Mead recipe book to innovate Hidalgo's cuisine

Directorate of Social Communication, 30/March/2025

UAEH Newsletter No. 146

*Specialists from different disciplines from UAEH, UAM-Iztapalapa and CIATEJ participated in this cookbook.

*There are 16 traditional and contemporary preparations in which mead is the protagonist.

Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo. - In order to preserve the culinary heritage of Hidalgo and promote the use of mead as a versatile ingredient of high culinary value, a group of researchers from the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo (UAEH) developed a recipe book that presents both traditional and modern dishes to highlight the agave nectar. 

Through the project "Traditional and innovative recipes with aguamiel syrup", the Garza scientific team highlights the importance of this product as a cultural symbol. The recipe book includes 16 formulas, five of which are traditional in order to honor the legacy of the magueyeras communities, the other 11 innovate and fuse contemporary cuisine. Among them are cactus bread, spinach and apple salad, cheese spread, and meat pie with sauce.

Judith Jaimez Ordaz, researcher of the Academic Area of Chemistry of the Institute of Basic Sciences and Engineering (ICBI), said that this work arose from the intercultural dialogue with producing communities in different areas of the state. She affirmed that the collaborative work was very important, since they were able to identify that, although it is an endemic product of Hidalgo, it is not very well known, which opened new opportunities.

Elizabeth Contreras López, UAEH chemist, explained that one of the objectives of the project was to help standardize mead syrup to improve its commercialization and market expansion. Because there are different extraction methods, the color and flavor characteristics varied, so they exchanged knowledge with the producers to promote the standardization of the procedure.

"As a result of this work, we learned more about how the product is consumed in the communities, and from that, they began to share their recipes and the way they use the raw materials of the maguey. The reality is that they are very collaborative and humble people, eager to make their product known," shared Jozelin María Soto Arellano, research professor of the Economics Academic Area of the Institute of Economic and Administrative Sciences (ICEA).

Regarding the gastronomic aspect, Juan Ramírez Godínez, researcher at the Autónoma de Hidalgo, highlighted the nutritional properties of mead syrup, which can serve as a natural sweetener. "These recipes allow the incorporation of a healthy product with a low glucose level, which allows us to offer society something beneficial to health," said the academic.  

For the Garza scientific group, interdisciplinarity is fundamental in this type of project, as the producing communities can be approached from different perspectives, resulting in an enriching final work, both socially and academically. In a second stage, the goal is to create new dishes and introduce them in school cooperatives to promote their consumption and benefit the sector.

The university specialists emphasized that the cookbook is very valuable because of the rapprochement achieved with the communities, the tangible consequences with social impact, and the learning about agroecological practices for the conservation of biodiversity. They also highlighted the knowledge acquired about agave nectar, the integration of students in the creation of dishes and the improvement in people's quality of life.

It is worth mentioning that specialists from various disciplines of the UAEH also participated in this work, as well as members of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), Iztapalapa, and the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ). In addition, the innovative recipes were prepared in the ICEA Gastronomy kitchens.