Proponents of Durango cuisine are seeking to have the state’s culinary offering recognized as a cultural heritage in Mexico as a first step towards international recognition.
Governor José Rosas Aispuro Torres is set to sign a decree on Thursday which will make Durango the sixth state to have cuisine recognized as a national heritage, the newspaper La Voz de Durango reported. The signing will be followed on Friday by the start of the National Festival of Durango (Fenadu) where the state showcases its regional delicacies.
The head of the national restaurant association Canirac said the cuisine’s recognition in Mexico was a step towards being awarded world heritage status by UNESCO. “We are taking a giant step for the identity of Durango’s food … This gives us a touristic and gastronomic credential to show off to the country … it gives the identity that Durango’s dishes and gastronomy deserve,” said Miguel Camacho Herrera.
Camacho explained that gorditas, corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese or other fillings, and cadillo durangueño, a beef stew, are two of the dishes in the supporting document compiled by historian Javier Guerrero Romero, but that another somewhat dubious delicacy, scorpion tacos, has not been included.
Tobacco, sweet potato, corn, chile, beans and pumpkin are all harvested in Durango, while fruits such as pomegranate, quince, peach, pear and apple are grown. Pigs and cattle are raised in the region, which is famed for its cheese production. Sweet preserves and dried fruits are also traditionally produced.
Dishes unique to Durango include venorio, which is made with pork ribs, cactus and a chile sauce, and gallina borracha (drunken hen), which requires chorizo, chicken, mezcal and sherry. Carne seca (beef jerky) is another local favorite.
With reports from El Sol de Durango, México Desconocido and La Voz de Durango
