When we talk about the history of cooking, it is worth reflecting that it has been the result of a long process of experimentation; as is the case of Huasteca gastronomy, with clear pre-Hispanic origins and based on the cultivation and use of chili, squash, beans and corn. For this reason, one of its flagship dishes, the huatape, a word that comes from the Totonac language, means “to eat chili.”
The huatape, gastronomic tradition of the northeast of Mexico
The Huasteca region covers portions of five states of the country: San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Hidalgo and Querétaro. In the same way, it is mainly represented by the teenek and also by the Nahuas, among others. In fact, the huatape in Nahuatl is michitlacuali, being michin fish and tlacualli food or food; ie fish dish.
Obviously, this dish has had an evolution, first, when it was transformed with the Spanish colonization, in which it was integrated, for example, pork or chicken. Currently it is consumed mainly in Tampico, Tamaulipas and in the north of Veracruz.
What does the huatape wear?
Basically it is a very spicy broth that consists of a sauce made with green tomato, onion and chili; depending on the recipe this can be jalapeño, green, ancho or guajillo. There are recipes that also incorporate tomato, garlic, quelites or corn; and to flavor it, epazote. As if that were not enough, it thickens by adding corn dough.
Depending on the region is the type of meat that is added to it; In Veracruz, prawns, acamayas, fish or shrimp are added and the broth is red. Huatape is also very popular in Tampico, where it is also served with lettuce and the broth is green.
For their part, the Totonacs from northern Veracruz eat it with pork or with bean broth, tomato, golden chipotle chili, avocado leaf and dough balls.
Finally, this delicacy is little known outside of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, but it is one of those dishes that must be tried at least once in a lifetime. It is not for nothing that it is said that “after the huateque, a shrimp huatape”. You crave?