For the next year, Puebla city has been officially given the title the Capital of Ibero-American Gastronomic Culture.

The award is granted each year to a different cuisine of Ibero-America — Spain, the Caribbean and Latin America — by the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.

The award gives the city a chance to showcase its gastronomy and promote itself as a food destination around the world. Municipal tourism officials already plan to launch a publicity campaign called Puebla, la cocina de México, (Puebla, Mexico’s Cuisine).

Puebla’s capital is the acclaimed birthplace of many of Mexico’s most iconic dishes, including mole poblano, chiles en nogada and tacos arabes, said to be the forerunner in Puebla to Mexico City’s variation, tacos al pastor. A half dozen or so traditional Mexican sweets also claim heritage here, as does Puebla’s famous cemita sandwiches, which were made famous in the city’s central markets.

The designation by the gastronomic organization recognized the city’s various elements that form its strong culinary tradition: the vast biodiversity of the area’s fields and farms and its traditional dishes developed by Catholic nuns during Mexico’s colonial period as well as the city’s numerous pottery and Talavera workshops.

Past winners have included Spanish cities like Madrid, Zaragoza and Córdoba; Buenos Aires; São Paulo and Miami. In Mexico, Guanajuato was a previous designee.

At Sunday’s award ceremony, Puebla Mayor Eduardo Rivera Pérez extended the recognition granted beyond the city itself.

“The designation of Puebla as the Capital of Ibero-American Gastronomic Culture is not just about the city but also the farm workers, traditional cooks, the restaurant sector, our universities and institutions,” he said.

The Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy was founded in 2009 to promote the regional cuisine of the Ibero-American world as well as safeguard against the loss of traditions and improve international cooperation.

With reports from El Sol de Puebla