CULINARY THUMBNAIL

Here are the most notable characteristics of this state's cuisine:

1. strong influence of indigenous cultures
2. seashore, tropical lowland and cool upland environments provide a great diversity of produce
3. culturally and biologically closer to Guatemala than Mexico
4. less use of chili pepper here than rest of Mexico

TRADITIONAL DISHES TO LOOK FOR

• Ningüijute (mostly Tuxtla Gutierrez) -- a seed-based pork mole
• Pictes -- tamales made with fresh sweetcorn
• Estofado de Pollo en Frutas -- a chicken and fruit stew; the chicken is marinated in a paste made mostly of onion, garlic, cinnamon, and vinegar, then further cooked with tomatoes
• Cochito Horneado -- roasted suckling pig flavored with a paste of ground seeds and herbs
• Chispola -- a beef and vegetable stew

SWEETS

• Dulce de Camote y Naranja  -- sweet potato dessert made with sugar and orange juice
• Cocada -- dessert composed of coconut, egg, and sugar, sometimes also milk, and a fruit such as pineapple
• Jamoncillo -- finely ground nuts or seeds, especially pumpkin, pine-nuts, or peanuts, prepared with milk and sugar
  

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

• Pozol de Cacao --  pozol is made by grinding boiled corn kernels to form the moist paste called masa, stirring the masa into water, and adding a pinch of salt or sugar; this one has ground cacao (chocolate) added
• Tascalate -- foamy cold drink of ground, toasted corn, cacao, seeds, and the brightly orange condiment achiote

Information on this page based on material presented in Gastronomía: Atlas cultural de México, 1988, an extensive and well illustrated work by various authors, published by the Secretaría del Educación Pública, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City.