Have you ever wondered where the delicious Coronado cajeta comes from? This delicacy, which transports many of us to our childhood and cannot be missing from breakfasts and desserts such as wafers, popsicles and glories.
We wanted to know how it is made from its origin, so we decided to travel to the town of Las Cañas, which is part of the municipality of Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, to discover it.
where the magic begins
In the town of Las Cañas lives the Pérez family who have dedicated themselves for generations to raising goats. Upon arriving at his house, we introduced ourselves to Ramón who, seeing our interest in learning about his life and his work, immediately invited us to walk towards the mountain with his 20 goats to catch up with his brother José de Jesús .
Thus we began to walk the trails made by these shepherds. We walked for a few minutes and finally found Don José de Jesús who was happy to see us and, from the first moment, he was very willing to show us how the goats are milked to obtain the milk that will be used to make cajeta.
traditional origins
“Every day, at half past ten, we take the goats out to roam. This is my destiny, to take care of the goats. But we all lend a hand”, Don José de Jesús told us, without taking an eye off the cattle. He is clear that the role of his family is very important to start milk production.
With all the patience in the world, Don José showed us how he milks the goats that in a good season produce up to 130 liters of milk.
After our first herding experience, we return to the town before noon, without stopping to contemplate the wonderful cornfields and wheat fields that this part of the country produces. That very Mexican landscape that fills us with pride and that exists thanks to the work of these farmers and ranchers.
family and teamwork
Back from grazing, they told us that Adriana González lived very close, the place where the milk ends up. She is a key player in the cajeta elaboration process, since she is in charge of collecting the goat’s milk that small producers –such as the Pérez family– generate.
Adriana is a woman who learned to work in the fields from a very young age, supporting her family. Today her enormous effort is reflected in the work she does. “At first we caught 700 liters a week, but now it’s over five thousand,” Adriana tells us proudly.
But she doesn’t work alone, her small business is also family owned. “My son makes a route to collect all the milk in the community,” Adriana tells us. This milk is preserved in special tanks that will keep the milk at the perfect temperature.
Subsequently, it will be transferred to the collection center located in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, where up to 19,000 liters of milk –produced by small goat farmers– are stored. Here the milk is analyzed and passed through quality control.
Our daily caramel
To be honest, before starting the trip, we had thought that we would visit a large factory and learn about highly industrialized processes. But after meeting Ramón, José de Jesús and Adriana, we realized that many Mexican traditions and values are still maintained within its elaboration and, above all, the importance of the community.
Our exploration of the origin of the cajeta could not be complete without learning about the place where the milk is finally transformed into the delicious Coronado sweets. So we had to travel to Matehuala, San Luis Potosí. It was a long journey, but it was worth it.
Here the wafer teacher Cynthia Torres received us and gave us the safety instructions to begin a tour of the plant. She leads a group of women who work at the Coronado plant, who, more than her co-workers, she told us, are her family.
We visited the area where the delicious wafers and caramel popsicles that reminded us of our childhood are produced; Lastly, we visited the packing area and the warehouse.
Here we come to the conclusion that the secret of the endearing flavor of Coronado cajetas lies in love, daily work and the strength of a community. The necessary bases for a tradition to be kept alive.
By: advertorial MD
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