Tlacoyos and Other Traditional Grub You Should Try at La Fiesta del Pueblo
Pata Salada, La Fiesta del Pueblo is the name of the open-air Mexican fiesta celebrated every Wednesday and Sunday from 6 pm to 10 pm at Hidalgo Park in downtown Puerto Vallarta. This ongoing event is organized by the Municipal Tourism Office and features stands from several local establishments offering traditional, organic food, and a stage with cultural performances, such as Mariachi and folk dance. The celebration is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the music and cultural offerings typically found in a fiesta mexicana, and try artisanal, pre hispanic food, that is not commonly available in town.
One of the participating stands serves Aztec food, featuring typical tlacoyos on their menu. This ancient dish was also part of the Olmec and Mayan cuisines, as it’s mentioned in the writings of the conquistadors in the 16th century. Tlacoyos look like oval-shaped thick tortillas and are made of blue corn masa and can be filled with several ingredients such as beans, fresh cheese, fried pork, potato puree and mushrooms. They are served with onion, cheese, coriander, nopales (cactus slices) and Mexican salsas, and are best enjoyed with soups and stews. Though they are very popular in Mexico City and other states in central Mexico, there are only a few establishments offering them in Puerto Vallarta.
Tlacoyos y Huaraches for the win.
Una foto publicada por Alex Ochoa (@ochalex) el
Other antojitos (traditional Mexican dishes) available in the same stand are huaraches and quesadillas. The first are very similar to tlacoyos but with all the ingredients served above the tortilla and also including roasted meat; the second are folded tortillas filled with cheese and vegetables.
Local Mexican traditional restaurants known as Cenadurías are present at the event serving well-known dishes made with tortilla such as enchiladas, tacos, sopes, gorditas and burritos at affordable prices, so this may be a good opportunity to enjoy your favorites or try something new. For those who want to consider lighter fare, the Mexican appetizer called pellizcada may be the ideal choice, consisting of a fried masa base smaller than tortillas and topped with beans, meat and salsa. Aside from these specials, pozole stew is one of the most popular specialities in the place, featuring cooked hominy and chicken or pork meat, and served with lettuce, onion, radish, avocado, salsa and tostadas.
Artisanal “Aguas frescas” are usually contained in glass jars called “Vitroleros”
Whether you have chosen fresh cheese tlacoyos or roasted meat huaraches, an order of enchiladas or quesadillas, there is no better beverage to accompany your food than one of the artisanal aguas frescas by local establishment called Refresca (meaning refresh), that sets up a stand at the event. Using 100% natural ingredients, Refresca offers different flavors in unexpected combinations, such as Pineapple-Spinach, Pineapple-Lemon-Nopal and Jamaica-Basil.
After dinner, folks can find traditional desserts, including a broad of Oaxacan Ice Cream served in a variety of flavors. It is also known as nieves de garrafa due the fact they are prepared in stainless steel containers, called garrafas. Banana, coconut, chocolate, mamey, lemon, pistachio and vanilla are just a few among them. Moreover, there is an entire stand selling Mexican treats featuring tamarind and chocolate-mint sweets, almonds with chocolate, gummy candies, among others.
A large variety of Mexican candies can be found at La Fiesta del Pueblo and they are sold in bulk.
Aside from being a unique culinary magnet, La Fiesta del Pueblo provides entertainment: every edition of the event features a different local folk dance group performing on stage, and presenting the sounds and colors from different Mexican states such as Oaxaca, Veracruz, Michoacán, Aguascalientes and Jalisco.
“We want to give tourists and locals another great reason to visit downtown Puerto Vallarta and enjoy this celebration inspired in popular festivals called kermesses, which are celebrated throughout Mexico featuring music, food stands, contests and games” said Ramón González Lomelí, director of the Municipal Tourism Office.
Pata Salada, La Fiesta del Pueblo is taking place every Wednesday and Sunday from 6 pm to 10 pm at Hidalgo Park in downtown Puerto Vallarta until the rain season begins (around early June) and is open to the public. For more information about the event, please contact the Municipal Tourism Office at (322) 222-0923 or visit its Facebook Page.
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