Cuisine of Northern Mexico – States of Chihuahua, Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa
Thinking of northern Mexico conjures up images of the wild west – of cowboys and charros, duels being fought over pretty señoritas, Hollywood westerns, as also of carne asada, flour tortillas, ranchos and musica norteña. On the darker side, the region is also synonymous with Tijuana drug cartels and the thousands who cross the border into the United States, swimming across the Rio Grande. Historically, geographically and culturally, northern Mexico is fairly distinct from other parts of Mexico, and the confluence of these factors has impacted the regional cuisine which is fairly distinct from what is eaten in other parts of the country. While some dishes from northern Mexico – such as burritos (warm flour tortillas stuffed with a variety of filling) and chimichangas (stuffed and fried flour tortilla packets) – are popular to the point of being ubiquitous in south western United States, the rich and fairly diverse norteña cuisine is little known even in central and southern Mexico. This article will take a look at the cuisines of the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua, Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa.
Mexican Cheeses
Mexico produces a great variety of cheeses that are either fresh, soft, semi soft, semi firm or firm. The following are some that are most commonly used:
Fresh Cheeses:
Queso blanco, which is a creamy, white cheese made from skimmed cow’s milk with a fresh, distinctive lemon flavor.
Queso fresco is a white cheese made by combining cow’s milk and goat’s milk.
Queso panela is a soft, white cheese that absorbs other flavors easily, and is often cooked in sauces.
Requesón: a runny cheese that is used to fill enchiladas and to make cheese spreads. It is sold most often wrapped in fresh corn husks.
Soft Cheeses:
Queso añejo is an aged version of queso fresco and can be quite firm and salty as it ages. It is used primarily as a garnish, crumbled or grated over a variety of dishes.
Queso Oaxaca, also known as quesillo, is by one of the most popular cheese for making quesadillas. It is a stretched curd cheese, kneaded and wound into balls. It is normally pulled apart into thin strings before using to fill tortillas or melted on cooked food.
Semi-Soft Cheeses:
Queso asadero, is used primarily for melting cheese while making queso fundido, a dish that is usually eaten as a late-night supper.
Queso chihuahua: is pale yellow and varies in taste from mild to a fairly sharp. It is used in a wide variety of dishes, and is especially good breading and frying.
Queso jalapeño: A smooth, soft white cheese with small pieces of jalapeño chile in it. It is quite nice eaten on its own as a snack.
Semi-Firm Cheeses:
Queso manchego was introduced to Mexico from Spain and is a buttery yellow color. It is good for melting, or for serving with fruit or crackers.
Firm Cheeses:
Queso añejo enchilado: This is usually an aged cheese with a spicy red chile coating.
Queso cotija: takes it name from the town of Cotija in the state of Michoacan, where it originated. This is basically a sharp, crumbly goat cheese that is primarily served over beans and salads.
Culture is a function of how local populations react to geography, nature and outside influences. Add to this the ingenuity of the human spirit, and you have a recipe for the understanding and unraveling of the distinctive features of local cuisines. The natural surroundings of each of the northern Mexican states is fairly distinct. Northern Mexico encompasses mountains and a desert as well as low lying coastal areas and rivers. Chihuahua, Mexico’s largest state contains a vast desert of the same name. The state is also home to the Sierra Madres mountain range. The Sonora Region is known for adventure travel and beautiful vistas, offering hunting parks, beaches and bays for water sports and fishing. Sinaloa lies along the Pacific coast of Mexico and its low-lying coastal areas are run through with rivers. Sinaloa is an important supplier of agricultural produce and is known as the “breadbasket of Mexico,” providing close to a third of Mexico’s total produce. Its harvests include corn, wheat, beans, sugar cane, tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes and melons, amongst many others. The state is also host to a large number of shrimp and fish farms along its coast. The state of Baja California boasts a large coastline and even larger numbers of tourists every year!
Northern Mexican states share a lot in common as far cuisine goes. Generally speaking, flour tortillas are favored over corn ones, meats and asados (barbeque or grilling) are much more commonplace, and the beans of choice are pinto beans that are cooked in a variety of mouthwatering styles and served with almost every meal. Also dried chilies are generally used more than fresh ones, the salsas have less heat compared to those found in central and southern Mexico. Owing to the long coastline, fish and seafood is a salient feature of the regional cuisine and are utilized to make a variety of sumptuous dishes. Wine is gradually becoming a favored drink together with old favorites such as tequila and beer. However, despite these commonalities, there are special ingredients and dishes that make the food of each one of the four states unique.
Cuisine of Baja California Norte
Baja California – divided into Baja Norte and Baja Sur – is located in north-western Mexico and it is one of the most arid regions of the world featuring wild, solitary landscapes. Baja Norte’s attractions include tours of its wine country and colonial era mansions. The basic components of Baja Norte’s cuisine are the norteña influences that have combined themselves with the food introduced by the missionaries, the food eaten by the indigenous populations, and the large coastline with its abundance of fish and seafood. Baja Norte’s culinary tradition is intricately connected to its history, its development as well as the practical need to feed the hordes of tourists that come from different parts of the world. A typical everyday menu in these parts may consist of a seafood soup, arroz a la mexicana (Mexican red rice with carrots and peas) served with frijoles (beans) and flour tortillas. Many of the important culinary contributions of the area have resulted from international migration. One of Baja Norte’s most famous culinary contributions is the Caesar’s Salad that was created by César Cardini at a restaurant called “Fiore D’ Italia.” The culinary arts of the region are in a state of constant evolution which gives us a typically Baja culinary experience that constantly surprises.
