Jalpa, Zacatecas

Jalpa is a town located in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, close to the border with Jalisco and Aguascalientes and about a two hours drive south of the capital city, Zacatecas. Jalpa is a colonial-style city, with cobble stone streets, narrow walkways, two main churches: El Señor de Jalpa and La Parroquia de San Antonio, and two plazas. Jalpa was modeled by the French in the 19th century. In the middle of the plaza is a kiosk which remains in good shape today, after hundreds of years. Most houses are painted in bright colors just as in colonial times. The houses are made of adobe and share common walls and most have flat roofs.

The original indigenous natives were the Caxcan, Chichimeca and Huichol people.

History
Jalpa was founded in 1532 by Spanish explorers in search of gold and silver. Jalpa was spelled "Xalpa" by its native Caxcan, Chichimeca, and Huichol people. Conquered by the Spanish, the Indian population intermixed with Spanish and other European peoples to form today's mestizos. In 1540, as part of the Mixtón War, the conquistador Diego Fernández de Proaño was expelled from Jalpa by the Caxcanes who were led by Francisco Tenamaztle and their chief Petacatl. They were ultimately defeated and the first church was built in Jalpa in 1542.

Population
The population is between ten and twelve thousand with most living within the town and surrounding communities. The population continues to grow since Jalpa is a significant transportation hub between the cities of Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, and Zacatecas. A large percentage of the population is older than 50 years; and there are significantly more females than males in the younger age bracket; the overall female to male ratio is about 50.9% to 49.1%. This disproportion is because more males migrate to the United States, where as females usually stay. There are about 12,868 females and 12,428 males since 2020. Over time the ratio on men has changed.

The Leonera Mine operated in Jalpa and was the first site where the mineral jalpaite, a rare copper-silver-sulfide mineral, was discovered in 1858.

Much of the growth in Jalpa is fed by remittances in US dollars from former residents who have emigrated to the United States. Almost every family has at least one member, usually male, residing in the US. Most family members receive money from those living in the United States. There are no known factories in this town that export goods. Farming activity has also been decreasing due to water table shortage in the region's aquifer. Most of Zacatecas lies within two high sierras, hence its dry climate and poor rain seasons. Many traditional plantations/farms that grow guayaba and sugar cane in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, have been now replaced with agave fields- since these plants require minimal water for growth. Other current farmed crops are: maize (corn), bean, sugar cane, alfalfa, calabaza (pumpkin), and wild cactus (nopales) which gives a fruit called tuna (prickly pear in English).

Art and Culture
There are many arts and culture in Jalpa. on July 25th, Jalpa celebrates Tastuans Ritual. Tastuans are induvial who dress up with cow-hair crests bristling from dark wooden masks they also have bright capes on. They spend month preparing for this fest, Santo Santiago. This tradition is known to last three days long. The ritual starts with battle acting out, dancing and other things. This ritual is a religious story, the Spanish won and not just the war, they bought their religion their language. It is custom to go from pueblo to pueblo, in three days to play a theatrical dances, rowdy entertainment and religious services. 

Food
Jalpa is known for their delicious foods. There are so many different dishes and stories behind each dish. Here is a list of dishes that originate from Zacatecas and carried on to Jalpa. Asado de Bodas, it is made with pork and various chili peppers. Enchiladas Zacatecanas, these can vary depending on the region. Not to forget Birria is also a famous dish in Jalpa. It is made with lamb, ancho chili, and morita. Among the spices they also use flavor for example, cloves, thyme, oregano, pepper and cinnamon.