Hidalgo (state) - Native Gastronomy

Native Gastronomy

The Mezquital Valley has best preserved the state’s indigenous, especially Otomi, culinary heritage based a number of traditional native animal and vegetable products. One of these is the use of a number of edible insects, many of which are considered delicacies such as escamoles (ant eggs) and maguey larvae as well as others such as larvae found on nopal plants, “chacas ” (beetles) and “chicharras” (cicadas). Other local animals still used for food include tadpoles (called atepocates), salamanders and their larvae, squirrels and rabbits. Plant species still commonly used include mesquite beans, nopal and other cactus and various cactus fruit such as “tuna” and “xoconostle.” These are often prepared in dishes that the state shares with most of the rest of Mexico such as tacos, tamales, moles and a specialty of central Mexico, mixiote. Another common central Mexican dish popular in the state is barbacoa. This dish has its origins in the pre-Hispanic period, when it was meat cooked in an underground pit. Today, it is most often cooked in pots in more conventional ovens, but the meat, today mostly pork, is still smothered in the alcoholic beverage pulque and wrapped in maguey leaves for flavor. This preparation of barbacoa is considered to be the state dish.