Cuisine of Baja California Sur
Arguably, the Sea of Cortez is Baja Sur’s most unique and ecologically endowed region. Baja Sur is also home to the well known tourist areas of Los Cabos and Loreto. Historically the inhabitants of this region relied on hunting, fishing and crop rotation as a means of sustenance. With the arrival of the conquistadores, the gastronomical map of this region changed and new ingredients from Europe were introduced – among them wheat, olives and livestock including cows and pigs. New dishes, combining the local culinary tradition with the food of the missionaries and Jesuits, gradually appeared. Over the years, the local cuisine has come to rely heavily on products obtained from the sea – oysters, fish, snails etc. Other important components include traditional norteña ingredients such as dried meat and salt fish. Amongst the signature dishes of this region are the famous chocolate oysters roasted in their shells, tamales fajados (tied with strings or strips of corn husks), potatoes stuffed with lobster and seafood tacos. The dishes featuring shrimp and lobster are especially delicious. Regional economic development and the proliferation of tourism have resulted in a wider appreciation of various exotic world cuisines.
Cuisine of Chihuahua
In the land locked state of Chihuahua, deserts, canyons, waterfalls, clean air and spectacular views abound. Gastronomically speaking, however, apart from the omnipresent burritos, there is a general ignorance of the exquisite foods and culinary traditions of the northern states – such as char grilling using mesquites (local variety of wood). The ranch culture in Chihuahua developed after the conquest when the Spaniards imported livestock and found in Chihuahua the perfect spot for grazing. The local populations showed great ingenuity by devising means of prolonging the life of meat by the process of salting and drying meat into machaca. Chihuahua is also the largest producer of apples, peaches and walnuts in Mexico, and these are made into large quantities of Ate (pasty fruit preserves) at harvest time so that the fruit may be enjoyed year round. An everyday meal in Chihuahua usually consists of carne asada (grilled meat), frijoles borrachos (beans served in broth) or frijoles maneados (beans mashed with cheese) and flour tortillas. Chihuahua cheeses are amongst the most famous in Mexico, and the signature Chihuahua dishes include machaca with eggs, and cheese fondue (queso fondido) flavored with chilies and chorizo (spicy sausage) and flavorful, high quality beef.
Cuisine of Sonora
Perhaps the principal contribution of the cuisine of Sonora is the selection of the products that were the result of the particular climatic and geographical realities of the region. The base of the cuisine of Sonora is to be found in meat, fish, wheat and maize. Beef is by far the most famous culinary product of Sonora, and it is cooked simply and served with few condiments so as to highlight its exquisite flavor. Flour tortillas are eaten with almost every meal and most sophisticated of these are the paper-thin sobaqueras. Some of the favorite Sonora dishes such as chimichangas were originally devised for the often difficult journeys that the missionaries undertook. A typical Sunday comida (lunch) in Sonora would well consist of arrachera (marinated skirt steak) served with frijoles, cheese, chimichangas and flour tortillas. Other favorites include chicken cooked in cheese broth, sautéed liver with onions, and menudo (a spicy soup made with tripe). Stews of various types and a large variety of fish are also an integral part of their culinary repertoire. Guacamole (mashed avocados seasoned with onions, tomatoes and chilies) is eaten in Sonora in generous quantities, and another favorite from the state is a brown sugar candy flavored cookie called Coyotas. Bacanora is the traditional alcoholic beverage of the state of Sonora.
Cuisine of Sinaloa
Sinaloa is the most important state in Mexico in terms of its agricultural contribution, and it also has a sizable fishing industry. It should therefore come as no surprise that the cuisine of Sinaloa is amongst the most diverse and delicious in all of Mexico. The geographical location and the development of agriculture and fisheries have ensured the preparation of exquisitely satisfying dishes. The cuisine of Sinaloa shows a decided bias towards maritime products such as shrimps, lobsters, squids and crabs. In addition to seafood, salt water fish that are routinely found in the food of Sinaloa include trout, robalo (sea bass), lisa, marlin and sierra. The typical Sinaloa diet also includes a lot of meat dishes. It is still the custom of the country to go out to hunt pigeons, partridges, duck, and venison (deer meat). The meat is usually dried with the addition of lime before being grilled, sprinkled with salt and shredded onion, and enjoyed. Some famous dishes from Sinaloa include pescado ahumado (fish smoked in bay leaves), tamales de camaron (shrimp tamales), and empanadas de fruta (fruit turnovers). Sinaloa also boasts over 30 varieties of mangoes. The traditional alcoholic beverage is the damiana which is a fermented drink made from a plant with the same name. The now famous pastel de tres leches (literally cake with three milks, a moist cake that uses three kinds of milk products – evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream and is traditionally stuffed with peaches) also originated in Sinaloa.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Priyanka Sharma is a mother, trained social worker and a food and writing aficionado. She lives in Mexico City with her Economist husband and her two and a half year old daughter. She has worked in local and international NGOs in India and Mexico. Priyanka is currently working on a series of articles on regional cuisines from her native India. She is also taking an advanced Spanish language course at the UNAM. Her other interests are travel, cooking, reading and cinema. She can reached at priyanka.mex@gmail.com
