Cuisine of Chiapas
However, while it does use some chili peppers, including the very hot simojovel, it does not use it as much as other Mexican regional cuisines, preferring slightly sweet seasoning to its main dishes.
[1][2] The cuisine is based on the Mesoamerican staple of corn, most often found in tortillas and tamales, but also in a number of preparations including drinks.
[2] In rural areas, meats such as armadillo, tepezcuintle, iguana, wild boar, rabbit, and various native birds are still eaten.
[4] Crops which have been introduced include coffee, soybeans, cotton, sugar and a wide variety of exotic tropical fruit.
[1] Chiapan food favors a combination of slightly sweet seasonings in the main dishes, which include tomatoes, cinnamon, plantains, prunes and pineapple.
[1][5] The Chiapas version of chile relleno includes peas, almonds, peaches, dried candied pineapple and raisins.
[7] Today, popular cultivated crops found in the cuisine include squashes, potatoes, fava beans, chayote, cabbage, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, yucca, various melons, watermelon, mango, papaya, sapodilla, soursop, cherimoya, mamey sapote, pitahaya, cupapé (Cordia dodecandra).
[1][7] Important varieties include jacuané (local name for hoja santa), de bola (pork in a chirmol chili pepper sauce), turtle, iguana and fish.
Specialties in this city are based mostly on cured meats such as ham and sausages, which are of Spanish origin attributed to Bartolomé de las Casas, as well as indigenous dishes such as various tamales (including one flavored with saffron) .
[3][4] A common street food in San Cristobal is called a cazueleja, which is a roll stuffed with cheese, egg and cinnamon.
Local specialties here include ningüijute, a seed-based pork mole, chispola, a beef and vegetable stew and pictes, a sweet corn tamale.
Chiapa de Corzo is also known for cochito horneado or a suckling pig roasted with adobo seasoning for special occasions.
[3] The coastline, which is separated from the inland by a line of mountains, make use of Pacific coast seafood in its cuisine, including bass, grouper, mojarra, sardines, shrimp, crabs and clams.
[1] Palenque is a cattle raising area with good beef dishes as many versions of fried plantains, including ones filled with black beans or cheese.
[1] The commercial agriculture of the Soconusco has attracted immigrants with restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese and German food found in the area.
[5] Starting in the 1990s, the state of Chiapas began to promote the cuisine through events, media and professional culinary associations such as the Corporation Mexicana de Restaurantes.
