by Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo
It’s one of the most popular attractions of the Sierra Gorda, and a culinary highlight of the state of Queretaro. We’re talking about the Sierra Gorda’s Tasting Route (Ruta Del Sabor), a community-driven initiative that sees a return to authentic cooking and traditional crafts, and a celebration of Mexican flavors.
There are 17 small restaurants and cafes (fondas) that make up the Tasting Route, each with their own special dishes typical to the region, and all offering fresh, home-cooked fare. And while visitors and locals alike enjoy the hand-made tortillas, the rich atoles and mouth-watering gorditas, the Tasting Route is having a far greater impact in the region beyond the provision of great food. Pati Ruiz Corzo explains how the Tasting Route began, and what it means for local communities.
Eighteen years ago, the first community eco-lodge was established in the community of Santa María de Cocos in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, with support from volunteers of the state social service. It was the first time we encouraged a community organization to offer tourism services. Since then, we have generated a wide range of economic opportunities for the communities in the Sierra Gorda, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank. Over the past 3 years, we have been developing ways to grow national and international eco-tourism, to create sustainable livelihoods for locals while protecting the Sierra Gorda Biopsphere Reserve.
One of the initiatives has been the development of Sierra Gorda’s own “Tasting Route”, which launched on 19 February this year. While these small restaurants and other micro-enterprises had been cooking up delicious meals and making stunning crafts for years, they were in dire need of support to make these ventures tourist-friendly and financially viable. Now, each has been rehabilitated and newly equipped, while the owners and operators, the majority of whom are women, have also received training in customer service and business administration. Together, they are part of the network of 82 Sierra Gorda microenterprises, which include craft workshops, community museums and family-run eco-lodges, a network with a rare synergy of entrepreneurship and self-improvement.
During the official launch, we were honored to receive the state governor’s wife, Sandra Albarrán de Calzada, who, through the state social service (DIF), has been the godmother of this movement. The micro-enterprise owners live in conditions of extreme poverty and are owners of natural beauty at the same time. During the launch meeting, Mrs. Calzada offered continuing support for the new community eco-sites – support which will be needed to continue to achieve high quality standards. We also plan on further developing the business owners’ administrative skills so that they are prepared for the new fiscal requirements. In addition, we will be training more nature guides so that they can promote the area’s natural and social heritage. They need to have enough knowledge so that they provide tourists with a truly cultural input.
Furthermore, we plan to continue rehabilitating, rejuvenating and encouraging improvements amongst the eco-operators within the Sierra Gorda Tourism Destination, which will be a model for rural tourism in natural protected areas.
