Regions of Mexico and Their Cuisine

Each region in every country has different types of foods and cuisines that they like to eat and specialize in. In mexico there are seven different regions, the North, the North Pacific Coast, the Bajio, the South Pacific Coast, the Gulf, and Central Mexico. These different regions have different temperatures, soils, rainfall, and cultures which is some of the reasons why the people that live here have different tastes for different foods. Sometimes not all plants or crops can grow everywhere.

This is another reason why there are different food in different regions.. All regions have different resources for producing foods. Culture also has a lot to do with why people eat differently. Not every culture enjoys the same kinds of foods as another culture. Each of the 7 regions in Mexico have different specialties and different kinds of eating than another.

The North region of mexico also known as “el norte” is a region that includes Baja, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Nuevo León, which is where Elizabeth and Luis lived, and Tamaulipas.

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This region takes up about 2,000 miles and has a ranch culture because of this. The ranch culture it has consists of grilling different foods, incorporating beef into many dishes, and the production of cheeses. The North has the widest variety of cheeses in all of Mexico. The cheeses that the North has is queso fresco, ranchero, cuajada, requeson which is like ricotta cheese and many different asadero or smoked cheeses. . The most popular dishes are arrachera, known as fajitas and cabrito which is baby goat.

The North also has 40 different flour tortillas which helped with the making of the burrito that is known around the world today. The North is the region where Elizabeth was living in the book so she was eating a lot of food that I described here.

The next region is the North Pacific Coast. This region is made up of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Colima. A lot of Mexico’s produce comes from the North Pacific Coast including grains, fruits, and vegetables, and chiles. Chiles are very important because it is included in many dishes. The most famous dish of the North Pacific Coast in “birra” which is “a stew of beef mutton, or pork, with chili peppers, and spices” (Richards’ 2018). Because this region is on the coast seafood is extraordinarily popular here. The seafood gets cooked with spices from Europe as well as chili peppers and spicy salsas. The most enjoyed fish are marlin, sailfish, swordfish, black sea bass, shrimp, tuna, and octopus. The most popular foods in this region are Estofado Stew, Fish Tacos, and Aguachile.

The Bajio region of Mexico is made up of Michoacán, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, and Queretaro. “The Bajio region resembles the central Spanish plains, homeland of the first colonist whose main contributions to el Bajio cuisine are rice, pork, and spices”(Richards’ 2018). It is surrounded by mountains. The Bajio is very well know for sweets and desserts. Cajeta is a caramel made with goat’s milk and is one of the most popular. Another popular dessert is arroz con leche and can be described as similar to a rice pudding. One of the best cuisine dishes is morisqueta which is a sausage and rice meal.

The South Pacific Coast is made up of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. This region is super popular for different meats and cheeses. They use pork and mozzarella a lot. This area is the the most Indian influenced region of Mexico. Chile peppers that are grown in this region are used in the cooking to give a specific unique taste. Seven of the most famous moles of mexico come from the South Pacific Coast. “These moles are the mole negro, more Amarillo, mole verde, mole coloradito, mole rojo, mole manchamanteles, and mole chichilo. Moles are thick sauces that are used in many meat and rice dishes popular all over Mexico” (Spicesinc.com 2018). Chocolate also plays a big role, “frequently hand ground and mixed with almonds, cinnamon and other ingredients and consumed as a beverage” (Richards’ 2018).

The South region is Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. This region has major Mayan influences that are still very influential. The cooking is fresh and contains many seasonings and spices. Tropical fruits are used for cooking such as plumbs, mamey, avocados and oranges. Corn is used in many solid and liquid foods here. The best known dish here is Cochinita Pibil. “Pibil refers to the cooking method (from the mayan word pib, meaning “buried”) in which foods and various meats are wrapped, generally in banana leaves, and cooked in a pit oven” (Richards’ 2018). This region uses honey to sweeten foods and make drinks specific to the region.

The Gulf is Tabasco and Veracruz. A popular dish is red snapper. This dish is made with a light tomato sauce which is seasoned with bay leaves, onions, capers, olives and yellow peppers. Most of the food is Afro-Cuban here. Vanilla can be found locally here and is popular in many dishes. Seafood is also eaten a lot here.

The last region is Central Mexico. In Central Mexico is Mexico, Puebla, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, and Distrito Federal which is the federal district otherwise known as Mexico City. Cuisine is heavy on street foods but still has influences from the other regions in Mexico. Street foods are taco stand, torta (sandwich) shops. The dishes here also are influenced by other countries instead of just Mexico. There are some restaurants or stands that specialize in pre-Hispanic food. These dishes include cooking with insects.

I am from Michigan and something I have noticed is that in America more foods are processed and fast,and not as natural as Mexican foods. I am sure Mexico has processed american like foods but I did not see any regions foods consist of hamburgers, pizzas, or french fries like in America. The more common foods in Mexico included corn, chiles, cheeses, tortillas, and salsa. With chiles being in many dishes there I noticed Mexican food is more on the spicy side than American food is. I have grown up eating such a wide variety of foods that it is so hard to pick a favorite. However, some of my favorite foods include mashed potatoes, ice cream, pasta, chicken tenders, burgers, and so many more. Something I love about living in America is that we eat a lot of different foods from other countries. We eat tacos like Mexico, we eat pastas like Italy, and I just love that.

All of the regions in Mexico specialize in different food types depending on where they are and what they have available as resources. Each region has something special about it and the cuisines have many fresh and natural ingredients in them. No matter what kind of food someone likes and has a specific taste for they could find it somewhere in Mexico.