Table of Contents
The Basics of Mexican Food
Mexican food is bold, and it doesn’t want to be taken lightly. With a long regional history, exotic tropical plants, and clear blue seas, it is no wonder Mexican food is uniquely tasty. Tacos, Burritos, and Salsa barely scratch the surface of the deeply varied Mexican cuisine.
Home-style cooking in Mexico is the dominant driver of Mexican food. Unlike North America, where mass production and convenience have led to predominantly processed foods in the relatively small amount of home cooking that is done. Eating out and pre-prepared ingredients have become commonplace in western culture.
Mexico is home to an abundance of natural flavourful ingredients that Mexicans have been experimenting with for a very long time. With the majority of foods being grown within the country, there is easy access to raw, unprocessed ingredients that allow for rich, flavourful foods unlike much of the rest of the world.
With such long regional history, it is believed that the cuisine has not changed too much in the last 2000 years. Much of what is made today is only slightly varied from what it is believed the Aztecs and Mayans were eating. That means Mexico has had over 2000 years to experiment and perfect the natural ingredients of the area.
The Aztecs and Mayans were experts at living off the land. They sustained themselves with crops of Cocoa, corn, peppers, fruits, and beans. Chicken, Duck, and Turkey were utilized earliest, with pork being added later along with beef.
History of Mexican Food
Mexican and French cuisine are the only two food cultures to be on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritages.
8-9,000 years ago
During this time, the indigenous peoples of Central America were hunter-gatherers. Without cultivated crops, Meat, Insects, Nuts, Fruits, and Agave hearts were the primary sources of calories at the time.
By around 3,000 years ago, corn had become domesticated. You can find many Mexican stories about the origins of corn; most see it as a gift from the Gods.
This ancient form of corn was different from modern versions; it required treatment with lye. Lye treatment improves the nutritional value while softening it to be ground down and used for flatbreads, such as tortillas.
Along with corn, beans, and domesticated turkey were major staples at that time, gathering still made up a substantial portion of food consumed. Things like Grasshoppers, beetles, ant larvae, iguanas, and turtle eggs were common protein sources. Vegetables included Squash, chilecayote(Squash), jicama(sweet potato), edible flowers, and chiles.
By the time the Spanish arrived, the Aztecs were quite sophisticated in their agricultural techniques. They had an abundance of food, so much so that it made up the majority of the Aztec economy. Food abundance allowed them to expand the empire, allowing for trade and tributes of the foods they couldn’t grow for themselves.
Mexican Food After the Spanish Conquest
The influence the Spanish had on the local food was due to expanding global trade of the times. New ingredients and cooking techniques were able to find their way into the Mexican culture.
It also helped to birth the diversity seen today in the regional food varieties. Those areas that had close contact with the Spanish or were close to trade routes began adding new foods and techniques, like frying, to their regular cooking. However, those more remote areas had little influence, so they have kept more closely connected to traditional Aztec/Maya cooking. Over time, the regional areas developed their own food personalities and preferences.
Spanish cuisine was a mix of Mediterranean with Arab influences. And so they brought a few of their own staples with them; Rice and Olive Oil, Sugar Cane. All three found places in traditional Mexican cooking.
Popular Spanish imports included Wine, Brandy, nuts, Olives, many spices, and Capers. Wheat was largely ignored by the Mexican people; it only came to use when wealthy Europeans built farms and catered to other European settlers.
Imported quickly, domestic animals such as chickens, pigs, cows, goats, and sheep quickly became established. Again, the Mexican people adapted these new ingredients and experimented with them.
Over time, helped in part by their use in Convents, imports such as Olive oil, rice, onions, garlic, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves now have permanent homes in Mexican cooking.
But they cannot shift Mexico away from their core food base, corn, beans, and chile peppers!
Access to milk led to Mexican cheeses and the classic dulce de leche, a mellow caramel-like candy made from goat or cow milk.
Access to refined sugar helped develop a plethora of traditional candy options. See here for more about Mexican Candy.
