Damage in the town of Huauchinango (Reuters)August 8 2016 ShareSave NEWS BRIEF Violent rains caused by Hurricane Earl sent mud flowing down hillsides and killed about 40 people in two Mexican towns along the east coast over the weekend towns on the opposite side of the country are preparing for another bad storm Hurricane Earl dropped about a month’s worth of rain in a single night in Veracruz and Puebla The torrents loosened the earth near the two communities and mudslides buried homes and people About 25 people are believed to have died near the town of Huauchinango a community in the Sierra North de Puebla mountains As Reuters reported said canine units were searching for the missing but the number of unaccounted for residents was unclear showed massive mudslides burying entire hillsides trees felled and buildings creaking under collapsed walls and roofs Earl was downgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to dissipate Tropical Storm Javier pushed within 75 miles of land Its winds have reached 50 mph and the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the area where Javier is expected to follow the coastline north possibly making landfall late Monday night There’s the marketing-driven Americanized holiday, typified by chimichangas Coronas on special and cartoonish getups of dubious decorum (Can we at least dispense with the sombreros and fake mustaches Then there’s the actual Mexican holiday that inspired the former which is neither so boorishly nor so widely celebrated Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexican independence (that’s Sept. 16) it’s the anniversary of one of the nation’s most important military victories when a vastly outmanned and outgunned Mexican force defeated and turned back the French army as it marched from Veracruz to Mexico City MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest Though the French would regroup and eventually capture the capital (installing the short-lived Second Mexican Empire) it was an unexpected and inspirational victory that remains cause for celebration That’s where Alejandro Bonilla grew up And though Cinco de Mayo isn’t a holiday with strong culinary traditions his Restaurant Huauchinangos offers an excellent and rarified chance to sample some Pueblan dishes “We wanted to make very authentic food very traditional food,” Bonilla says opened his own restaurant and named it for his hometown of Huauchinango The small city in Puebla is less than 100 miles from both Mexico City and Puebla City “It’s a very special day for Puebla,” Bonilla says of Cinco de Mayo Bonilla repeats the common refrain that there aren’t any specific iconic dishes that are widely associated with the holiday Nonetheless, it’s an occasion when many will bring out their favorite family recipes like those Bonilla offers at Huauchinangos Restaurant Huauchinangos is equal parts casual and colorful a humble family-run joint adorned with soccer-themed trophies and murals Though it’s tough to play favorites in Mexico with so many diverse Blending ancient ingredients and techniques with more recent European influences simple as sopes or complex as a layered mole There’s far too much for one restaurant to capture But Bonilla offers many of his family’s favorites derived heavily — if not exclusively — from their indigenous Mexican heritage Stuffed with potato and chorizo and deep-fried Looking a little like molotes that have been squashed flat the tlacoyos ($7) are instead filled with beans Bonilla’s signature huauchitlacoyos ($7) — a portmanteau of Huauchinango and tlacoyos — are slightly larger fried to a more substantial crisp and piled with tender deep red concoction made with smoked jalapeños thinly sliced dried beef seared on the griddle they’re one of Bonilla’s best offerings tortillas pan-fried to a crisp and simply topped Bonilla’s get a thin smear of beans and a pile of shredded chicken cooked with chiltepín pea-size chiles with fruity undertones and a sharp sting The same chicken plays enormously well with peanuts To make his pollo en chiltepín con cacahuate ($10) Bonilla roasts and deep-fries a whole leg and thigh quarter Then he tosses the chicken in a pan sauce made with chicken stock chiltepín and crushed peanuts that have been toasted in oil until light and crunchy but it’s a brilliantly punchy little dish Chicken also is at the heart of one of the most iconic Pueblan dishes at Huauchinangos: the mole Poblano ($10) “This is my grandma’s recipe,” Bonilla notes very traditional mole Poblano.” Leg and thigh are enrobed in a molten silken-textured sauce that’s rich and well-balanced smooth and lightly sweet with swirling flavors of nuts and chiles “This is real