The food in Mexico is as delicious as it is varied. It is the meeting of pre-Hispanic gastronomy with Spanish food. Traditional Mexican cuisine is famous all over the world. It is rare to go on a trip and not find a ‘Mexico dish’ in restaurants. Nevertheless, if it is abroad, the dishes will always be adapted a little to make them more appealing to the local public.
Such is the recognition that in 2010 UNESCO included Mexico’s traditional food in the list of intangible cultural heritage.
The main ingredients are corn, chili, piloncillo, tomato, prickly pear, beans and coriander. What would tacos in Mexico be without a good salsa to go with them?
Relax and whet your appetite with these delicious dishes typical of Mexican gastronomy. Our selection includes main courses, sauces and desserts.
1. Tacos in Mexico
Mexican tacos al pastor, tacos de canasta, Mexican tacos de suadero, tacos de cochinilla pibil, tacos gobernador, tacos de birria…
The variety is immense! The tacos need no introduction.
The base is a corn tortilla with different ingredients inside, depending on the taste of the person who eats them.
It comes from the Nahuatl word tlahco, which means “half” or “in the middle” and its origin dates back to pre-Hispanic times.
2. Menudo, Mondongo Soup or Pancita Soup
Menudo is a spicy soup typical of Coahuila. It is made of beef (belly, leg, and marrow bones) and corn.
The recipe varies depending on where you are. In the north of Mexico, it has a base of dried red chili, and in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, it is made with a clear broth called menudo blanco.
No celebration in Mexico is complete without a menudo dish!
Rumour has it that a good menudo dish cures a hangover after a day of partying.
3. Mexican Mole Sauce
Mole sauce is one of the most famous Mexican food sauces. The earliest records of it date back to 1500. It is usually served with roast chicken or pork, but if you want to serve it with something else, no problem.
Some mole recipes take time, up to several days. It all depends on the recipe you follow and the ingredients. The secret is in the number of spices you add to the chocolate base, so whatever you do, don’t forget to add the dried chilies!
4. Fish Veracruz Style
The most typical fish to prepare this dish is huachinango, also called red snapper because of its red meat.
You can imagine how much fish there is in Veracruz thanks to the Gulf of Mexico, so you can cook more varieties of fish with the original recipe.
It is a very original and curious dish because it mixes indigenous food, for example, the number of spices, and Spanish food, with the olives and capers that are so Mediterranean. Tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other typical ingredients, fill the dish with joy and vitality.
Accompany it with rice and tortillas – you won’t regret this delicious dish!
5. Chongos Zamoranos
This dessert is made with milk, sugar, and cinnamon and is typical of Zamora de Hidalgo, in Michoacan.
The name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “hair”, due to the shape the milk takes when it is boiled.
The nuns of Zamora usually make them and sell them to people. If you travel there, don’t hesitate to buy and try them!
In any case, they are easy to prepare, so you can surprise your guests with a meal at home finished with delicious chongos!
Combine them with a Margarita and a Reposado
The food in Mexico is splendid and varied. Moreover, the many colours of its dishes remind us of the cheerful and vivid personality of the Mexicans.
Mexico also has famous drinks that have been exported to other parts of the world for years, such as tequila. Prepare cocktails or simply enjoy a few shots. The truth is that there is so much more to this topic, we’ll leave it for another time. Use iScribo’s spelling and grammar checker to ensure that your recipes are well written. You will see that iScribo corrects as you write and detects the variety of Spanish you are using.
