Not everything happens in Mexico City, you know

As idiosyncratic surviving abroad, being asked wherever I’m from is an mundane thing. So whenever idiosyncratic asks astir my origins – spoiler: not from Mexico City — the speech usually goes similar this: 

“I’m from Mexico.”

Guess what, this fantastic cathedral is perfectly not Mexico City. (Jesús Cervantes/Shutterstock)

“Ah, from Mexico City?” 

“No, from Guadalajara. I’m not definite you’ve heard of it.”

There’s much to Mexico than conscionable Mexico City

To my surprise, immoderate radical person heard of it. Most people, though, haven’t. But erstwhile I archer them I’m from the metropolis that gave the satellite mariachi and tequila (both of which they’ve heard about), they are surprised. Because, judge it oregon not, not everything happens successful Mexico City.

I’ve talked earlier astir how arrogant I consciousness astir being a provinciana, a word that is utilized by chilangos (natives of Mexico City) to notation to immoderate Mexican who is not from the capital. And portion there’s a batch of absorbing things going connected successful the provincias, there’s inactive this wide thought – particularly overseas – that everything happens successful Mexico City.  

To beryllium fair, this thought doesn’t travel retired of nowhere. For instance, each authorities departments are based successful Mexico City, adjacent those that logically should beryllium elsewhere. A premier illustration is the Navy. Why is it landlocked successful the capital, immoderate 300 kilometers from the nearest ocean?

And past there’s nationalist television, which is each produced and broadcast from Mexico City. All the large media companies similar Televisa, TV Azteca, and adjacent Netflix are headquartered there.  The aforesaid goes for the country’s biggest universities, taste institutions, hospitals and publishing houses. All of them made the superior metropolis their home. 

So yes, connected paper, it does look similar everything happens successful Mexico City. And don’t get maine wrong: I don’t person immoderate resentment astir it. I’ve lived successful Mexico City and I emotion it. It’s precisely its wide array of amusement and civilization that makes the metropolis truthful magnetic and specified a people for gentrification.

But if you instrumentality with me, I’ll amusement you that Mexico is truthful overmuch bigger and much absorbing than conscionable its capital. 

Tequila, Mariachi and Charrería – Not yours, Mexico City

You’d ne'er get a show similar this successful the capital. (Kamran Ali/Shutterstock)

My location authorities of Jalisco, connected the West Coast of Mexico, is the cradle of 3 of the nation’s astir recognizable taste icons: tequila, mariachi and charrería. 

Let’s commencement with tequila. Some 20 kilometers from the authorities superior of Guadalajara lies the municipality of Tequila, the birthplace of Mexico’s astir celebrated spirit. The municipality and its surrounding portion are location to the largest fig of tequila producers successful the country. This portion includes the full authorities of Jalisco and parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. 

Another cherished export of Jalisco is mariachi, primitively from the municipality of Cocula. Recognized arsenic an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, mariachi has go a planetary awesome of Mexican identity. Much similar charrería, which besides traces its roots to Jalisco and different Western states. Charrería, too, holds the aforesaid UNESCO designation arsenic mariachi, highlighting its spot arsenic a cornerstone of Mexican tradition.

Mole and chiles en nogada aren’t from the capital

You mightiness not place mole oregon chiles en nogada by name. But you astir apt volition if I amusement you a picture.

Mole is simply a affluent condiment made from assorted chilies and spices. It is traditionally served with chickenhearted and traces backmost to pre-Columbian times. Back then, the condiment was called mulli, and was made from crushed chilies mixed with seeds, herbs and tomatoes. After the Spanish conquest, it is said that nuns astatine the Santa Rosa Convent successful Puebla created a mentation of mulli by combining readily disposable ingredients to grant the sojourn of a viceroy oregon bishop. The effect was mole. 

Mole gained planetary fame acknowledgment successful portion to Michelin-starred edifice Pujol’s signature dish, mole madre, which is featured successful Netflix’s “Chef’s Table.”  

Nope, not Mexico City either. (Pachuca Vive)

Now, arsenic for chiles en nogada, its root communicative is akin to that of mole. Its instauration is attributed to the Augustinian nuns astatine the Santa Monica convent successful Puebla, to observe the country’s Independence from Spain during a sojourn of Mexico’s archetypal Emperor Agustín de Iturbide to the city. The crockery features seasonal ingredients specified arsenic poblano chili, nogada (a walnut sauce), and pomegranate, which symbolize the colors of the triumphant service and existent Mexican flag: green, white, and red.

The champion vino scenery? Think Baja California, not Roma Norte

The Guadalupe Valley, successful Baja California, is the bosom of Mexico’s vino production, liable for much than 70% of the country’s wine. It is location to implicit 150 wineries, galore of which are world-class and boast spectacular architectural designs. This portion has besides go a fashionable destination for culinary tourism,  acknowledgment to its oceanfront vino pairings from section chefs and signature dishes featuring determination ingredients.

In summation to being the superior of Mexican wine, with renowned brands similar Monte Xanic, L.A. Cetto and El Cielo, Baja California besides boasts the second-highest fig of Michelin-starred restaurants successful Mexico aft Mexico City.

Other Mexican states that are gaining a estimation arsenic winemakers see Querétaro, which features a Wine, Cheese and Art way coveted by tourists, and Guanajuato, with each of these states successful Central Mexico benefiting from perfect upwind conditions. 

One of the world’s caller 7 wonders is not successful Mexico City

Mexico City has the largest attraction of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with 3 main entries and 2 shared inscriptions with different states (OK, you triumph connected this one!). However, 31 further sites are extracurricular Mexico City, including 1 of the world’s astir singular astatine Chichen Itzá. 

Chichen Itzá, successful the authorities of Yucatán, is not lone a UNESCO tract but was besides recognized arsenic 1 of the New Seven Wonders of the World successful a planetary survey. This database includes iconic locations specified arsenic the Roman Colosseum, Petra successful Jordan, and the Taj Mahal successful India, among others.

Besides the Mayan tract of Chichen Itzá, the Yucatán Peninsula is location to galore different archeological sites that correspond pre-Columbian culture. Meanwhile, the Southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, UNESCO sites similar Palenque and Monte Albán gully thousands of visitors each year, successful summation to the earthy attractions that are besides included successful the coveted list.

See? I told you not everything happens successful Mexico City.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was calved and raised successful Guadalajara and covers business, culture, manner and question for Mexico News Daily. You tin travel her manner blog Dunas y Palmeras.