Beef is the primary meat here as it is culturally part of the north of the country. Cheese is an important ingredient, made in a number of small towns in the area. Cold winters and a history of no refrigeration prompted the development of a number of food preservation techniques, including canning, jam and other preserves, and dried foods such as jerky and chili peppers. Typical dishes include barbacoa, meat in mole sauce (which tend to be sweet) and caldillo Duranguense. Caldillo Durangueño was originally made with deer meat and green chili peppers (poblanos), but today is made with beef. Another popular dish is asado rojo, made with pork. However, the most emblematic dish is the gordita, where thick corn (sometimes flour) tortillas are split then stuffed with one of a number of different savory fillings. Its popularity stems from its historical role as a food taken into the fields to eat. Traditional sweets here are similar to those in other parts of Mexico, introduced by nuns from convents further south and include crystallized fruits as well as cajeta (dulce de leche). The most important alcoholic drink is mezcal as the state of one of several in the country with denomination of origin.