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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Sonora
Distilled spirit from Agave angustifolia, roasted in an earth oven, fermented and distilled in the Sierra of Sonora. It is named after the town of Bacanora and has a denomination of origin exclusive to Sonora since 2000.
Traditional drink from Sonora
Also known as: bacanora sonorense, mezcal de Sonora
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Bacanora — Sonora, Mexico
Bacanora is Sonora’s agave distillate. It is made from Agave angustifolia, called in the region agave pacífica or yaquiana, which grows among the hills and ravines of the sierra. The agave hearts are roasted in ovens dug into the ground, crushed, fermented and distilled in a process similar to mezcal, and the spirit shows sweet agave and smoky notes.
The name comes from the municipality of Bacanora, in the Sierra Centro, east of Hermosillo, and production in the region goes back centuries. The denomination of origin, requested by the government of Sonora, was published in 2000 and covers municipalities in the sierra and the Río Sonora valley. Only there may bacanora be produced and bottled under that name.
For much of the 20th century production was prohibited, and sierra families kept distilling in secret. With legalisation and official protection, bacanora began to be bottled and certified and gained presence outside the state.
Bacanora is usually drunk neat, in small measures, accompanying grilled meat and northern cuisine. Consumption should be moderate.
Sonora
Agave distillate with a denomination of origin exclusive to Sonora since 2000, produced in the municipalities of the sierra and the Río Sonora.
Agave angustifolia (agave pacífica or yaquiana), roasted, crushed, fermented and distilled.
Neat, in small servings, at room temperature; also in cocktails. Drink in moderation.
Year-round, at festivals, gatherings and to accompany grilled meat.
Your questions
It’s an agave distillate made in the sierra of Sonora, with a denomination of origin exclusive to the state.
The process is similar, but bacanora is made from Agave angustifolia and only in municipalities of Sonora protected by the denomination of origin.
From the municipality of Bacanora, in the sierra of Sonora, east of Hermosillo.
Flavors of Mexico
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Raw shrimp butterfly-cut and cured in lime with chiltepín chile, served with cucumber and red onion. It originated in the mountains of Sinaloa as a meat broth with water and chile and reached the coast, where shrimp took the place of meat. It is presented as the state’s most representative dish.
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Dark, thick mole made from dried chiles thickened with corn dough, with pork, served in clay bowls with long tamales. It is the festival dish of Tlaxcala and an intangible cultural heritage of the state.
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