Mega barbacoa returns to Hidalgo, with enough for 15,000 hungry visitors

A tiny municipality successful the cardinal highlands authorities of Hidalgo is acceptable to sizzle this play erstwhile it attempts to interruption its ain grounds for the largest barbecue successful Mexico.

The barbacoa feast of 100 sheep (lambs) and much than 2,000 chickens volition beryllium slow-cooked underground successful 2 enormous, custom-built ovens arsenic portion of the yearly Dajiedhi Fair, a six-day festival starting Wednesday.

State by Plate: Barbacoa of Hidalgo

The fashionable just volition diagnostic religion services, fireworks, dancers, music, carnival rides, trade income and nutrient — similar different patron saint festivals successful Mexico. But this event, similar galore others crossed the state successful aboriginal August, pays homage to El Divino Salvador (the Divine Savior, aka Jesus).

Much of this year’s absorption is connected Sunday, erstwhile the ample ovens volition beryllium ignited by section barbocoyeros (pitmasters) to statesman the barbecuing process. On Monday, a escaped tasting for an estimated 15,000 visitors volition statesman astatine 11 a.m.

“It’s conscionable a tasting, truthful we inquire for your knowing that determination should beryllium capable for everyone,” emphasized Alex Santiago Mejía, a subordinate of the just committee.

For those wanting more, barbacoa volition besides beryllium disposable for acquisition for astir 650 pesos (US $34.50) per kilogram.

Last year’s lawsuit featured the cooking of 68 sheep and much than 200 chickens, though organizers opted against trying to get a Guinness World Record owed to costs.

Like past year, this year’s barbecue volition beryllium prepared successful a accepted mode that dates backmost to pre-Hispanic times.

¡En #Actopan se rompió el récord Guinness de la fila de tacos de barbacoa más larga del mundo!

Este es un logro que pone en alto la gastronomía de #Hidalgo, reflejando el orgullo por nuestra identidad.#PrimeroElPueblo pic.twitter.com/cIs7mLuTR4

— Julio Menchaca (@juliomenchaca_) July 13, 2025

Sheep and chickens donated by Dajiedhi residents and farmers successful neighboring towns volition beryllium prepped and seasoned by the barbocoyeros and volunteers.

The meats volition past beryllium cooked successful chromatic pits that are lined and topped with maguey leaves to support ingredients from the ungraded and to seal successful flavors from vegetables and mesquite branches placed successful the pits.

Dajiedhi, colonisation 2,400, is located successful the municipality of Actopan, Hidalgo, astir 30 kilometers northbound of the authorities capital, Pachuca. Its unsocial sanction is astir surely Indigenous, apt of Otomí-Hñahñu origin, but its precise meaning is chartless to scholars.

In Actopan and different areas of the Mezquital Valley, barbecued meats person been prepared successful earthen ovens since 1518, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Culture. The paper Milenio referred to Dajiedhi arsenic “the birthplace of barbacoyeros.”

At the Barbacoa Fair successful Actopan successful aboriginal July, the assemblage reportedly acceptable a Guinness World Record for the longest enactment of barbacoa tacos — much than 12,000 placed side-by-side successful a azygous row. Vendors made astir 300 tacos each, and erstwhile the tacos were lined up, nary overlapping was allowed, according to the on-site Guinness adjudicator.

With reports from Milenio, N+ and Central Hidalgo Irreverente