Mexican Vs Tex-Mex
With a border to the north with America, an interplay of foods was bound to happen. Americans, largely Texans, took the Mexican food, some that had only just been developed, and Europeanized it even further. This is why you see so many flour tortillas north of the border but barely below it.
Most of what went South was methods of food production and processing rather than the foods themselves. You can easily find hamburgers, pizza and hotdogs in Mexico; fast food has made its way everywhere.
In 1972 Diana Kennedy wrote a cookbook that would draw the line between Mexican and Tex-Mex. And in 1982, the Mexican Culinary Circle of Mexico City was born. Consisting mainly of women chefs and other local culinary experts who were concerned with preserving traditions so nothing would be lost during a time of rapid change.
Mexican Cuisine has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Today Mexican chefs and cooks continue to take new ingredients and techniques in stride and add the flavours they already enjoy. Have you ever tried sushi with mango or tamarind?? Maybe soy sauce blended with serrano chile?
Popular Mexican Dishes
With such rich tradition being practiced in home kitchens all over Mexico, there are more favourite dishes than could possibly be listed here.
For a more complete list of traditional dishes, check out this post by “Mexico in my Kitchen.”
Savoury Mexican Dishes
With the traditional core ingredients being corn, beans, protein, and spices, all Mexican dishes start out as savoury; where you go from there is up to you. Pick your meat and veges, then add herbs and spices to taste.
Before getting too far into making the main dish, don’t forget the best additions to any Mexican meal, Pico de gallo and Guacamole.
Pico de gallo, or Salsa Fresca, is the chunky tomato, onion, cilantro, and pepper mix that often comes with many dishes.
Guacamole may be one of the easiest dishes to make, and you already know it is healthy for you. Avocados, little green onion, finely diced tomato, and a good dash of lime, salt, pepper, a touch of chile, and you can’t go wrong.
Some of the tastiest non-spicy dishes include:
Quesadilla is a dish made by filling a corn tortilla with cheese, meat, spice and anything else you like. You then grill both sides of the tortilla pocket until the cheese holds it all together. Video Recipe Here
Mexican rice is a classic addition to any meal. Long grain rice with vegetables simmered down in tomato bullion stock with added spices. Great recipe here
Enchiladas are tortilla rolls filled with vege and meat, like potato and beans and either beef, chicken or seafood. The chile pepper sauce that often goes on top can be avoided for those who dislike spice. Video recipe here
Picadillo, a super quick and easy recipe made from ground beef and potatoes, simmered in a tomato sauce and served on rice or in a tortilla. Recipe found here
Mexican Soups and Stews
Hearty Mexican stews can easily carry a meal with a side of rice or some flatbread.
Sopa de tortilla, or Tortilla soup, is a traditional Mexican soup made from chicken broth, topped with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, and fried tortilla strips. Recipe here
Carne Adovada is bright red and created with pork chunks braised in thick chile sauce, flavoured with honey, cumin, oregano, and garlic. The most crucial ingredient, however, is the Chile peppers used. Dried New Mexican Chiles are slightly sweet and fruity but acidic in flavour. They have a shiny deep red look, though they are more mild than hot for spice levels. This dish really lets the natural pepper flavour shine without burning your tongue to a crisp.
Frijoles charros or Cowboy Beans is another simple staple stew. This traditional dish was born with Mexican cowboys who needed inexpensive, nutritional foods to sustain them through long days of cattle herding. Beans, tomatoes, onions, chiles and herbs would be slow-simmered until the broth thickened. Add in some bacon or salted pork for some flavour, and you’re good to go for a day wrangling cattle.
Spicy Mexican Dishes
Some would say that all Mexican food is spicy, but it really comes down to the amount or type of chiles used to cook the meal. These are a few items that you should try testing before taking a full bite!
Mole sauce/marinade comes in many variations, making many think it is dark brown and sweet. Most believe that Mole is relatively mild. The fact is the base for the sauce is ground fresh and dried chiles mixed into a paste with water. Depending on the chiles used, the intent of the dish or simply mood, Mole can knock your socks off too.
