The state of Chihuahua is part of the Northern Mexico Region, along with the states of Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas.
Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico in land area: 247,087 square kilometers (95,401 square miles).
The state capital is the city of Chihuahua (2020 population: 1.1 million). Ciudad Juárez is the state’s largest city (and Mexico’s 8th largest) with a population of about 1.5 million.
The state of Chihuahua has several important tourist areas, including the Copper Canyon region. The Copper Canyons (narrower, deeper and longer than the US Grand Canyon) are home to the Tarahumar Indians, an indigenous group with a particularly distinctive lifestyle. A world-famous tourist train traverses this region.
Many sites in Chihuahua are closely associated with the famous revolutionary figure Pancho Villa. These sites include his former 50-room mansion, now a museum, in the state capital.
Here are select articles and recipes related to Chihuahua:
Love affair began when President Díaz met President Taft at Mexico/US Summit
October 16th 2024 marks the 115th anniversary of the first summit meeting, in 1909, between the presidents of Mexico and the United States. Mexico has had a long tumultuous history from the ancient Maya to modern day events. Like any personal relationships, it hasn’t always been pleasant. From wars and human sacrifice in pre-Columbian days, […]
Sweet and sour tomatillo conserve: Tomates verdes encurtidos
Visually, these remind me of the pickled green tomatoes that are nearly always on the table in New York’s kosher delis. But the sweet-and-sour vinaigrette, with the addition of green chiles, makes them very much a unique product of Chihuahua Mennonite kitchens. Chilacas are long, fresh green chiles, mild to medium hot, commonly found in […]
Russian-Mexican beef soup: Caldo ruso de res
Russian-Mexican beef soup is obviously a holdover from the Mennonites’ days as grain farmers in the Ukraine, with the distinctly Mexican additions of chile and tomato. The original recipe calls for the cut of beef called chamorro, or shanks, which provides a much richer taste than other cuts for soups. Use bone-in beef shanks because, like the Italian […]
Grilled Chihuahua style leg of lamb: Pierna de cordero a la parilla
This northern Mexican recipe, which typifies the outdoor cooking characteristic of the region, is adapted from Larousse de la Cocina Mexicana by Alicia Gironelli. One end of a leg of lamb is thicker than the other, going from about 1 – 2 ½ inches thick, making it easy to satisfy the different tastes for rare, medium and […]
Mexican cheese soup: Crema de queso
There are many versions of this soup, a specialty of the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Gouda cheese also works well in this recipe, which should be prepared immediately before serving. Ingredients 1 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 1/2 cups milk 1 cup evaporated milk 4 ounces grated Chihuahua cheese (gouda may be substituted) […]
Chihuahua-style roast turkey: Pavo al horno estilo Chihuahua
Northern Mexico is the home of a large turkey industry. Recent years have seen the increase in birds known as doble pechuga – literally “double-breasted” – because of their high proportion of white meat. Both this recipe and the following one are from the state of Chihuahua, where turkey, venison and other game were the traditional mainstay […]
Chihuahua Mennonite meatball soup: Caldo de albondigas
This meat-and-potatoes soup, along with a salad and bread or bolillos, could easily serve as a main meal. A friend who has to watch cholesterol makes the meatballs with ground chicken and uses half and half instead of cream. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1-2 chiles de arbol or other […]
Mexican Dried Beef with Eggs: Machaca con Huevos
The cattlemen of the north made meat easy to carry on the trail by drying it. Tastier than other versions of beef jerky, the meat is first marinated, then cooked, shredded and dried. It can be served in tacos, burritos and in scrambled eggs. This version of breakfast burritos was taught to me by the […]
Chihuahua’s Copper Canyon: the treasure of the Sierra Madres
Alongside the railroad tracks at Divisidero, two Tarahumara Indian ladies silently weave pine needle baskets. Pine scent permeates the air. The tracks begin to vibrate. Soon the Chihuahua-Pacifica train screeches to a halt. For 15 minutes, tourists rush past the Indians and the maze of souvenir and burrito stalls to catch a glimpse of interlocking […]
