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The Food Of Tampico: A Taste Of Northern Mexico

By Habeeb Salloum

For a while we gloried in the 21st century luxuries of Club Maeva Miramar, Tampico’s seaside resort. Our food matched the lavishness of our abode, but we knew that it was not the real cuisine of Mexico. When Mexican dishes were on the menu they were altered to comply with most of tourists’ tastes. For the authentic food of Mexico’s northeastern Caribbean coast we had to dine in the restaurants downtown - in the heart of the city. Of course, the decor in many cases, could not match that of Club Maeva Miramar’s Doa Juana Cata Restaurant, but the dishes were the true cuisine of the city.

Situated on the northern shores of the Pánuco River on the Gulf of Mexico, 400 km (248 mi) south of the American border, the present Tampico, is surrounded by a complex river and lagoon system, mingling together to give the town a unique setting. Together with the sister cities of Altamira and Madero, forming a metropolitan zone in the State of Tamaulipas, it is a traditional Mexican urban centre, replete with history and a locally developed cuisine. The city is noted not only for its kitchen but also for its petrochemical industry, and for its historical downtown, full of architectural elegance, lively markets, fine parks and historic structures that date back to the beginning of the 1900s - the golden era of the city.

An important trade centre and the second most important port on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, it was once the original ‘Mexican Riviera’ - the choice resort area of royalty and the rich.  Here they came to spend their winters, long before the concept of tourism was invented. However, by 1960, Tampico was all but forgotten as a desirable destination. Oil tankers from the nearby port facility fouled the once-gorgeous beaches and tourism almost died out.

Today, Tampico's tourist fortunes are beginning to return, thanks to a newfound awareness in environmental protection, and a change in government priorities. This has given the city a new lease on life and has retrieved some of its tourist allurement from the past. Still unspoiled by mass modern tourism, Tampico, a city of some 307,000, remains the place where a traveller is able to see, feel and experience the real Mexico and its local kitchen.

One of the great attractions of this city is its food - especially fish and seafood. Surrounded by lakes, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, a great variety of the creatures of the sea are available. Crab, shrimp and fresh fish are prepared in many ways. Tampico’s restaurants offer fish and seafood for all budgets. Indeed, one of the city’s restaurants offer some 70 seafood recipes, prepared with all types of seafood as well as fresh fish such as sea bass and red snapper.

Fish and seafood are only one side of the food coin. In the city’s restaurants, especially in the peoples’ eating place, ‘Centro Gastronomico’, located in the Port area, many dishes have been influenced by cooking from all around the world. The Arabs, Chinese and Spaniards have brought and integrated their cuisine into Tampico’s kitchen. On the other hand, if one is looking for foreign foods, there are various options. Chinese, French, Japanese, Italian and Lebanese eating-places can easily be found.

However, it is the authentic Tampico dishes that interest most visitors. They are made succulent and mouth-watering by the use of recado, a reddish paste, flavoured with achiote seed and epazote, an herb used to flavour and de-gas beans. This, along with the freshness of the fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, enhances the taste, making Tampico’s cuisine irresistible.

Crab Tampico, oyster soup a la Americaine, fillet with cheese, sea bass wrapped in paper, rancheros style shrimps, seafood enchilades, and crayfish stuffed with its huitlacochle (corn fungus) and squash flower, are a few of the specialities created from the produce of the sea by the city’s chefs.

No less important are the numerous other food creations in this area of Mexico. Thin cheese tortillas used for tacos, chili rellenos poblano (peppers stuffed with cheese and meat), crepes de huitlacochle, papadzules (tortillas in pumpkin-seed sauce), and carne asada a la Tampiquea (grilled beef with trimmings), considered to be the king of Tampico’s dishes, are a number of the foods for which the city is renowned.

Tampiquea is responsible for making the culinary art of Tampico famous. Served with refried beans, tortilla chips and guacamole, along with rice, it is a whole meal by itself. Prepared in various ways - barbecued, grilled or at times fried, this dish is what knowledgeable travellers first ask for when they set foot in the city.

In Tampico eating well is a never-ending game. With these few recipes, centred around carne asada a la TampiqueZa, which I have simplified and adapted to my own taste, it is hoped that the cook-reader will become acquainted with the cuisine of Los Jaibos (the popular crab-like crayfish) - the name by which the Tampicans are affectionately known.

Carne Asada a La TampiqueZa - Tampico Steak

Serves about 6

• 2 pounds fillet steak, cut into 12 about 1/4-inch thick and 6 inch long pieces

• 4 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 chili anchos (dry red hot pepper), soaked overnight and drained

• 1 large tomato, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 6 small pieces of a rubbery type of cheese, lightly fried

• 3 small limes, cut in half

• 6 tortillas, corn or wheat, six-inch in diameter, fried 20 seconds on each side

• guacamole

• frijoles de olla (beans in a pot)

• 6 strips of roasted rojas (hot pepper)

• shredded lettuce

Sprinkle steak with lime juice, 1 ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper, then allow to stand for an hour or more.