When you see Mole on chocolate or a sweet fruit dish, don’t assume anything until you test it first.
Salsas might just be Mexicos biggest spicy export and probably the world’s favourite Mexican condiment. Variations of Salsa are as endless as the list of possible ingredients and their infinite combinations. Start with a base of tomatoes, chillies and a few herbs and start experimenting from there.
Like Mole, test a little bit of the salsa before committing, there are no rules to how much chile goes into a salsa. Everyone has their own approach, and testing is the only way to know for sure. Keep an eye out for Chile de árbol and Habanero Peppers, they will be extra hot!!
Aguachile(water peppers) are best consumed with a cold beer by the beach on the coasts of Sinoloa. This dish takes raw shrimp and uses lime juice and ground chile pepper sauce to cook the shrimp without cooking. By leaving the shrimp in the acidic sauce, it slowly cooks in the flavours for a delicious treat that may leave you breathing fire.
Sweet Mexican Dishes
Even with a historically short amount of time since sugar was introduced to the region, Mexican cooks have developed a wide range of delicious traditional desserts
Tres Leches Cake is a traditional cake that can be found in bakeries and restaurants all over Mexico. The cake is made using more than a little milk; whole milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy whipping cream all come into play here. There is milk in the cake batter and whipped cream as part of the frosting, but the sauce is where this cake really gets its name.
The Tres Leches cake gets its moist texture and decadent flavour from the three milk sauce that soaks into the cake before adding the frosting. Sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy whipping cream are a striking combination. Must try recipe
Churros, best served hot, these deep-fried goodies made of dough are better the sooner you eat them! You can try dipping them in sauce or dunking them in hot chocolate, but even with just a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, these treats are to die for. Video recipe here
Concha, Mexican Pan Dulce(sweet bread), is a breakfast or snack pastry you can find anywhere in Mexico. A super popular option, they have a light, fluffy interior with a crunchy sweet shell on the outside. Easy to find and a must-try for anyone interested in Mexican food. Authentic Recipe Here
Street foods of Mexico
Also called antojitos, which literally translates to “little cravings,” refers to foods prepared by street vendors, or at small traditional markets in Mexico. Typically found in the morning or evening, as the midday meal is usually the main formal meal of the day.
Street food is made up largely of the most popular Mexican foods found outside of Mexico. This is because antojitos are more snack foods that are not normally seen at main/formal meals. Mexico City made it onto Forbes’s top 10 list of best cities for street food in the world.
Street foods include popular favourites such as Tacos, tostadas, tamales, tortas, gorditas, quesadillas, wmpalmes, chalupa, elote, empanadas, fajitas, various soups, and of course nachos. Also, try the agua frescas, classic street drinks made with fresh fruit, sugar, and water, sometimes with a few other classic Mexican ingredients thrown in too.
Check this article by Eater.com for a more comprehensive list of street dishes.
Mexican Holiday Dishes
Holidays and festivals are great times when many people come together to celebrate, and you know what that means, many cooks in the kitchen. Holidays are the best times to make all the time and labour-intensive dishes that are not usually made for a typical meal. So if you are travelling to Mexico for the food, maybe try to time your trip around one of the main holidays so you can make sure to get all the best of the food while you’re there.
