Gastronomy of this region is very rich and varied, with all kinds of food, from dishes to traditional candy. Here, history and description of the most representative:
Chiles en Nogada
This is a seasonal dish, when the Granada that adorns it is at its stage of maturity, between the months of August and September. It coincides with the nut of Castile, the two main ingredients. The dish consists of a poblano pepper stuffed with meat and fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, and covered with walnut sauce, known as Nogada, and adorned by the Granada.
It is said that this dish was prepared by the nuns Santa Monica convent, of the order of Recoletas of St. Augustine, to commemorate the signing of the treaty of Cordova, on August 24th, 1821, when Spain recognized Mexico as an independent territory, between John O'Donojú, lieutenant general of the armies of Spain, and Agustin de Iturbide, the first chief of the “Three Guarantees” imperial army. The commemoration took place in the city of Puebla, on August 27th.
The dish was presented to General Iturbide as if it were the first time it was made, in commemoration of the historic event, and also coinciding with the date of its proper names, on August 28. It looked the three colors of the Three Guarantees army flag:
The green color represented by leaf parsley, white color by walnut sauce that covers the poblano pepper and red, represented by grains of Granada on the sauce.
Currently, this delicious dish is served in August - September season by nearly all the restaurants in town and some other cities, because it is highly valued for its incomparable flavor, which combines perfectly with the sweet and salty. Is recognized nationally and internationally.
Mole Poblano
The mole poblano is another of the exquisite dishes that is recognized as typical of the region. Its origin lies in the convent of Santa Rosa, when several types of pepper, chili and spices were milled together in a metate (metate is an ancient hand mill), by a nun. There are several versions about the origin of the “Mole” Poblano. The first one when this nun milled some ingredients in the kitchen, and other perceived odor, what made them to leave their activities. The Superior Mother start speaking at the moment, exclaiming: "That well-mole," causing laughter from the others, who corrected saying “it is said what a good mill”, that in Spanish sounds similar. From “Muele”, in Spanish it mills, to the actual name “Mole”, the difference become lost. That is why “Mole is the name of this dish.
The second version, when the mother Andrea de la Asuncion was the one who created the recipe, in the convent of Santa Rosa in the seventeenth century, when the viceroy of New Spain, Don Tomás Antonio de la Cerda y Aragón, visited the city of Puebla, and Bishop of the city, Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz, ordered on the special occasion, to prepare a special dish. The idea of experimenting made that the best dish was selected: The one by Sor Andrea de la Asunción.
This mole is traditionally served with turkey, but is also used beef, chicken or pork. It consists of a stew made of chocolate or cocoa, ancho chili, mulato chili, pasilla chili, chipotle chili, tomatoes, almonds, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, parsley, pepper, onion and garlic, and when it is served, it is added toasted sesame. You can enjoy the same with tortillas, traditional from the beginning, or salty bread.
Typical Snacks
A variety of snacks, which can be found in the street, as in-class restaurants, dedicated to the Puebla kitchen. These include:
Chalupas, fried tortilla with meat, onion and red or green hot Mexican sauce
Pellizcadas, tortilla made at the moment that are pinched in the border when cooked, and it is added cheese, onion and hot red or green sauce.
Esquites, this is corn grain cooked, with mayonnaise and chili on it in a glass
Peneques
picadas, tortilla cooked with chicken, onion, milk cream, and hot Mexican sauce
Quesadillas, folded tortilla with cheese, onion, meat or chicharron (cooked pig skin), and jalapeño pepper or Mexican hot sauce
Tamales
Tacos
Tamaletes
Tlacoyos
Tostadas
tortilla chips
chilaquiles
Enfrijoladas
Grenache
Gorditas
Memelas
Mole de Olla
Chilemole
Budín of corn with rajas
Molotes
Flautas
Enchiladas
Ponteduros
Pozole
corn roasted or boiled
etc..
All these snacks are liked by the people and tourism, that is why we will continue enjoying them for long.
Besides, there are other dishes such as chiles rellenos (poblano pepper stuffed with cheese or milled meat, covered with beaten egg and fried), chiles capone (jalapeño pepper stuffed with meat, tuna or cheese and fried), cuitlacoches (a kind of black corn that were meal of the ancient Aztecs), and other moles as pipian or mole poblano.
Typical Candy
The Candies that are typical of the region, also emerged from the convents of the colonial era, when the nuns of Santa Clara and Santa Rosa, used to offer to the people different types of candies and biscuits; They competed in talent and dedication, what resulted in a wide variety, among them the candy of sweet potatoes, of various flavors, pancakes known as “tortitas” of Santa Clara, borrachitos, sweet macaroni, envinados, a candy called “jamoncillos” with walnut, pine nut or seed, made from milk, muéganos marine nut and seed, truffles, gullet, marzipan , snails, duchess, “espejos” mirrors in spanish, polvorones, lemon-filled coconut joys of amaranth seed, sweet crystallized fruit, sugar horses, etc.
Can be found in several stores throughout the city, but where traditionally have been sold for many years, is in the area of the handicrafts stores, in the historical center, streets 4 and 6 Oriente (East), from the street 5 de Mayo through “Parian” area, which is in the 6 Sur. They are a delicious souvenir for tourists from around the world.
There are also traditional drinks, which have been sold in the same area for long, as “La Pasita” a sweet wine, the eggnog, also made by the nuns, and sweet fruit wines.
There is a legend about the creation in the seventeenth century of the famous poblano sweet potatoes candy, created in the Santa Rosa convent. A young novice named Angelina, 13 years old, created the recipe to make this candy, first, because they used to receive sweet potato plants as donations. She proposed to make it due to the visit of the Bishop Don Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz and Sahagun.
Gastronomy
Ready to be served: Picaditas are Tortillas made at this time, coocked with red or green mexican hot sauce, added fresh cheese, onion and chicken
Typical "Tortitas de Santa Clara" (Santa Clara's Cookies). Pictures below, a candy shop` in the "Parian" Market.
A Dish Chicken Mole, with sesame and rice. Below, a plate of "Enmoladas," chicken inside of a corn tortilla and covered with Poblano Mole, rice, onion rings and fresh cheese slices.
These candies made from milk are known as "macarrones" (macaroni in spanish)
Assorted Candies from Santa Clara: Tortitas, Borrachitos, Macarrones and Snack of Coco.
