#7: Guerrero

Located southwest of the capital, Guerrero has mountains, elevated plains (mesas), and beaches, historic colonial towns, numerous indigenous and several Afro-Mexican communities, and modern resorts. Tourism is the main driver of Guerrero's economy with the capital and largest city of Acapulco being an important international tourist destination alongside smaller resort towns of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, and the town of Taxco known for its silver. Domestic tourism is further boosted by Guerrero's proximity to Mexico city. It is the only state named after an ex-president, Vicente Guerrero - a leader in the Mexican War of Independence as well as Mexico's 2nd President.

Now for the food. I made Guerrero style pozole, a soup of hominy and meat, popular throughout central Mexico. What makes it Guerrero style is its green color and tart flavor from tomatillos (versions from other states like Puebla or Oaxaca are red or yellow / white - depending on the type of chile or vegetables used). The one constant in any pozole is the hominy in meat (typically pork or chicken) flavored broth and standard toppings of radish, cilantro and chopped onions. It tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.