Pueblan food,” Bonilla adds It’s a collection of dishes he’s happy to share he has been heartened to see his customers growing more and more diverse — so much so that he was inspired to change the name of the restaurant from singular to plural “Huauchinango is my people,” Bonilla says “But Huauchinangos is everybody — my people from other parts of Mexico — all of us together.” Reach Armato at dominic.armato@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8533. Interact with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 20 restaurants for Cinco de Mayo dining deals Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival on May 7 Best comfort food you haven't tried: Rajas gorditas Killer Dish: Enmoladas, an Oaxacan wonder Hurricane Earl made landfall in Belize on 04 August 2016, near Belize City. After hitting Belize, Earl moved towards West-Northwest, causing major damages in Mexico southern-eastern and central states and in Petén and Quiché departments in Guatemala The Tropical Storm Earl started in the Caribbean Sea and had been declared Category 1 Hurricane just before striking Belize on the night between Wednesday 03 and Thursday 04 August 2016 wind speeds started to reduce and the hurricane weakened to a Tropical Storm the effects on the ground have been ruinous both in Guatemala and Mexico Heavy rain caused three major landslides in the towns of Huauchinango and Tlaola Eleven other casualties have been reported in Coscomatepec de Bravo Tequila and Huayacocotla in the state of Veracruz Landslides and flooding caused major damages to at least 200 houses according to local Civil Defence authorities in Puebla with many interruptions and two bridges collapsed causing significant issues to local transportation Rosario Robles from La Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario Territorial y Urbano (SEDATU) visted affected areas in Puebla to monitor areas affected by Tropical Storm Earl Secretary Rosario Robles said that President Enrique Peña Nieto has instructed authorities to work together to protect all those affected by the storm “All branches of the Government of the Republic – Communications and Transport led by the Secretariat and delegation of the Interior CONAGUA – all are working hand in hand with the state government to quickly resolve this situation.” The National Coordination of Civil Protection of the Interior Ministry issued an Emergency Declaration on 07 August for the municipalities of Huauchinango Tlaola and Xicotepec in Puebla state as a result of the severe rain releases finance from the Fund for Emergency Response (FONDEN) can be accessed and authorities will have resources to meet the nutritional needs shelter and health of the affected population As much as 193.8 mm of rain in 24 hours was recorded between 04 and 05 August at Yamonho Station 198.2 mm of rain fell in 24 hours at the Martinez de la Torre weather station in Veracruz State There could be more severe weather on the way for parts of Mexico According to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) the Tropical Storm called Javier is approaching Baja California in the western coast of Mexico and can strengthen to hurricane status by Monday 08 August NHC forecasts about 100-150 mm of rain to be dumped by Javier on western Mexico Zonas afectadas #huachinango #tlaola #xaltepec brigadas @SEDATU_mx @Rosario_Robles_ @a_saldana_f pic.twitter.com/mX4jKD9UrN — Roman Lazcano (@Roman_Lazcano) August 8, 2016 Alessandro Masoero is a hydrologist researcher working in South America on hydro-meteorological risk forecast and management Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Mudslides triggered by the intense rainfall in eastern Mexico have left 18 people dead over the weekend and more lives are threatened as saturated hillsides have collapsed onto homes in the wake of now-dissipated Tropical Storm Earl At least eight people were confirmed dead on Sunday near the town of Huauchinango located in the rugged Sierra Norte de Puebla mountains in Puebla state Huauchinango Mayor Gabriel Alvarado said in a statement Another 10 have died in neighboring Veracruz state buried in landslides after intense rainfall and flooding Governor Javier Duarte said in a post on Twitter on Sunday The Huauchinango death toll could increase adding that more than 200 people had been affected by damages to homes told Reuters the number of dead in Puebla could reach 18 though he said the estimate remained preliminary "We continue to monitor rivers that are above critical levels," Duarte said in another Twitter post smashing car windows and punching holes in the roofs of Belize City's wooden houses Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all