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 Maria Chuchena
By Jeff Becker Photography By Joseph Burgess
In the traditional Mexican folk song, Maria Chuchena is a smiling woman with the magic hands. The kitchen is her world and the aromas and flavors she creates are unforgettable. With food, she fills the world with surprises.
At Maria Chuchena the restaurant, located just across the border in Juarez, Mexico, a similar type of magic is happening. Serving traditional Mexican dishes made contemporary, the restaurant strives to combine the history and culture of Mexico while adding modern eclectic flair. While this isn’t fusion cuisine, the dishes at Maria Chuchena are exciting in how they honor the tradition they come from.
To properly understand Mexican cuisine it is important to first forget everything one thinks he knows about enchiladas, tacos, and refried beans. Most of what is available to us in this country, even here in the borderlands, is Americanized. While New Mexican food, as it should be called, is wonderful, it does differ greatly from its traditional Mexican ancestors. It should be noted that Mexican cuisine is just as diverse as any other ethnic food (and I am not referring to a combination plate here, but real culinary diversity). With a number of distinct culinary regions, and a vibrant agricultural economy, Mexico proves to be a worthy destination for those in search of good food.
 Maria Chuchena embraces these distinct regions of Mexico by adding new features to their menu every two months, thus making different styles of food available to patrons on the Northern border. Sinaloa, the area now featured at the restaurant, includes a number of salmon and tilapia seafood dishes typical to that region. In addition to these features, Maria Chuchena’s regular menu goes far to express the diversity of Mexican food. One of the more popular dishes, the Pechuga Adelita, is a chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and squash flowers. The squash flower is a traditional ingredient in Mexican cuisine that tastes sweet and nectar-like. The chicken is served in a special salsa Epazote and accompanied by sliced potatoes topped with bacon and Asadero cheese. The herb Epazote is native to Mexico and has been used for thousands of years. On the palate it is refreshing, yet earthy, and it goes well in these dishes. The use of herbs and flowers like these are Maria Chuchena’s nod to the cuisine that has evolved in Mexico from pre-Columbian times.
A range of chiles and other authentic Mexican ingredients are displayed on the Maria Chuchena menu. By offering a number of different sauces and dishes that employ the distinct qualities of different chiles, the kitchen is able to incorporate the various flavor qualities of each different chile into distinct dishes. While chipotle has caught on here in the U.S., others such as chile pasilla, arbol, poblano, and güerito frequent the menu. They also serve multiple purposes in the cuisine. Many are used in the cream sauces. Others, like the chiles güeritos, are stuffed with shrimp and served as an appetizer. In addition, Maria Chuchena also uses a number of exotic ingredients that are harder to come by in the US. On the menu, one will find certain dishes that contain items like Nopales, a variety of cactus. There are a large number of different cheeses, like crema fresca (sort of like crème fraiche) that is used in a number of the sauces, and other traditional cheeses (both goat and dairy cow) can be spotted throughout.
Staying true to theme, the wines at Maria Chuchena are primarily from Mexican producers in Baja California. There are several Italian and Spanish exceptions, and the menu recommends pairings for each dish. A full bar offers margaritas and other common drinks, with highlights like the The Marimba, a three-course drink that includes a shot of tequila, a glass of beer and a sangrita served in a salted cucumber mug.
 One should not be afraid to venture to the finer restaurants of Juarez. Not more than a five to ten minute drive from the Cordova “free” bridge off Copia Street in El Paso, patrons can easily take their own cars into Juarez where they will have access to valet parking. Taxis are also more than willing to drive you across, or pick you up once you walk over. Now, with a number of moderately priced restaurants offering cuisine comparable to the nicer restaurants on the U.S. side of the border, it is a trip worth taking.
Maria Chuchena is located at 1121 Avenida Abraham Lincoln in Juarez.For reservations or questions call
011-52-656-611-2233 or go to mariachuchena.com.
Hours are 8 to 12 am, with live music Thursday through Saturday.
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