Zacahuil is a traditional Mexican dish that originated in the Huasteca region, which spans parts of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas.
It is a giant tamale that can measure up to 1.5 meters long and feed up to 150 people. It is made with corn dough mixed with lard, spices, and chilies, and stuffed with large pieces of meat, such as chicken, turkey, or pork. It is wrapped in banana or Papatla (also known in Nahuatl as “Cuexcomate”) leaves, and cooked in a wood-fired oven or a pit dug in the ground.
Zacahuil is usually prepared for special occasions, such as weddings, baptisms, or festivals, and served with salsa or mole. The Zacahuil has a pre-Hispanic origin and a symbolic meaning of justice and revenge, according to some legends.
And Zacahuil it was what they had for breakfast at Palacio Nacional.
“Now let’s get to the tamales,” said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, located at the end of the stage in the Treasury Room, after having given a speech that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes.
From early on, the President anticipated that there would be tamales at the end of the morning conference, on the occasion of Candlemas Day (Candelaria).
“We are going to celebrate Candelaria, we are going to try some tamales here,” he announced at 7:12 a.m.
After talking about diverse topics such as the accusations against him, the possible continuity of the 4T, the new book, and even the contributions of Lázaro Cárdenas as a Mexican president back in 1938, AMLO ordered that they bring out the long-awaited “Zacahuil“.
Assistant Staff brought a table with the traditional Huasteca Tamale, made from pounded corn, chili, and meat, it was the size of two tables. The Zacahuil was prepared one day before and brought directly from San Luis Potosí some 300 miles away.
YouTubers approached the table and López Obrador asked them to explain the origin of Zacahuil.
A woman from Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, prepared 300 “Oaxacan” tamales for the occasion too.
Both the Zacahuil and the Oaxacan tamales were paid by members of the Mexican Press.
TYT Newsroom
