Back in August when we went to Huamantla for its famous festivity, also known as ‘The night when no one sleeps’, where they fill the streets with incredible carpets made out of colored sawdust and sand, we asked around which were the best ‘muéganos’ in town.
We knew this sweet was Tlaxcala’s delicacy, but with so many stalls selling them –especially that day– we wanted a local’s opinion. Surprisingly, almost everyone said ‘Muéganos Martínez’; that’s how we ended up knocking on this family’s door.
The Martínez Luna siblings, eleven of them, have carried out the family tradition of making muéganos and now invite people into their kitchen to offer a sample and a quick cooking class*. According to them, almost 120 years ago, their great-grandfather came up with the recipe and turned it into Huamantla and Tlaxcala’s traditional sweet.
We have to admit; we weren’t particularly excited for this treat, because the only muéganos we had tasted before (in Puebla) weren’t our piece of cake –hard and bitter cubes of fried pastry with piloncillo. But, boy, were these something else.
This mix made out of lard, water, salt, flour and anise, soaked in melted piloncillo, sprinkled with finely milled cinnamon and covered in colorful obleas, melts in your mouth instantly, just like a marzipan. It’s amazing, and pairs perfectly with the small scoops of lemon ice cream they serve along. Definitely a must-try!
Many ex-workers have attempted to recreate the ‘Martínez recipe’, but because the recipe itself isn’t written down anywhere and the family has always been in charge of making the actual dough, they’ve failed. The secret, according to them, is mostly in producing everything by hand without any electrical mixers or utensils. And maybe it is, because no other muégano in Huamantla compares to this one –we tried many, trust us.
*Visits must be arranged at least with 24-hrs in advance, so that they can have a fresh batch for you to try and all the ingredients for the cooking class.
Useful information
Contact:
You can arrange the visit via Facebook or at 01 247 475 8896.
Address: Abasolo pte. #114. Huamantla, Tlaxcala.
Price:
$25mxn per person, per cooking class
At the end of the cooking lesson, stop by their store and buy a bag of muéganos for friends and family (or for yourself)!
