Northern Flavor

When I started this blog, my intention was for it partly to be an explanation on how northern Mexico differs from central Mexico.  My first taste of Mexico was in Puebla.  Then I spent two years in Morelos, and the first year we were married we lived outside of Toluca.  We just kind of flirted around Mexico City.

Then we got exiled to Saltillo.

At least, that's how it felt when we were preparing to move.  It's so far away.  It's so far from anything else.  And how many people actually live in northern Mexico?

Then we came here.  Right away, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we liked it.  A lot.

But it can't be denied that northern Mexico is a whole different flavor in comparison to the greater Mexico City region.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  That's just how it is.

So what are northern Mexico's special flavors?

• Cowboys--This is cowboy country.  Now, in rural areas all over Mexico, cowboy hats are a common sight.  But here, we've got fancy-pants cowboy hats for special occasions, boots and buckles sold all over downtown--they even play country music on the radio here.  And I´m not talking about norteño, ranchero, or banda.  Real, good, ol' boy country music in English.  

          I never knew I liked country music so until I moved to                   Mexico.  Now, living in northern Mexico, I feel like I'm                 home.  Thanks, country music!  (And all you norteños who           insist on listening to it.)  

• Carne Asadas--Right along with the cowboy theme, beef is king here.  There's not much to write home about northern Mexican cuisine.  In fact, I'm not too sure there are many plates that can be wrapped up under a heading of "northern Mexican cuisine".  

       
             That's because it's all about the carne asadas.  Beef on the barbie.  Grilled onions.  Flour                       tortillas.  Top it off with some frijoles charros, and you're set for a long night.  Provided that               there's enough beer, of course!  

          Northern Mexican cuisine may be low on variety, but it's high on quality!    

• Roasted Goat--OK, northern Mexican food is known for one other thing, and yes--it's more meat.  Cattle grazing is rather intense on our fragile desert ecosystems, so goats are traditionally grazed here.  They're also traditionally roasted here, too.  

          The first kid I ate was at the Sunday Market in Arteaga.                 We sat down to eat around noon, which is wicked early by             Mexican standards.  But, apparently, that's the best time to             get the goat.  That kid was slathered with butter, and the                 meat seemed to melt in my mouth.  I've never           been               much of a meat fan, but that first experience with goat was             a transcendent experience.  

         Unfortunately, ever since then, I've been a bit disappointed.            But every year of two, I´ll try it again, for the hope of                    transcending through my tastebuds again.   

As a teacher at my kids' school put it when she was explaining Day of the Dead customs, "A lot of us don't really celebrate Day of the Dead [or other "standard Mexican traditions"].  We're kind of more Texan.

Texan is a pretty apt description for this region.  After all, a lot of those qualities that set Texans apart in the US are also good ways of defining Coahuilans.  In fact, during the colonial era, Texas and Coahuila were one province.  There may now be an imposing border between the two states, but Texas and Coahuila still share much of the same soul.

Texas is just more famous, so we'll keep calling those attributes "Texan".  

What Do I Miss About the Mexico City Area?  

 I miss that prehispanic vibe in the air.  Is it just me or is everything south of Querétaro Nahuatl-infused?  I miss looking out to volcanos with names like Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, knowing the legends surrounding them.  I like the way that names of towns get stuck in your throat when pronouncing them, as that's just the way it is with Nahuatl.

The flavors in the food are both more vibrant and more nuanced, infused with those ancient, nearly-forgotten civilizations that began Mexican food traditions.

But that's the beauty of central Mexico--those ancient civilizations aren't forgotten.  They live on in the majority of the population.  At certain times and places, those traditions are embraced, knowing that this mix of European and Indian is what makes Mexico Mexico.  While here in northern Mexico, we're grazing cattle and goats and building cars (all activities brought over brought over from Europe (and Detroit)).  However, well south of here, the clash of cultures that happened 500 years ago is still easily observed.  Except now, instead of clashing, those radically different cultures dance a complicated quadrille.  But they make it look good.

But that's my observation as an outsider.  I realize that an insider's perspective might be wildly different--and a great deal more authentic than mine.

But for what it's worth--that's my take.

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