Bringing the Mexican back into Mexican food

I haven’t paid enough homage to the food we’ve enjoyed here in Michoacan. Nothing we’ve tried here even closely resembles what you order in an authentic ”Mexican” restaurant in the United States. You can actually see the enchiladas that are not drowning in melted cheese, which you frequently find in Tex-Mex restaurants. I haven’t seen a burrito, and fajitas are only served in touristy restaurants.

So what kinds of gastronomic delicacies can one encounter in Michoacan? For starters, there is Tarascan Soup, a bean-based soup with a mild chile and strips of corn chips. Corundas and Uchepas, cousins of the tamale, are very popular in Michoacan. I’ve been told that the Gaspacho was founded in Morelia – diced pieces of fresh mango, papaya, watermelon, cucumber, and jicama mixed with powdered chile, salt, and salsa served in a cup. Other traditional Mexican dishes are very common here: posole, chicken in mole sauce, real tacos, menudo (don’t ask what it is, just enjoy it), arrachera, milanesa, tortas, and much, much more.


The Purepecha women in the pictures above are grinding corn and chiles to make atole - a hot, thick, flavored corn-based soup. Each pueblo in Michoacan has their own specialty of traditional Purepecha dishes, and these particular women were preparing their atole for the annual atole cook-off in Morelia each November. ¡Delicioso!