Dining in Veracruz - A Delectable Mixture of Cuisine

When you speak of Mexican food you probably have thoughts of tacos and burritos that conjure in your mind. However, in the port city of Veracruz, Mexican dishes are not quite what you would consider to be Mexican. Here you will see seafood meshed in with a variety of other cultural dishes and the seafood definitely reigns king amongst this culture.

Being a port city, Veracruz obviously has access to a wide variety of seafood options and because there have been a number of cultural influences on the city, the dining here is quite different from what you would expect in any other Mexican city. There really is a little something for everyone here, as all of these dining habits have been imprinted into this unique culture. Regardless of whether you're looking for a taco or a tasty seafood dish, you'll find something you will love in Veracruz.

Veracruz truly is a melting pot for a number of different cultural dishes. So many different cultures have visited and resided in this area that the culinary traditions have changed with the ebb and flow of their society. The Spanish has, of course, been a major contributor to the cuisine of Veracruz, but so has the Afro-Cuban and even the Portuguese.

Long before the Europeans and Spanish arrived in Veracruz, the area was occupied y many Mexoamerican ethnic groups including the Olmecs, Huastecs and Totonacs. The Totonacs made a major impact on the area as they are famous for the production of vanilla and the use of vanilla in their dishes. Other herbs, such as the acuyo, were also staples in their dishes.

The main staples of the area were corn, beans and squash. These were supplemented with fruits, chiles, tomatoes, avocadoes, papaya, mamey and zapote. These are still popular in the culture today and can be found in their milk shakes and ice cream, or licuados  and heladis. Both of which are very dear to the jarochos culture.

When the Spanish arrived, even more variety was added to the cuisine of the area. With them, the Spanish brought parsley, marjoram, thyme, bay laurel and cilantro. These herbs are very important in the Veracruz cuisine of today. They also added in a combination of saffron, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper, all of which are now pre-mixed and sold to flavor empanadas, especially fish empanadas. These ingredients are essential in what is perhaps the most famous specialty of the region, especially the spicy tomato sauces.

From the Carribbean Islands, the Spaniards brought pineapples and sugar cane. Hernan Cortes was responsible for bringing an African slave with him who was one of the first people to introduce a number of different dishes to the area.

Much of Veracruz's cuisine consists of the fresh seafood that is common to the area. Many of their dishes provide you with a variety of different types of seafood including shrimp and the local catch. In the highlands you may never know what you're going to find on plate as more exotic dishes such as spider monkey and iguana can often be found. Remember, just because you're in Mexico doesn't mean you're going to only eat tacos and burritos!