Jarocha, that beautiful girl from the coast that dances to the rhythm of sound with her white dress with a silk sash and a flower in her hair behind her earÂ…The Veracruz culture is one of the most distinct of Mexican folklore, a great jarocha fiesta, coast gastronomy and mixed dances form a multicolor painting that is worthy of knowing.

Throughout the year in all of the state, numerous patron, religious and pagan fiestas are celebrated. In Veracruz, every fiesta has the popular dancing, where young and old show off their abilities on the dance floor; bull runs, horse races, folk dancing, chicken fights, sport tournaments, charros, contests, games and religious acts are essential ingredients of the great jarocha celebrations. The most famous celebration, in and out of state, is the carnival, celebrated every first week of February. The famous car parades also have music played by musicians that play to the rhythm of the jarocho or huapango, huasteco, costumes, numerous dancers, and the best humor for celebrating, after a symbolic ¨bad humor¨act is made, act which inaugurates the celebration.

The great tradition of Veracruz dancing manifests with the Folk Ballet of the Government of the State of Veracruz, proud representative of Mexico, for its presentations of the Huasteca, Huapango, Panuco, ¨Danza de los negritos¨, jarabe jarocho, and other Mexican dances, have been known on a local level and also on an international level.

The coastal position of the entity comes together with a long indigenous, Spanish, and afroantillian tradition that gives way to a vast and diverse kitchen. On the coast, the seafood dishes that most stand out are the squid in its wine, shrimp empanadas, chilpachole and ¨Huachinango a la Veracruzana, ¨ whose fame has crossed borders. In Coatzacoalcos exotic dishes adorn the tables of the curious with armadillo meat, turtle soup, smoked pejelagarto and badger meat, among others. The coyol oatmeal and the grass tea are popular in Minatitlan, where you can also enjoy great tamales of chipiles or coyol. In Martinez de la Torre you can also enjoy dishes such as the bobo fish in soup and acamayas of chipotle. Veracruz is famous for its quality coffee exportation. The area of Coatepec is known fro producing aromatic grains but it is also distinguished for its great kitchen, its traditional soup of chicken and rainbow trout.

The craft work is another artistic manifestation of the great quality of Veracruz. The numerous ethnicities still live in the territory and elaborate beautiful textile products, pottery and carton products. In the are of Huasteca and in Sierra de Zongolica, where the macehuale Indians live, they make fabric to elaborate blankets, purses and rugs. The ancient art of pottery had a preponderant in the ancient meso American cultures, and today in the communities of the Huasteca and San Miguel Aguaselos, the women elaborate beautiful ceramic objects for themselves and for selling. The third popular art is carton crafts, whose use also dates back to the first meso American communities and today they are used for decoration and for ritual offerings with china paper.