Coconut Cuala: Puerto Vallarta’s Traditional Dessert

Not too long ago, while strolling around downtown Puerto Vallarta, one could commonly find vallartenses enjoying the afternoon gathering with neighbors outside their homes, sitting on chairs on the sidewalks, partaking in a special ritual in which they could have a nice conversation, enjoy the fresh breeze and greet acquaintances and unknown passers-by with a friendly buenas tardes (good afternoon). The ritual was also the perfect excuse to savor a wide range of homemade desserts offered by street vendors who eagerly satisfied the cravings of local and curious visitors on a daily basis with sweet breads, rice pudding, flan and fresh fruit paletas (popsicles) and other traditional treats. One of these unique delicacies stands out due to its historical tradition as one of the very few desserts that originated in Puerto Vallarta: Cuala de Coco (coconut cuala).

It is neither custard nor pudding, nor cake. For that matter, nobody seems to know when this concoction first appeared in the local gastronomy, but what we do know is that it somehow bears resemblance to all three aforementioned treats, and most elderly people in town remember it as a favorite of their forefathers.

The importance of this local culinary treasure was recently highlighted by Puerto Vallarta’s Cultural Department, through an initiative presented earlier this year to name coconut cuala along with the envarasado-style fish (fish on a stick) and the crown of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish as cultural heritages in the state of Jalisco, a process that is still in the works.

Despite the fact that there are still a few street vendors and market stalls offering coconut cuala nowadays—particularly in Pitillal, one of Puerto Vallarta’s most traditional neighborhoods—, it is not easy to find.

Gaby’s Restaurant—a well-known traditional Mexican restaurant and one of this year’s Restaurant Week participants—has included this treat on their Restaurant Week special menu, so we decided to visit young chef Julio César Castillón to learn about Puerto Vallarta’s traditional dessert.

Chef Julio César Castillón began his culinary education at the Training Center for Industry (CECATI) and subsequently studied Gastronomy at the Higher Technological Institute of Puerto Vallarta.

“I think just about every vallartense has tasted or, at least heard about coconut cuala but we can’t still say this is a widely recognized Mexican dessert. In fact, there are very few restaurants offering it. This is the second year in a row in which we’ve featured it in our Restaurant Week menu and it’s very rewarding to notice the favorable responses from our diners.”

Chef Julio Castillón adds a personal touch serving the dessert with a hibiscus and liquid chocolate sauce.

The recipe of the coconut cuala served at Gaby’s comes from Julio’s grandmother, who vividly recalls pristine areas from way back when, lined with oil palms all over what we now call Pitillal and Francisco Villa Ave. Those plants provided vallartenses with the recipe’s main ingredient: coco de aceite (the coconut from oil palm) extracted from its fruit.

Coconut cuala is a homemade dessert anyone can prepare at home, Julio explains. The first step is to heat whole milk in a pot and then add evaporated milk along with vanilla, cinnamon, condensed milk, sugar, the seed of the coconut—once it has been crushed and ground—and, finally, corn masa (the flour-like ingredient used to make tortillas and tamales). The coconut cuala is then refrigerated until adopting the consistency of jello. Its flavor is very similar to the coconut atole, a well-known hot corn masa based Mexican beverage, but it feels more like  cake in your mouth. It is sweet but not overwhelmingly so, and the mixture of coconut and corn flavors is just scrumptious. 

For the Castillón family, owners of Gaby’s Restaurant, preserving traditional recipes has been priority at their eatery, and the coconut cuala is not the only example: last February, their fish meatballs won Best Dish at the Vallarta Local Cuisine Festival, celebrated at Lázaro Cárdenas Park.

“My parents opened Gaby’s Restaurant as a traditional Mexican fonda (small restaurant) 27 years ago, and we feel very happy to see how our establishment has evolved. I was raised surrounded by this Mexican culinary environment and it definitely inspired me to study gastronomy and specialize in original, local dishes”  

Coconut cuala is offered at Gaby’s Restaurant seasonally and it will be featured on their Restaurant Week menu from May 15-31. You can see the complete menu of the establishment—located at 252 Mina Street in downtown Puerto Vallarta—by clicking here.

Images by: Livier García