Calabaza en tacha: what it is and how to make it

What is it?

Candied squash in tacha (also called simply 'calabaza en tacha' or 'honeyed squash') is a traditional Mexican dessert made with Castilla squash cut into large pieces with skin and seeds, cooked slowly in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon, aniseed and, in some variants, orange leaves, until the flesh softens and absorbs the sweet syrup until it caramelises. It has a soft, 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 identity-defining desserts of the Mexican Day of the Dead (1 and 2 November), forming an essential part of family and community altars along with pan de muerto, atoles and the other 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 vat where the squash was traditionally cooked with piloncillo on sugar haciendas.

Origin and history

Candied squash in tacha has a New Spain colonial origin, arising on the sugar haciendas of central Mexico during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The word 'tacha' (also 'taza' or the copper vat of the mill) derives from the process of making piloncillo: on the sugar haciendas, the sugar cane was pressed in mills, and the juice was cooked in large copper vats called 'tachas' or 'tachos' until it concentrated and formed piloncillo. The hacienda cooks made use of these tachas with concentrated syrup to cook pieces of Castilla squash, abundant in the fields. The technique quickly spread beyond the haciendas, becoming part of convent and popular kitchens. Castilla squash (Cucurbita maxima), a variety introduced by the Spaniards to New Spain along with other European squashes, found ideal cultivation in the central Mexican highlands and joined the native Mesoamerican squashes. Larousse Cocina identifies candied squash in tacha as one of the most representative traditional desserts of the Mexican Day of the Dead. Sahagún documented the pre-Hispanic consumption of native Mexican squashes, the base on which the colonial confectionery tradition developed.

Characteristic ingredients

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

Cultural significance

Candied squash in tacha is one of the most profound gastronomic symbols of the Mexican Day of the Dead. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, identifies the Day of the Dead and its culinary expressions among the most representative cultural manifestations of Mexican intangible heritage. The Day of the Dead itself has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2008, one of the few festivities recognised in this category worldwide. Candied squash in tacha is an indispensable part of the family and community altars during 1 and 2 November, symbolising the abundance of the autumn harvest offered to the souls of the dead. Castilla squash is one of the most important horticultural products of 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 farming economy, especially of small family producers. The Mexican piloncillo industry, concentrated in Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Morelos and Jalisco, also benefits from the winter consumption of candied squash and other traditional seasonal sweets.

Frequently asked questions

What does candied squash taste like?

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

Why is it called 'en tacha'?

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

When is it traditionally eaten?

It is eaten mainly 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 dessert at Sunday winter family dinners, at celebrations of the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (12 December) and at Christmas festivities. Its warm, comforting nature connects it with the cold Mexican seasons.

What type of squash should be used?

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