As the famous saying indicates, the best strategy to enjoy your holidays in the company of La Paz locals is to share with them and speak like them, or well, at least to try to understand them.
The South Californians of yesteryear and those of today are the result of interculturality, a legacy of the migrants who have found in the Baja California peninsula a calm and beautiful place to live. They are warm people, they will always make their visitors feel welcome; kind, calm men and women of the sea who live without worries and are ready to help.
However, you should keep in mind that although Spanish is spoken, the accent and some local terms may confuse you. In this article we want to show you 9 terms that you should learn to survive a conversation with those from La Paz:
1. If we are dealing with food and suddenly you are offered ALMEJA CHOCOLATA (Chocolate clam), you should know that it is one of the tastiest and most unique dishes in Baja California Sur, with Loreto being its capital. Its name refers to a clam with a chocolate brown shell and a smooth texture, which is cooked or served with a variety of vegetables. An unmissable culinary delight.
2. On the other hand there is street food, we have the ha-tes (JATES), this is the name that they give locally to hot dogs. These ha-tes have a very paceño (paceño is a word used to describe people and things from La Paz) personality, you will find them in almost all corners of the city. Dare to try them and discover the secret of their peculiar flavor.
3. We continue with gastronomy and a term that you will surely hear, and when you do, you will not forget it, the term is MACHACA (crushed). you will not be beaten or anything like that. This concept refers to another legendary dish, and its name describes the action of mashing or hitting a piece of meat, generally beef tenderloin, on a mesquite trunk with a piece of wood from the same tree; the meat is then salted and left to dry. And then it is ready to be cooked in different ways. There is also another variety, the fish machaca. And to accompany the stew, beans and the famous flour tortillas.,
4. Finally and to close this gastronomic wisdom that makes your mouth water, there is a dessert with a very sonorous name CAPIROTADA. It is a pudding made with a mixture of aged bread, with banana, walnuts, guava, raisins and peanuts covered with piloncillo candy and grated cheese. There are varieties and it depends on the place in Mexico where you are because this dessert is also found in other Mexican states. It would be worth comparing and tasting such varieties
5. So much delicious information; Está curado!, right? (cured) Well, do not be surprised, it is not that I have any idea of your discomforts and medical history, curado is an adjective used to refer to something really great, very funny or very good.
6. Meh ... Are you still talking like a foreigner? Meh is one of the most iconic and unmistakable expressions of Baja. It can refer to various things depending on the context, but generally indicates something uncertain. Meh is an expression that adopts you, you don't learn it, it just comes out of your vocabulary by itself when spending time here with the locals
7. Choyeros - that's what authentic people from La Paz are called . And since you are up to date with local words and expressions, the last two recommendations:
8. To enjoy the delights of Baja with the palomilla. Palomilla refers to a group of friends who share time together.
9. Don't forget to greet the palomilla with the traditional “weeeep”, a legendary greeting from the peninsula when you meet someone you know.
Está curado or meh?