The Battle of Casas Grandes: My grandfather’s memories of the Mexican Revolution
On November 20, Mexico celebrates the anniversary of the 1910 Revolution. This is a first-hand story from the memories of a Columbus judge whose grandfather died in the first battle. The Mexican Revolution continues to reverberate after 100 years. On a crisp fall evening in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, lavender hues shimmer softly along the still-warm […]
The magnetic deserts of the world – Zone of Silence, Mexico, gateway to the universe
This article first appeared in Ron Mader’s Eco Travels (www.planeta.com) A desert whose immensity borders mountains that look like craters, where an abundance of aereolites are scattered around it, just like the memory of a test missile that fell in its arid territory, make the mysterious Zone of Silence in the north of Mexico a […]
Immigrant cooking in Mexico: The Mennonite kitchens of Chihuahua
In recent years, immigration has become a topic of intense focus, not only in the United States and Mexico, but worldwide. Although generally seen as a political question, there is no doubt that the movement of immigrants also falls into the cultural realm, of which cuisine is a significant part. Much of the history of […]
Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico by Richard D. Fisher
Cogan’s Reviews I suspect this may turn out more like a travel article than a book review. In late March we took a tour through the length of the Copper Canyon and I find it difficult to know how to write about this book without bringing in various aspects of the Canyon trip itself. It […]
The Dark Side of the Dream by Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez
Cogan’s Reviews The story begins in 1941, at the time America went to war with Japan and Germany. It concerns the Salazar family, poor farmers in Chihuahua. The grandfather, Sebastian, knows he is dying and he advises the family to move to the United States. He reasons that because of the war the Americans will […]
Curious coming to Mexico’s Mormon Colonia Juarez
Strange how the world turns. Much of Mexico is hungry for tourism. Mexico Mormons, a generally conservative religious sect, would probably prefer peace and quiet in Colonia Juarez but the presidential race in the United States is almost certain to generate traffic. Visitors may purchase a peach or two but they are more likely to […]
Juan Quezada
As told to Shelley Dale by Juan Quezada Illustrated by Shelley Dale Norman Books (Santa Monica, CA 90403) Here in Ajijic on a cold night a week or two ago, my nine-year old Mexican daughter Gabriela and I curled up in a couple of wool blankets and read to each other. Gaby held in her […]
Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley A Novel By Dale Cramer Bethany House, 2011 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback I grew up in “Amish country,” in Ashland County, Ohio, a county adjacent to Holmes County, home to the world’s largest population of Amish (more than a third of Holmes county residents speak Pennsylvania German or German at home). I now […]
My Chihuahua cousins
As a child, I had heard some stories about my ancestors, in particular, about clashes between Pancho Villa and a distant relative, something about someone “being strung up by their thumbs”. However, as a young boy, growing up in San Diego, California, the stories didn’t mean anything to me, and they were stored deep within […]
Mexico’s Copper Canyon
For an unusual winter break, how about a Mexican train ride? The Reader’s Digest called Mexico’s famous Copper Canyon railroad trip, “the most dramatic train ride in the western hemisphere”. Even that description fails to do justice to the spectacular scenery and sightseeing along the line. The railroad was originally built to give southern Texas […]
Paquime: Casas Grandes, Chihuahua
Paquimé, sometimes called Casas Grandes, is probably the most important ruin in Northern Mexico. It was the center of trade and activity for a large area during it’s peak. The period of maximum construction is variously dated 1060 to 1340, or 1250 to 1340. Paquimé was burned around 1340. The ruins are near the modern […]
It’s a bargain in Mexico!
