Mexican food is not merely a fulfilling meal; it transforms into culture at any given moment. Every bite narrates stories afresh. For people excited to walk the street of Mexico and savor local flavors, this article promises to take them on a magical journey with taste, tradition, and emotion.
Diversity and Confusion of Mexican Food
Many people think that places like Taco Bell or Chipotle serve “Mexican food.” However, Mexican food culture is deeper and more diversified than these narrow cultural expressions. The variety is immense: temperature, traditions, and ingredients characterize the different areas of the country. Seafood is almost exclusively at the beaches, while interior regions establish meat.
Eating times and methods during the day.
- Desayuno: Typically light – coffee and sweet pastry. In the mornings, the fruit shops have fresh juices ready. Some people take an ‘almuerzo’ around 11 am having dishes like egg or chilaquiles.
- Comida: This is the major meal of the day and is taken around 1:30 and 4:00 pm. It usually includes soup or salad, first dish, dessert, fresh tortillas, salsa, and agua fresca. For budget travelers, tener: Comida Corrida or Menu del Dia are ideal.
- Cena: This is the late evening meal (7 to 9 pm) and is light. Some people have tacos, atole, or small dinners.
Mexican dishes you must try:
- Tortilla: Thin corn and wheat bread which is the base of every meal. Homemade tortillas have an extraordinary taste.
- Tacos: Small corn tortillas stuffed with meat (al pastor, chorizo, carne asada) and topped with cilantro, onion and lime.
- Quesadillas: Tortillas containing melted cheese-oaxaca cheese being the favorite. A “gringa” is the usually preferred-with pineapple.
- Tamales: These are stuffed corn dough prepared hot using a spicy or sweet filling, then rolled and cooked with the banana leaf.
- Torta: Sandwich on the Mexican bread, made up of meat, lettuce, tomato and avocado. There exists variant, ‘torta ahogada’, dipped in tomato sauce.
- Posole: Thick soup with meat and hominy garnished with toppings of your choice. It is very popular in the state of Jalisco.
- Mole: Thick gravy prepared using chocolate, chilies, spices, and nuts that are characterized to be served usually with chicken.
- Chilaquiles: Great breakfast function of crispy tortillas, salsa, cheese, egg, and cream.
- Enchilada: Baked stuffed tortillas kept in chili sauce.
- Chiles en Nogada: The colors built into Mexican flags with meat stuffing and then topped with the white nut-like sauce and pomegranate seeds.
- Sopas Y Huaraches: Thick and oval in shape, tortillas or discs filling up beans, meat, and avocado with salsa.
- Tlayuda: A large, crispy tortilla from Oaxaca, filled with beans, cheese, and meat topped with salsa.
Favorite street snacks and desserts:
- Guacamole: A fresh avocado dip with onion, cilantro, and a dash of lime juice.
- Elote y Esquite: Cream, cheese, chili powder, and lime top up corn.
- Queso fundido: A melted cheese and chorizo dip, to be consumed with tortillas.
- Dorilocos: Fun to snack on, adding salsa, peanuts, pickles, pork skin, etc. to Doritos.
- Pan dulce: Sweet breads such as ‘conchas’ and ‘buñuelos’. Every bakery stocks these things fresh and ever so versatilely.
- Churros: Frying dough, rolled in sugar and cinnamon, though you can find many places to sell varieties filled with chocolate, too.
- Raspados: Ice balls, usually poured over with differentsyrup like tamarind and rompopa, etc.
Drinks for Improving Meals:
- Aguas frescas: These are light drinks from fruits, such as horchata and jamaica.
- Atole: A thick, sweet, hot drink of corn with tamales at breakfast time.
- Café de olla: Special Mexican coffee made in a pot with piloncillo and cinnamon.
- Michelada: Condiment-rich piquant drink from beer, lime juice, hot sauce and the rest.
Where to enjoy real Mexican cuisine?
Street food is the best option for budget travelers. Visit busy stalls, local markets, small restaurants with ‘comida corrida’ or restaurants that grill meat to get a taste of the authentic flavor.
Conclusion
To a Mexican, food is not just a taste; it is experience. Each dish speaks for the wealth of tradition, hard work, and love which went into that dish. If you travel to Mexico, don’t just stop at tacos but enjoy the different variations in these dishes.
