Exploring the flavours of indegenous mexican ingredients
july, 2025By Chef Fernando Stovell
Mexico’s culinary identity is a symphony of indigenous wisdom, forged from ancient soils and sun-drenched landscapes.
Throughout my travels — from misty highlands to arid deserts, from tropical jungles to volcanic valleys — I have discovered that true flavour lies not merely in technique, but in the spirit of the people and the richness of the land itself.
Here, I share a journey through Mexico’s hidden corners, honouring the extraordinary indigenous ingredients and the unforgettable women who guard their secrets with love, patience, and pride.
OAXACA:
The Alchemy of Maíz
In the tiny village of San Bartolo Yautepec, deep in the valleys of Oaxaca, I met Doña Eulalia, a woman whose hands told the story of generations.
Over a clay comal, she transformed heirloom maíz — blue, red, and golden kernels — into the most ethereal tlayudas I have ever tasted.Stretched wide and grilled over mesquite embers, the tortilla was crisp yet tender, perfumed with the earthiness of native corn and the faint kiss of smoke. Topped with asiento, beans, and quesillo, it needed no embellishment — pure, proud, and profoundly moving.
YUCATÁN:
The Aromas of the Jungle
In the steamy lowlands near Kantunilkin, I encountered Doña Socorro, guardian of an ancestral recipe for relleno negro.
Using burnt chiles, native turkey, and recado negro paste blackened with patient hands, she created a dish that was haunting, magnetic, and smoky, seasoned with the vibrant greens of the surrounding jungle. The sharp notes of sour orange and the deep umami of ground achiote sang in every bite — a hymn to Mayan ingenuity.
PUEBLA:
Hidden Perfumes of the Sierra
High in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, near Cuetzalan del Progreso, I found myself in the shaded courtyard of Doña Marcelina, a Nahua elder whose mastery of wild herbs was unparalleled.
There, amongst towering coffee trees and misty ferns, she prepared pipián verde with toasted pumpkin seeds, wild tomatillos, and fragrant hoja santa.
The silky sauce, luminous with green vibrancy, draped delicately over freshly caught river trout — a dish so pure it felt as if the very forest had placed it before me.
CHIAPAS:
Cacao and Memory
Although I have not yet travelled to Chiapas, I had the great fortune of meeting Doña Tomasa, a Tzotzil cook who now shares her craft in Mexico City.
She prepared for me an ancient drink — pozol de cacao — made with fermented maize dough and roasted cacao beans, served cold in hand-carved jícaras.
Rustic, slightly tangy, rich with the bittersweet soul of true cacao, every sip tasted of both survival and celebration, echoing the enduring traditions of the Chiapas highlands.
GUERRERO:
The Sea’s Hidden Gifts
In the remote coastal village of La Majahua, tucked between cliffs and wild coves, Doña Remedios revealed the treasures of the Pacific.
Over encino and mesquite embers, she grilled tichindas — tiny native black clams — serving them simply with a squeeze of criollo lime and a pinch of sea salt.
The flavour was pure ocean, pure fire, pure life — proof that simplicity, when guided by instinct and respect, becomes exquisite.
VERACRUZ:
Vanilla, Ancestral and Alive
In the lush jungles near Papantla, home of the Totonac people, I met Doña Candelaria, a guardian of one of Mexico’s most precious gifts: vanilla.
She hand-pollinated each fragile blossom, later steeping the fresh vanilla seeds into a warm, simple milk dessert.
The result was delicate and haunting — the true aroma of vanilla, earthy and floral, lingering like a whispered blessing long after the last spoonful.
QUERÉTARO:
Ancient Grains of the Sierra Gorda
In the rugged Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, near Pinal de Amoles, I met Doña Alberta, a proud Otomí cook.
She prepared tamales de quelites, using wild mountain greens wrapped in papatla leaves, steamed over mesquite embers.
Each tamal was an echo of the mountains: herbal, smoky, deeply nourishing — a quiet tribute to a land that gives generously to those who understand it.
MICHOACÁN:
Maíz, Fire, and Soul
Having visited Michoacán, I was fortunate to encounter its culinary soul both there and through the hands of Doña Genoveva, a Purépecha cook I first met in Mexico City, who lovingly carried the traditions of her homeland.
She prepared atole de grano, a savoury maize broth perfumed with fresh epazote, and corundas, delicate triangular tamales steamed in tender corn leaves.
Accompanied by fresh cream and crumbled Cotija cheese, the corundas were tender, fragrant, and ethereal — a dish that evoked memory itself, each bite a tribute to heritage, heart, and fire.
SONORA:
Fire and the Desert
Although I have not yet explored the desert expanses of Sonora, I was introduced to its culinary soul by Doña Teodora, a Seri cook I had the pleasure of meeting in Mexico City.
She grilled native caimán blanco (Sonoran white sea bass) over mesquite and ironwood coals — woods revered for their slow, fragrant burn.
Paired simply with a salsa of wild chiltepin chiles and criollo lime, the fish was clean, smoky, and electrifying — a vivid reflection of the Sonoran desert’s stark, poetic beauty.
SAN LUIS POTOSÍ:
Secrets of the Huasteca
In the lush, misty Huasteca region of San Luis Potosí, in the village of Tancanhuitz, Doña Basilia prepared an unforgettable zacahuil
A monumental tamal stuffed with pork, chile, and spices, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted underground for hours.
When it finally emerged, steaming and fragrant, the zacahuil was rich, smoky, and profoundly satisfying — a communal dish that celebrates not only sustenance, but kinship and tradition.
A Living Heritage
Across the hidden villages of Mexico — and through the kitchens of the women who have brought these traditions to cities like Mexico City — indigenous ingredients are not relics of the past. They are vibrant, living treasures.
They are nurtured by women like Eulalia, Socorro, Marcelina, Tomasa, Remedios, Candelaria, Alberta, Genoveva, Teodora, and Basilia — whose artistry transforms maize, cacao, wild herbs, and fire into profound expressions of identity, memory, and belonging.
In every bite, in every sip, there is a story — a celebration of resilience, of generosity, and of the eternal dance between land, spirit, and flavour.
And in my own kitchens, these stories continue to guide my hand — and ignite my soul.