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
Adaptations: Survival of the cleverest
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Mother’s Day in Mata Ortiz
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Learning the ropes in Mata Ortiz
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
El Cohetero: The fireworks man of Mata Ortiz
The 4th of July exploded on November 20th in Mata Ortíz in 1992. The cave-black night near the bridge over Río Palanganas was shot with a kaleidoscope of color and a cacophony of noise, thanks to Jim Pratt, an enterprising friend from Detroit. In many US states it is illegal to buy fireworks–but not in […]
Evolution of a gourmet in Mata Ortiz, Mexico
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
A gift for giving: The mandy Man of Mata Ortiz
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
My heart won’t let me stop: A ceramic artisan of Mata Ortiz
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
From father to son: On top of the world in Mata Ortiz
“When I walked into the museum and saw my ceramic sitting there beside the plaque for the Galardón, I was astonished. I had had no idea I had been awarded the Grand Prize.” José Quezada sat with his father, Nicolás, on the observation platform/roof of the Museum of the Northern Cultures in Nuevo Casas Grandes. […]
The Valley Of The Caves
Imagine living in an adobe home set into a cave halfway up the side of a mountain. Each morning you wake and look out on a vista of gleaming, craggy red rock reaching above forests of dark green pine trees. Your work takes you down the granite slope to a milpa (cornfield) freshened by a […]
Samuel Lopez, A Young Cowboy
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
Leonel Lopez: A Mata Ortiz storyteller on pottery
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
A mother’s influence on a ceramic artist of Mata Ortiz
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Luz: Another village light in Mata Ortiz, Mexico
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
Mata Ortiz: How do you get there from here?
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make ollas, earthenware jars, by a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women and […]
Armando
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
In Mata Ortiz: Once, we were so poor
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Owls, turtles, javelinas and rabbits in Mata Ortiz, Mexico
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua; a village of potters
This article on the potters and pottery of Juan Mata Ortíz, Chihuahua will set the stage for a monthly series entitled, “Among the Artists and the Cowboys.” Visitors to the village describe the place as “magical.” Readers of future stories will discover the charisma of Mata Ortíz and its people-both the potters and the cowboys. […]
Water and culture shock in Mata Ortiz, Mexico
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Eating the guest of honor
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
Chihuahua: on the trail of Pancho Villa, Mormons, Mennonites, waterfalls and turkeys…
“Ay Chihuahua!” Have you ever heard this time-honored phrase of amazement uttered by some dumbstruck or exasperated Mexican? Whatever its origins, it is perhaps never more appropriately used than by those visitors who come to appreciate the state’s wide diversity of tourist merits. Once familiar with them, they too can rightly exclaim, “Ay Chihuahua!”. While […]
Painting poetry: Mexican artist Veronica Leiton
Chihuahua poetry has found a new outlet in the paintings of Verónica Leiton, a 42-year-old Chilean artist who has called Mexico home for more than a decade. “I have always thought that literature, especially poetry, is full of images (and) metaphors that help extraordinarily with the pictorial imagination,” Leiton says. Thus, this project seemed a […]
The vibrant voyages of Mexican artist H. Ramírez
“For me, art means freedom of internal expression, which is everything for me.” Drenched in color, the paintings of Chihuahua artist H. Ramírez pulse with energy and emotion. These elements form the core of Ramírez’s work; his very brushstrokes are informed by the artist’s inner sentiments. “For me, art means freedom of internal expression, which […]
Los Desiertos Magnéticos del Mundo – Zona del Silencio, puerta del universo
(Este artículo apareció por primera vez en Ron Mader’s Eco Travels (www.planeta.com) Un desierto cuya inmensidad bordea montañas con aspecto de cráteres, donde abundan aereolitos esparcidos en sus alrededores, asi como el recuerdo de un cohete espacial que cayó en su árido territorio, hacen de la misteriosa Zona del Silencio, en el norte del país […]
On the trail of lost art works in Chihuahua
Where are people and stories brought together from far-flung places around the globe? One place is MexConnect.com. Several years ago my story about a quest for art treasures in Chihuahua was published here. I traveled there from New York with my daughter Elise to find artworks that were painted by my grandfather, the artist Ettore Serbaroli (1881 […]
Discovering Clues to the Legacy of a Mexican Poet: Manuel Rocha y Chabre
Poets have always intrigued me. Sensitive and observant about the world around them, they are an eclectic blend of artist, philosopher and dreamer and are too often underappreciated during their lifetimes. Several years ago, I was rummaging through a box of family photos with my dad, when he showed me an old, yellowing image of […]
