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December is a particular month in gastronomic terms. In Bahía de Banderas, the table is set with a wide variety of dishes full of tradition for the New Year's Eve festivities.
Christmas has arrived, and even though Bahía de Banderas is not adorned with snow or cold, the Christmas spirit is felt everywhere. The temperature is ideal for foreigners from different countries and people from all corners of the country visit us and celebrate Christmas in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.
We all look forward to this time. We want to delight ourselves with a number of flavors Christmas that remind us of beautiful moments full of family warmth, meetings with friends or unforgettable evenings as a couple.
Gastronomic rituals that unite families
Although we have incorporated elements both from the rest of the country and from other nationalities. In the bay there are some families that still cook traditionally as relatives of past generations did. Vallarta enjoys a wide variety of foods due to its strategic location. There are people from Guadalajara, Mascota and Nayarit.
For many years now, it has been a tradition to eat turkey, or turkey as it is also known. Of course, doing it at home requires a whole ritual. On ranches or farms, the turkey is fed and cared for with care, so that later some brave member of the family does the honors of cutting off its head and then cooking it. This fact is a comical part of family memories, since the turkey has to be held very strongly when cutting off its head, because if not, even without its head the animal continues to run. Some families prefer to let it run, since when it is bled, the meat is said to be softer. Preparing this type of dinner, with everything and those moments, it makes the family spend not just one, but several days of reunion and celebration.
Even though the data is very curious, many people prefer to buy the turkey already cleaned and ready to prepare in a supermarket.
Today you can find different recipes for Christmas dinners in restaurants in the region. There are many delicious versions of the traditional stuffed turkey dinner, with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry jam.
Christmas flavors with a touch of love and tradition
Like good Mexicans, this season the belly comes first. Some typical dishes that are also used even though they are from other parts of the country are the traditional romeritos from Mexico City, cod (fish Vizcaina style), pork leg and many other options. Other typical Christmas dishes that are eaten in practically all of Mexico are buñuelos, a kind of thin fried bread. They are prepared with flour, egg and butter in the shape of a wheel and sweetened with cinnamon, honey or sugar.
We must not forget the traditional "Ponche" an exquisite seasonal drink, made from cooked seasonal fruits. It has tamarind, hibiscus, apple, guava, hawthorn sweetened with piloncillo and cinnamon.
In other homes, the traditional shrimp tamales, originating from Mazatlan. Also the delicious atole or champurrado, a thick drink that is served hot, made from corn flavored with coconut, chocolate, and vanilla.
The people of Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas usually gather with their families and friends to share beautiful moments. One of them is undoubtedly the food. That human warmth is what has become the main ingredient for our foreign friends to enjoy this time equally. Whether in a restaurant or in the privacy of your home, enjoy these dates so full of love and joy with their Christmas flavors in our bay. Happy holidays and bon appetit!
- Christmas flavors: food with a special touch - 26 December 2021
- Zarandeado Fish: the best Mexican dish in our bay - 13 May 2019
- Capirotada: at Holy Week and Easter an award for our palate - 22 April 2019
