Opening of the AIFA: Barbecue, scales, gualumbos and wild boar the “delicacies” that Omar Fayad reminded those who go to the airport

Omar Fayad, governor of Hidalgo, took advantage of the grand opening of the new Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) to promote the gastronomic culture of the entity in which he holds the position of head of the local executive. So during his participation in the ceremony, he presumed that in his state the best barbecue in Mexico is served.

This Monday, March 21, the federal administration led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) inaugurated the first megaproject of the fourth transformation. Symbolically, the opening ceremony was held in commemoration of the 216th anniversary of the birth of Benito Juárez, the best president of Mexico according to AMLO.

The event was invited by members of the presidential cabinet and three heads of local governments, due to the importance of the work and the impact it would have on the local economies of those states. As it was a work erected in Santa Lucia, State of Mexico, Governor Alfredo del Mazo was present; also, as the benchmark of the Mexican megalopolis, Claudia Sheinbaum, head of government of Mexico City, was present; finally, because it was in a municipality near Hidalgo, its governor was also present. Omar Fayad.

The latter, like the other governors, made brief statements at the stand installed at AIFA, where he presumed that near Santa Lucia, his entity began, in which, in addition to being able to consume the best barbecue, travelers who use the air terminal, will have access to dishes such as escamoles, gualumbos and wild boar.

In Mexico, the term barbeque mainly refers to the traditional method used to prepare various meats, mainly sheep, goat or beef, by cooking them in their own juice or steamed together with ingredients and herbs from the region, whereby consommé is served and tacos are prepared, which can be served soft or golden (fried).

In Hidalgo, this animal is prepared in different ways (mixiote, lomitos, steak). The texture and quality of its meat allow us to carry out different recipes in which the seasoning of the Hidalgo people have made wild boar one of the main reasons why they receive visits from all parts of Mexico.

In Hidalgo it is very common to find gualumbos, which are traditionally cooked with eggs or can be found in other stews as a characteristic ingredient of the region. Of vegetable origin, gualumbos are born from the maguey flower, which sprouts until it reaches maturity, which occurs, approximately, until the age of 15.

The scales, nicknamed as the caviar of the poor, are the larvae of the güijera ant, with the scientific name Liometopum apiculatum, which has inhabited the national territory since pre-Hispanic times and were considered a regular part of the diet of the civilizations that inhabited what is now known as Mesoamerica. Due to its characteristics, a kilo of scales can cost up to 1,200 pesos (approximately USD 60).

Thus, one of the positive impacts expected with the inauguration of AIFA is to encourage tourism in the vicinity of the terminal, so Fayad Meneses insisted that tourism could take advantage of the gastronomic offer that his entity offers.

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