A quest for hidden treasure in Chihuahua
You might say that it all began on an ordinary day in New York – the treasure hunt, that is. My 23 year old daughter Elise was just back from Spain where she had been teaching English to grade school students. One quiet evening, as we sat together at home, I showed her four large […]
Indigenous Chihuahua: a story of war and assimilation
Several million Americans look to the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua as their ancestral homeland. Chihuahua – with a total of 245,945 square kilometers within its boundaries – is the largest state of the Mexican Republic and occupies 12.6% of the national territory. In stark contrast, Chihuahua’s population – 3,052,907 residents in the 2000 census […]
Chihuahua City, Pancho Villa and Parral de Hidalgo
Chihuahua, the state capital, is not a particularly tourist-oriented town but it is virtually inevitable that travelers seeking to explore the inner recesses of the state spend a night or two here as part of their itinerary. The city was officially founded at the start of the eighteenth century and its historic buildings stand scattered […]
Mexico’s Copper Canyon spans Chihuahua and Sinaloa: introduction and resources
The most common way to visit Copper Canyon is by train, which runs from Los Mochis to Chihuahua – one of the few remaining passenger trains in Mexico. While this rail trip offers spectacular views, passengers do not get an opportunity to go deep into the canyon. Therefore, a few years ago, I opted to […]
The cuisines of Northern Mexico: La cocina norteña
Living in southern Mexico and making frequent trips to visit family and friends north of the border, we have taken many different routes to the frontera. From Tamaulipas, which connects the tropical south to the northern plains, to Sonora, where the vistas range from colonial towns to picture-perfect cowboy country, we have enjoyed all of our travels […]
The Zone of Silence in Northern Mexico: scientific marvel or just fiction?
Abstract In the past, environmental conservation has emphasized the protection of the physical environment through the exclusion of humans. As a result, the local inhabitants in and surrounding protected areas often perceive conservation policies to be a threat to their land-use rights and source of livelihood. The objective of this project was to examine the […]
The Tarahumara: An endangered species
Never conquered by the Aztecs and despite being defeated by Mexican armies, the Tarahumara still consider themselves an independent nation. So strong is this conviction that in the Fifties they more than once took complaints directly to the United Nations. Perhaps the purest and most unmixed of any Indian tribe in Mexico, so little is […]
The state of Chihuahua, Mexico: resource page
Chihuahua is a land of magnificent scenery — mountains, canyons, deserts and fresh, clean, clear air. Its spectacular canyons are the biggest in North America. Within the canyons are beautiful waterfalls, one of which is the highest in Mexico. Chihuahua also contains fertile valleys — orchards and crop fields that were coaxed from the desert […]
Chihuahua
Location: The state of Chihuahua is located at the northern end of Mexico, on the Northwest Central Plain. It is bordered to the north and northeast by the United States, to the west and south by the state of Sonora, and to the southeast by the state of Sinaloa. General Information: Chihuahua covers a surface area of […]
Interactive Map of Chihuahua
Interactive Map of Chihuahua The map shows the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The state capital is the city of Chihuahua (2020 population: 1,050,000). Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico in area: 247,087 square kilometers (95,401 square miles). The state’s population is about 3,700,000. Ciudad Juárez is the state’s largest city and Mexico’s […]
Did you know? Chihuahua caves house the world’s largest crystals
The world’s largest natural crystals (of selenite, said to enhance sex drive) have been discovered in caverns in Chihuahua. Early in 2001, news emerged of a truly extraordinary discovery in caverns deep under the earth in the state of Chihuahua. Miners tunneling through the Naica Hills, south of Chihuahua City, in search of silver and […]
TAGS – States, Regions, Cities
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Grilled turkey breast: Pechuga de pavo a las brasas
Chihuahua’s capital, also called Chihuahua, is famous for its restaurants which specialize in food prepared on large grills, or brasas. This is a good recipe for those who eat white meat only, or wish to prepare a festive meal for a small gathering without cooking a whole turkey. Stove-top grills are becoming increasingly popular and are quite […]
Among the Artists and the Cowboys in Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua (Index)
Juan Mata Ortíz is a small village of potters, farmers and cowboys in Northern Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, an unschooled artistic genius, Juan Quezada, taught himself how to make earthenware jars in a method used hundreds of years ago by the prehistoric inhabitants. Now, his works are known worldwide and over 300 men, women […]
