Veracruz picadas: what they are and how to make them

What is it?

Veracruz picadas are one of the most typical antojitos of the state of Veracruz: small thick maize tortillas, freshly cooked on the comal, whose edges are pinched to form a raised rim that holds the salsa. Once ready, they are generously bathed in red guajillo chilli salsa, green tomatillo salsa or, in a very jarocho variant, ground black-bean salsa. They are topped with chopped onion, fresh cheese or grated dry cheese and, in some versions, shredded chicken or egg. They are the breakfast par excellence of eateries, markets and homes throughout the state, from Xalapa to the Port of Veracruz, by way of Boca del Río and the Papaloapan Basin. Their name describes the technique: they are picked or pinched with the fingers before leaving the comal.

Origin and history

Picadas belong to the long tradition of nixtamalised-masa antojitos of the southern Gulf of Mexico, where they have been prepared since pre-Hispanic times. Although there is no precise documented date of origin, the pinching technique to create an improvised container is common in Mesoamerican cuisine and is also seen in the sopes of central Mexico and the Yucatecan panuchas. The jarocho difference is that picadas are generally served bathed rather than filled, which brings them conceptually closer to enchiladas but with a thicker base. Regional recipe books of the 20th century enshrine them as a basic dish of the Veracruz breakfast, and they figure in works such as Cocina Veracruzana by Carmen Boullosa de Báez. In the jarocho popular imagination, picadas are the dish of the freshly risen: they are eaten for breakfast at an eatery with freshly served café de olla, before starting the day. Legendary establishments such as Picadas Doña Beatriz in Xalapa, or Picadas El Águila in the Port of Veracruz, have maintained the traditional recipe for decades, passing it down between generations.

Characteristic ingredients

The nixtamalised maize masa is formed into balls that are flattened into small thick tortillas, about five to seven centimetres, and briefly cooked on the comal. While still hot, the edges are pinched with the fingers to form a rim and they are passed quickly through lard or oil to seal them. The three traditional salsas are: the red, made with guajillo chilli, tomato, garlic, onion and sometimes chipotle chilli, slightly thick; the green, with tomatillo, serrano or jalapeño chilli and coriander, fresher and more acidic; and the black-bean one, typical of the centre and south of the state, made with cooked beans ground with hoja santa or avocado, smooth and deep in flavour. The cheese that crowns them can be fresh Veracruz cheese, grated dry cheese or string cheese. Finely chopped white onion is indispensable. Some picadas are enriched with shredded chicken or with a fried egg on top. Always accompanied by café de olla or orange juice, they make up the complete jarocho breakfast.

Cultural significance

Picadas are a Veracruz gastronomic heritage and an emblematic dish of jarocho identity. They appear at culinary fairs, at festivals such as the Cumbre Tajín Festival and the International Gathering of Traditional Cooks of Veracruz, and are part of the repertoire of chefs such as Erik Guerrero and Karla Magaña, who have elevated them to the national gastronomic circuit. Veracruz cuisine as a whole is inscribed in the Catalogue of Traditional Cuisines of Mexico, and picadas form part of that heritage. Economically, they are the livelihood of small eateries and stalls in markets such as the Hidalgo in the Port of Veracruz and the Jáuregui in Xalapa, as well as of the local production of fresh cheese and nixtamalised maize. For the jarochos, eating picadas is a morning ritual: the sound of the pinching on the comal, the smell of the lard and the café de olla, make up a sensory imaginary that unites generations. Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, encompasses these maize preparations as pillars of national gastronomic identity.

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