Discovering Garnacha Mexico: The Ultimate Guide to Street Food Delights

If you have a craving for fried corn, you will surely want to enjoy a good garnacha Mexico, a variant of fried corn dough to which you add various ingredients such as chicharron, cheese, beans and green or red sauce, that’s why here we will tell you all about the garnacha Mexico.

In the street stalls you will always find tamales, but if fried food is your thing, you will surely crave a garnacha, a street food that you can get at any time, with its good stuffing of cheese or pressed chicharron or covered with beans, topped with onion, cheese, lettuce and red or mixed green sauce. Before this, it is important to mention that the garnacha Mexico is very popular in the country, especially because it is a food option that you can find on the street, specifically in stalls in markets, office areas or transportation terminals.

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Origins of garnacha Mexico

It is believed that garnacha has been consumed by Mexicans since pre-Hispanic times, since it was very common for people to eat outside their homes, just as it is today.

According to the gastronomic history of the country, characters such as Bernal Diaz, one of the first conquerors who arrived in Mexican territory, told in one of his writings of the markets and prepared food stalls. At that time the cooks prepared stews that were placed in corn tortillas in order to make it easier and faster to eat, since it was very common for people to eat before traveling, that is how tacos were born.

Regarding the word garnacha, it seems that it originated from the street food stalls of nomadic merchants, due to the cultural exchange between the western part of Guatemala and southern Mexico, approximately at the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s. It should also be noted that this street dish is named after the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world, its name comes from the French garnacha.

On the other hand, according to historians, garnachas originated from the different migrations that have taken place throughout history in the Mexican territory. There is also a theory that garnachas Mexico were born from the combination of pre-Hispanic and colonial gastronomy, and that each region of the country has its own style of garnacha.

Nowadays, street food has evolved, however, the need to eat fast and cheaply has not, so garnachas are still a rich and accessible option when eating on the street.

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Evolution of garnacha Mexico as street food

Garnacha Mexico is considered part of the culinary street culture in the Aztec territory, and it is a symbol of the Mexican heritage that has brought with it the miscegenation, it is precisely for this reason that garnachas are considered by UNESCO as a culinary tradition of Mexico.

It should be noted that for many years, garnacha Mexico was disparagingly classified as a street snack, however, over the years it has been revalued and nowadays there is no person who can resist the taste of garnacha when visiting a street stall, regardless of social status or nationality, so street vendors are considered part of the country’s gastronomic heritage.

In any corner of Mexico you can see how garnachas are a fundamental part of the street stalls, so they have great importance in building the community and local economy. It is also worth mentioning that in Mexico City not only this dish is called garnacha, but also any fried food sold on the street.

According to the Mexican Spanish dictionary, garnacha is a food made with a small corn tortilla fried in lard, which is stuffed with beans, chunks of chorizo or meat, cheese and green or spicy red sauce, however, it is important to mention that garnacha varies depending on the region you are in. It is usually sold in street or semi-fixed stands and can be eaten at any time.

Regional variations of garnachas Mexico

Garnachas have a great importance within the Mexican gastronomic culture, however some historians assure that they did not really originate in the country but came to Mexico from Esquipulas, Guatemala, thanks to street vendors, but other historians assure that it is really a combination of the pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine with the Spanish colonial one. You can’t really be sure which of the two is the real one, however, what you can be sure of is that during the festive season or if you want to enjoy a good street food, garnacha is definitely a very good option, here we will tell you which ones are the most popular in Mexico:

Oaxaca Garnachas

Garnacha de Oaxaca, known as garnacha istmeña or garnacha del Istmo de Tehuantepec, is a delicacy that is usually prepared in the southeast of Mexico, especially in the Isthmus, and in this area of Oaxaca it is considered part of the street food tradition.

Its name comes from a combination of the Nahuatl tlao-li, which means shelled corn, and the Spanish suffix uda, which refers to something abundant.

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This type of garnacha is made with a fried corn tortilla between 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter, which are filled with fried beef (cecina) or chorizo, pickles, sprinkled cheese, beans and red hot sauce.

Due to its popularity in Oaxaca, the recipe is known by all the cooks in the region and is usually eaten especially in the street. However, you can find it not only in street stalls, but also in some regional restaurants and markets in the villages of the area.

Normally the garnacha istmeña is served in orders, each of these orders have between five and six garnachas and is usually accompanied by a cold beer.

Veracruz Garnacha

Also known as garnacha orizabeña or garnacha de Orizaba, it is one of the most popular street options among locals and tourists, usually found in street stalls or stalls in the local market.

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The origin of this popular Veracruz dish is not very clear, however, it has long been considered part of the traditional food of Veracruz, which arose as a result of the mixing of American and European food.

Although it does not have the same popularity as garnacha istmeña, it is also very delicious and the best for Veracruz people. It is made with a corn tortilla fried with lard, stuffed with cooked potato, shredded meat, raw onion, beans, cheese and bathed in a tasty hot red sauce.

Garnacha of Puebla

Garnacha de Puebla, popularly known as garnacha poblana or chalupa (chalupitas) is an oval tortilla fried in lard that is cooked on a griddle and shredded meat is added with chopped onion and green, red or mixed sauce (red and green sauce). This garnacha is drizzled in the leftover lard and served hot. It is not one of the most popular, since the prize for popularity goes to the Oaxaca garnacha, but those who try it usually assure that it is their favorite.

On the other hand, it is important to mention that even though many consider that sope, gordita, tlacoyo and quesadilla frita are also garnachas (especially in Mexico City), the reality is that the real Mexican garnachas (Garnacha de Puebla, Garnacha de Veracruz and Garnacha de Oaxaca) are another type of dish, which are usually sold in street stands just like the previously mentioned but are not prepared in the same way.

Now that you know all about Garnacha Mexico, tell us, do you crave one?

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