Pozole, a dish with many varieties often seen during holidays and special occasions, as it is made with Maize, a corn variety that the Aztecs considered sacred. Pozole is a traditional stew or soup, with a smoky thick red chile broth and the sweetness of corn. Often made with spiced pork and garnished with radishes, onion, garlic, chile peppers, avocado, salsa or limes, and cabbage or lettuce. Video recipe here
Day of the dead
Christmas is a big part of Mexican history as the Catholic church has had quite a presence in Central America for a long time. Where North Americans use Wreaths to hang on their doors, in Mexico you will see many Galletas con Chochitos, a round sugar cookie with red and green sprinkles that look a little like wreaths when they are done. Tamales, empanadas, posole, menudo, bunuelos, are often favourites, along with Champurrado, a thick and creamy chocolate drink, with hints of Vanilla and cinnamon.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on the 5th of May, to be expected as Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for “Fifth of May.” It is the anniversary of Mexico’s defeat of the French Empire at Puebla in 1862. Oddly the Americans celebrate this holiday more than Mexicans do, there may be some misconceptions in thinking that it is Mexicos independence day. For a more in-depth look at Cinco de Mayo check out this article by History.com
Dishes often seen during Cinco de Mayo are red, white and green-themed, expect colourful food. Chicken mole enchiladas, Mexican lasagna, pinto bean salsa salad, and churros slathered in coconut sauce will be eaten en-mass.
Prominent Mexican Food Ingredients
We have already covered the core ingredients of Mexican food, Corn, Beans and Chile Peppers, but what is added next really gives Mexican cuisine its flair.
Mexican Meats
Average Mexicans aren’t the biggest consumers of meat. Tourists in Mexico are often eating much more meat than the locals, with chicken being the most common protein. Meats are often spiced or marinaded before cooking, so check the recipe before you start, in case the meat needs to sit for a few hours.
Chicken and turkey are the common fowl of the region. Turkey was already a staple before chickens were introduced by the Spanish.
Pork, beef, and goat make up most of the red meats used. These meats can be added to almost any Mexican dish, so changing things up is really easy. Mexicans are far more open to using the entire animal in their cooking than North Americans. Tongue, head, stomach, and tripe are easy ingredients to find.
Mexican Beans
Pinto beans and black beans are the most commonly seen beans in Mexican dishes. Speckled pinto beans are used to make the refried beans everyone knows. Black beans are common as side dishes, in soups, salsas, and tucked into Burritos and Enchiladas.
While there are many varieties of beans, the traditional beans bought from the grocery store are Pinto Beans, Peruano, Mayocoba, Flor de Mayo, and Black Beans.
Mexican Grains
Corn on the cob isn’t precisely a grain, but the kernels are considered a whole grain. Whole kernels in dishes add a nice chunky sweetness. Maize, a form of corn, has been used by the Aztecs/Mexicans for thousands of years. By treating the ancient corn with lye, it is softened so it can be added directly to slow-cooked stews or ground into flour.
Corn Flour is one of the most versatile and underrated ingredients ever, found in almost every meal in the form of Tortillas, Tostadas, Tamales, Tlacoyos, Tacos dorados, and more. Besides various breads/flatbreads, it is also used in many cakes and baked goods.
Amaranth is a plant native to Mexico and has been used in Mexican cooking for centuries. It is a type of grain that is highly nutritious and has a slightly nutty flavour. It is often used to make porridge or added to soups and stews to add texture and nutrition. Amaranth can also be ground into flour and used to make tortillas and other types of bread or mixed with honey or chocolate to make sweet treats called ‘alegria.’
Rice is a staple grain in Mexican food and is used in many dishes. It is often used as a side, mixed with beans, or to stuff vegetables and meats. Mexican rice, also known as Arroz Rojo, or red rice, is a popular dish made with rice cooked with tomatoes, onions, and spices. Typically served as a side dish, but it can also be used as a base for other dishes such as burritos and bowls.
Wheat is not a traditional grain in Mexican cooking because it is not indigenous to the region. Wheat, on the other hand, has been introduced to Mexico and is now used in some bread and baked goods, such as tortillas and bolillos. It’s also used to make pasta, which isn’t a traditional Mexican dish but is popular throughout the country, particularly in cities.
Mexican Herbs and Spices
Cilantro is a bright, citrusy herb commonly used in Mexican cuisine to add freshness to a wide variety of dishes, including salsas, soups, and stews.
Oregano is an earthy, slightly bitter herb that is commonly used in Mexican cuisine to add depth of flavour to dishes, particularly in tomato-based sauces.
