Food & Drink

In the mining town of Guanajuato, miners' wives once invented enchiladas mineras: corn tortillas fried in guajillo sauce, filled with cheese, and topped with potatoes, carrots, and a piece of chicken or chorizo. It's a cheap, filling dish, made for hard shifts underground.

In León, in the western part of the state, people prefer to eat a guacamaya alongside it, a crusty bolillo roll filled with chicharrón, pico de gallo, and fiery salsa. This street snack balances out the heat after a sip of Tequila or Mezcal.

To finish, cajeta de Celaya often lands on the table, a thick caramel cream made from goat's milk, officially declared a dessert of Mexico's bicentennial in 2010. Its mild sweetness pairs beautifully with an aged Añejo, whose vanilla and caramel notes from the oak barrel it absorbs and extends.

In the Sierra Gorda around San Luis de la Paz, communities still celebrate their patron saint festivals with huapango arribeño, music played on violin and guitar. Homemade Mezcal passes from hand to hand, sipped in small mouthfuls, accompanied by conversation rather than loud toasts.

In Pénjamo, meanwhile, a Tequila from Hacienda Corralejo often features at official occasions and family celebrations. The town is also the birthplace of Miguel Hidalgo, which is why the region places special emphasis on its own history around Independence Day.

In the end, the table in Guanajuato brings together the same two worlds as the distilleries themselves: hearty food from mines and streets on one side, sweetness from Celaya on the other. Alongside it, either a Tequila from the Bajío or a Mezcal from the high desert, depending on where the evening begins.