also called simply 'calabaza en tacha' or 'calabaza enmielada') is a traditional Mexican pudding prepared with Castilla squash cut into large pieces with the skin and seeds, slowly cooked in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon, aniseed and, in some variants, orange leaves, until the flesh softens and absorbs the sweet syrup until caramelised. It has a soft and moist texture, an intense orange-brown colour from the piloncillo, and a deep flavour of sweet squash with notes of molasses, cinnamon and spices. It is one of the most identifying puddings of the Mexican Day of the Dead (1 and 2 November), forming an essential part of family and community offerings alongside pan de muerto, atoles and the rest of the ritual preparations. It is also eaten throughout the autumn-winter season (October to February) when Castilla squash is at its peak harvest in central Mexico. The 'tacha' of the name refers to the copper or large pan in which the squash was traditionally cooked with piloncillo on sugar haciendas.

Origin and history

The squash sweet in tacha has a New Spanish colonial origin, arising in the sugar haciendas of central Mexico during the 17th and 18th centuries. The word 'tacha' (also 'taza' or trapiche copper) derives from the piloncillo production process: in sugar haciendas, sugarcane was pressed in trapiches, the juice was cooked in large copper pans called 'tachas' or 'tachos' until concentrated and made into piloncillo. Hacienda cooks took advantage of these tachas with concentrated syrup to cook pieces of Castilla squash, abundant in the fields. The technique quickly became popular beyond the haciendas, integrating into convent and popular kitchens. The Castilla squash (Cucurbita maxima), a variety introduced by the Spanish to New Spain alongside other European squashes, found ideal cultivation in the Mexican central altiplano and was added to native Mesoamerican squashes. Larousse Cocina identifies the squash sweet in tacha as one of the most representative traditional puddings of the Mexican Day of the Dead. Sahagun documented the pre-Hispanic consumption of native Mexican squashes, the basis on which the colonial sweet-making tradition developed.

Characteristic ingredients

The essential ingredients are: ripe Castilla squash (Cucurbita maxima), piloncillo cones, cinnamon sticks, water and, optionally, star anise, orange leaves, clove or orange peel. Some regional variants add whole tejocotes, peeled cane in pieces or guavas. The usual proportion is one and a half kilos of squash to six hundred grams of piloncillo, two cinnamon sticks and one litre of water. The traditional preparation consists of cutting the squash into large pieces (eighths or quarters) with skin and leaving the seeds (the skin helps maintain the shape and the seeds provide flavour); arranging them in a large pot with grated piloncillo, cinnamon and spices on top; adding water without completely covering the pieces. It is cooked over a low heat for one to two hours, without stirring (only occasionally basting with the syrup using a spoon), until the squash softens completely and the syrup is reduced to a thick honey. The long cooking is key for the flesh to absorb all the flavours. It is served warm in a deep dish with a generous amount of its own syrup on top. Classic accompaniments: cold milk at room temperature served separately to pour over the squash (the cold-warm and sweet-dairy contrast is central to the experience); pan de muerto; coffee from the pot; champurrado atole.

Cultural significance

The squash sweet in tacha is one of the deepest gastronomic symbols of the Mexican Day of the Dead. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, identifies Day of the Dead and its culinary expressions among the most representative cultural manifestations of Mexican intangible heritage. Day of the Dead itself has been declared UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2008, one of the few festivities recognised in this category worldwide. Calabaza en tacha forms an indispensable part of family and community offerings (altars) during 1 and 2 November, symbolising the abundance of the autumn harvest offered to the souls of the departed. Castilla squash is one of the most important fruit and vegetable products in central Mexico: Sinaloa, Sonora, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Morelos are the main producers according to Sader data. Its consumption during the autumn-winter season sustains the rural peasant economy, especially small family producers. The Mexican piloncillo industry, concentrated in Veracruz, San Luis Potosi, Morelos and Jalisco, also benefits from the winter consumption of calabaza en tacha and other traditional seasonal sweets.

Frequently asked questions

What does the squash sweet taste like?

It tastes deeply of cooked squash sweetened with piloncillo, generating an intense profile of molasses with warm notes of cinnamon and spices. The texture combines the softness of the cooked flesh with the honey-like quality of the syrup that bathes it. The contrast with cold milk on the side (a traditional accompaniment) creates a complex experience: warm caramelised sweetness with cold dairy freshness. It is one of the most comforting Mexican puddings, associated with family memories and Day of the Dead festivities.

Why is it called 'en tacha'?

'Tacha' refers to the large copper pan used in colonial sugar haciendas to cook and concentrate the cane juice until it became piloncillo. The process, called 'making in tacha' or 'cooking in tacha', involved long hours of slow cooking over fire, exactly the technique that was applied when cooking squash with piloncillo in these same hacienda facilities. The name remains although today it is prepared in common pots, preserving the memory of the colonial hacienda origin.

When is it traditionally eaten?

It is mainly consumed during the Day of the Dead (1 and 2 November) as an essential offering on family and community altars. Also throughout the autumn-winter season (October to February), when Castilla squash is in harvest. It is a frequent winter Sunday family dinner pudding, at celebrations of the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (12 December) and at Christmas festivities. Its warm and comforting nature connects it with the cold Mexican seasons.

What type of squash should be used?

Castilla squash (Cucurbita maxima) is traditionally used, a variety introduced by the Spanish, which has firm, sweet flesh of intense orange colour. Castilla squash can weigh between five and thirty kilos per piece, with very thick dark green or orange skin. Courgettes, butternut or Halloween pumpkins should not be used, as they have less sweet and overly watery flesh. Failing that, Halloween pumpkin may serve but yields a less authentic result than Mexican Castilla squash.