Cumin is a spice with warm, slightly bitter flavours used to add depth of flavor to meat dishes, beans, and salsas.
Mexico is famous for its diverse range of chilli peppers, which are used to add heat and flavour to a variety of dishes. Jalapeos, serranos, and habaneros are some of the most common chilli peppers used in Mexican cuisine.
Paprika: A range of Mexican foods, including meats, soups, and stews, employ the sweet, mild flavour of paprika, a spice produced from pulverized sweet peppers, to enhance colour and flavour.
Lime is a citrus fruit commonly used to add a bright, acidic flavor to many dishes. The juice and zest of limes are used to marinate meats, add flavour to salsas and ceviches, and are often served as a garnish to add a pop of flavour to a variety of dishes.
Mexican Chile Peppers
Chili peppers are actually a type of fruit native to Mexico and parts of Central and South America that belong to the nightshade family. In Mexican cuisine they are commonly used to add heat and flavour to a variety of dishes. Chili peppers come in various sizes, shapes, and heat levels.
Jalapeos, Serranos, and Habaneros are some of the most common chilli peppers used in Mexican cuisine. Jalapeos are medium-sized chilli peppers with mild heat and a slightly sweet, grassy flavour.
Serranos have a bright, fresh flavour but are smaller and hotter than jalapenos. While habanero chilli peppers are small, extremely hot chilli peppers with a fruity, tropical flavour.
Fresh, dried, or ground into chilli powder, chilli peppers are an essential ingredient in many Mexican dishes including salsas, sauces, and marinades.
Mexican Vegetables
You likely already know many commonly used vegetables in Mexican foods; for example, Tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, corn, zucchini, carrots and chili peppers are staples.
There are also many native vegetables commonly used; examples include avocado, tomatillo, epazote, chayote, jicama, nopales, and pejivalle.
Avocado is a staple in many Mexican dishes, including guacamole and salads.
Chayote is a type of squash that is often used in soups, stews, and salads.
Jicama is a root vegetable with a crunchy, slightly sweet flavour, often eaten raw in salads or as a snack.
Nopales are the pads of the prickly pear cactus, often used in dishes like tacos and salads.
Pejivalle, also known as xoconostle, is a sour fruit often used in salsas and sauces.
These are just a few examples of the many native Mexican vegetables commonly used in Mexican cuisine. The specific vegetables used can vary greatly depending on the region and the individual dish.
Mexican Breads
There are actually 17 different basic bread categories based on ingredients, use, sweat or savoury and even shape. Because wheat was only introduced after the Spanish arrived, most are made with corn flour and or other grains.
Tortillas are thin flatbreads made from corn or wheat flour that are a staple. They are used as a base for dishes like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas and can also be served on their own as a side dish.
Bolillos are crusty rolls similar to baguettes and often used to make sandwiches.
Pan dulce is a type of sweet bread that is often served as a snack or dessert. It comes in various shapes and flavours, including conchas, shaped like shells, and empanadas stuffed with fruit or cream.
Empanadas are small, stuffed pastries that are similar to turnovers. They can be sweet or savoury and are often filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
Tostadas are crisp, fried corn tortillas that are often topped with beans, cheese, and other toppings to make a kind of open-faced taco.
Cemita is a sandwich made with a sesame seed roll filled with meat, cheese, avocado, and other toppings.
Telera is a soft, white roll often used to make sandwiches.
Sopapillas are fried, puffed pastries served as a dessert or snack. They can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings, like honey or beans.
Churros are long, deep-fried pastries dusted with sugar.
Buñuelos are fried balls of dough made for a dessert or snack. Best eaten topped with sugar or drizzled with honey.
Torta de camote is a bread made from sweet potatoes, eaten as a sweet treat.
Rosca de Reyes is a type of sweet bread traditionally served during Epiphany (Three Kings Day). It is shaped like a crown and filled with fruit or nuts.
Bimuelos are small, fried pastries for dessert or a snack. They can be sweet or savoury, filled with either cheese or fruit.