In the meantime, liquify in a blender chili anchos, tomato, garlic, onion and remaining salt to make salsa, then set aside.

Grill steak very quickly - a few minutes on each side - then place two pieces on each plate. Beside the steak, place a piece of the fried cheese, a half lime, a tortilla dipped in the salsa and folded over, 2 tablespoons of guacamole, two tablespoons beans, a strip of rojas and some shredded lettuce.  Serve along with cooked rice as a side dish.

Mexican Guacamole - Avocado Dip

• 2 medium sized avocados

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 medium sized tomatoes, very finely chopped

• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

• 2  tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 2  tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon. pepper

• l/8 teaspoon cayenne

Pit and peel avocados, then mash in a mixing bowl with the lemon juice. (reserve one pit). Stir in the remaining ingredients and, then spread on a serving platter. In order for the guacamole to keep its colour, bury an avocado pit in the middle, then refrigerate until time to serve.

Frijoles De Olla - Beans in A Pot

Serves about 8

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil

• 1 pound meat, (any type), cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 hot pepper, finely chopped

• 2 cups kidney beans, washed and soaked overnight in 10 cups water

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1 small can tomato paste (5.5 oz 156 ml), dissolved in 1-cup water

Heat oil in a saucepan, then sauté meat, onion, garlic and hot pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in beans with their water then bring to boil. Cover and cook over medium/low heat for 2 hours or until beans are well cooked, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook for further 30 minutes or until beans are well cooked, stirring a few times and adding more water if necessary. Serve hot.

Arroz Blanco - White Rice

• Serves 4 to 6

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1 cup rice, rinsed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 2 cups water

In a frying pan, melt the butter, then sauté onion over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add garlic, rice, salt and pepper, then stir-fry for further 2 minutes. Add water then bring to boil.  Cover then cook over medium/low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir and re-cover and allow rice to cook in its own steam for another 20 minutes. Serve as a side dish.

Crab Soup

Serves about 8

• 3 cups stewed tomatoes

• 6 cups water

• 1 cube chicken bouillon

• 1 finely chopped sweet pepper

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas

• 1 pound crabmeat, cut into small pieces

Place tomatoes, water, bouillon, sweet pepper, onion, hot pepper, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper in a saucepan, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients then bring to boil and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Crab Tostadas  - Tostadas de Jaiba

Makes 8 tostadas

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed 

• 1 large tomato, finely chopped

• 1 small avocado, peeled and finely chopped

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled chilis plus 2 tablespoons of their juice

• 1 pound cooked crabmeat

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 8 corn or wheat tortillas, fried crisp

Heat oil in a frying pan, then stir-fry onions and garlic over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.

Combine the tomatoes, coriander, parsley, chilis, juice, avocado and crab, then stir in onion mixture, salt and pepper. Top tortillas with mixture, then serve with lime wedges and hot pepper sauce.

Crab Tampico

Serves about 4

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 pound crabmeat, cut into small pieces

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or similar cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• lime wedges

In a frying pan, melt the butter then sauté onion over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, except lime wedges, then sauté further until the cheese melts. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Seafood Enchiladas - Mexican Turnovers

Makes 12 pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped

• 1/2 pound crab meat, chopped

• 1/2 pound chopped shrimp

• 1/2 pound ground walnuts

• 1/2 cup pitted olives, halved

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 12 corn or wheat tortillas, six-inch in diameter, fried 20 seconds on each side

• 1 1/2 cups half and half cream

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oil in a frying pan, then sauté over medium heat onion and hot pepper for 8 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in crab, shrimps, walnuts, olives, salt, pepper and half of the cheese to make a filling.  Divide into 12 portions. Place one portion on each tortilla, then roll closed.  Place seam-side down in a greased casserole and set aside.

Place in a saucepan cream, butter, oregano and garlic powder, then stir over medium heat until warm. Pour evenly over enchiladas then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes, then serve warm.

Buneuelos- Sweet Fritters

Makes 20 to 25 pieces

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, beaten

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

• oil for frying

• fruit sugar

• cinnamon

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan, then bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring a number of times. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and combine well, then make a well in middle. Stir in saucepan contents, egg and butter, then knead into a dough, adding a little flour or water if necessary. Cover and let rest 1 hour.

Divide dough into 20 to 24 balls the size of walnuts then roll as thinly as possible – about 4 to 5 inch circles.  Place oil into frying pan to about 1 inch deep then heat. Fry circles over medium/low heat until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels, then sprinkle with fruit sugar and cinnamon.

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