Eating antojitos in Aguascalientes

Last summer, I traveled to Aguascalientes to visit José’s abuelita for her 90th birthday. And of the many things I discovered while visiting this centrally-located city (and state), I learned that antojitos are king! Antojitos are like the Mexican cousin to Spanish tapas.

This past week, the Mexico Tourism Board in Chicago began a campaign called “Share Mexico/Comparte México” to educate the public about each of Mexico’s 31 states and the Distrito Federal. Each week will promote a new state and I’ll be blogging about all the states that I’ve visited to share my experiences. The first week is all about Aguascalientes, and I’m so happy to have the chance to share some photos from my trip.

There are several typical antojitos that you’ll see on just about every menu in Aguascalientes. In any lonchería or cenaduría, you’ll find some version of each of these dishes:

Enchiladas estilo Aguascalientes’n – These enchiladas are filled with chicken and cheese, and the tortilla is bathed in a chile mixture and lightly fried (just enough to make it pliable) before they’re stuffed. Usually, they’re topped with lettuce, diced tomato, cheese and crema Mexicana, and served with a generous side of potatoes and carrots, sort of cooked hash brown-style.

Flautas – Filled with chicken and fried to a crisp, topped with lettuce, crema Mexicana, cheese and a drizzle of salsa, this staple antojito is a frequently requested dish in my kitchen. They’re also sometimes filled with carne deshebrada, which is shredded beef.

Tostadas con cueritos – These tostadas are piled high with a mix of lettuce, cueritos, cheese, salsa and crema Mexicana. I’m not a big fan of these, but my cuñada loves them. If you’re wondering what exactly cueritos are… they’re pickled pork rinds. You’ll also commonly see them served as an appetizer called cueritos en vinagre. They’re not exactly my cup of tea because I don’t really like the texture of them, but to each his own.

Chiquiadas – Last, but not least, these yummy treats are a favorite of mine and José’s abuelita. They’re like a cross between a quesadilla and an empanada – the fresh tortilla dough is stuffed with any choice of filling (these have my typical favorite filling of cheese and flor de calabaza), sealed and fried. They’re served with lettuce, crema Mexicana and salsa all on the side.

Of course, this list doesn’t include all of the antojitos you’ll come across, but you’re likely to see all of these in any restaurant in Aguascalientes. You can view an album of photos from all around Aguascalientes, including more typical foods from the area on the Tourism Board’s Facebook fan page.

• What are your favorite antojitos?