Mexican food is vast and varied. Mexico is actually said to have the second most varied foods in the world, after Chinese cuisine. Each part of Mexico has its own Mexican food recipes. The Yucatan area of the country is especially fascinating because the food there is a wonderful combination of Mayan, Mexican, Lebanese, and Caribbean influences.
Some Mexican dishes are spicy but not everything is. Chili peppers are widely used in Mexican cookery and there are lots of variations of them, including pasilla, habanero, serrano, poblano, and jalapeo. Mexicans like to vary their diets by eating meat, fish, poultry, seafood, fruit, vegetables and grains, or at least the ones who can afford to. Stews, soups, and sauces are common Mexican foods and cooking methods include baking, deep-frying and slow roasting.
Mexicans prefer fresh produce and anything more than two days old is no longer considered optimally fresh. Pesticides and herbicides are not used much because they are expensive and vegetables and fruit are picked when ripe or just about ripe. Seasonal produce is preferred to imported food and almost everything is grown locally. The exception to this is in Mexico City where the goods, which are not likely to be sold, are exported.
Favorite Mexican Dishes
One of the main components of a Mexican typical meal has to be tortillas. These are balls of masa, or corn dough, flattened to a CD sized disc. They are so much of a staple food that the government maintains the price at five pesos a kilo! Authentic tortillas are made of corn and they are freshly made in the supermarket all day long. They are used to make tacos and traditional tacos are soft, rather than the prefab U-shaped ones you would see in Mexican fast food joints.
Corn is used to make tacos and tamales, as well as tortillas. Beans are included in many stews and soup and include fava beans, lentils, and kidney beans. Tomatoes are used in a lot of Mexican sauce recipes and they feature in salsa Mexicana.
Fruit is either eaten fresh or used in sauce and dessert recipes. Coconut, mango, pineapple, and papaya are all very popular and nopales are prickly pear cactus paddles, which are sauted and eaten like vegetables. You can also get sweetened nopales, which are used, in desserts.
Mexican Salsas and Popular Condiments
A lot of people favor the addition of salsa, lime, or sour cream to their food. In a traditional Mexican restaurant, you will also get small bowls of condiments. These are likely to include chopped onion, cilantro, a mild chili salsa, a hot chili salsa, salsa Mexicana and lime. Salsa Mexicana is made from chopped onion, chopped fresh tomato, cilantro and habanero chili. You might also get guacamole, which is an avocado and lime sauce. Charred green onion mixed with salsa ingles (Worcestershire sauce) and limejuice is another well-liked Mexican condiment.
Many Mexican food recipes are rich in flavor and color and the use of fresh produce is important. A lot of people make the mistake of confusing Mexican fast food and Tex Mex style Mexican cooking for real, traditional Mexican food but authentic Mexican cuisine is a true delight.
Some Mexican dishes are spicy but not everything is. Chili peppers are widely used in Mexican cookery and there are lots of variations of them, including pasilla, habanero, serrano, poblano, and jalapeo. Mexicans like to vary their diets by eating meat, fish, poultry, seafood, fruit, vegetables and grains, or at least the ones who can afford to. Stews, soups, and sauces are common Mexican foods and cooking methods include baking, deep-frying and slow roasting.
Mexicans prefer fresh produce and anything more than two days old is no longer considered optimally fresh. Pesticides and herbicides are not used much because they are expensive and vegetables and fruit are picked when ripe or just about ripe. Seasonal produce is preferred to imported food and almost everything is grown locally. The exception to this is in Mexico City where the goods, which are not likely to be sold, are exported.
Favorite Mexican Dishes
One of the main components of a Mexican typical meal has to be tortillas. These are balls of masa, or corn dough, flattened to a CD sized disc. They are so much of a staple food that the government maintains the price at five pesos a kilo! Authentic tortillas are made of corn and they are freshly made in the supermarket all day long. They are used to make tacos and traditional tacos are soft, rather than the prefab U-shaped ones you would see in Mexican fast food joints.
Corn is used to make tacos and tamales, as well as tortillas. Beans are included in many stews and soup and include fava beans, lentils, and kidney beans. Tomatoes are used in a lot of Mexican sauce recipes and they feature in salsa Mexicana.
Fruit is either eaten fresh or used in sauce and dessert recipes. Coconut, mango, pineapple, and papaya are all very popular and nopales are prickly pear cactus paddles, which are sauted and eaten like vegetables. You can also get sweetened nopales, which are used, in desserts.
Mexican Salsas and Popular Condiments
A lot of people favor the addition of salsa, lime, or sour cream to their food. In a traditional Mexican restaurant, you will also get small bowls of condiments. These are likely to include chopped onion, cilantro, a mild chili salsa, a hot chili salsa, salsa Mexicana and lime. Salsa Mexicana is made from chopped onion, chopped fresh tomato, cilantro and habanero chili. You might also get guacamole, which is an avocado and lime sauce. Charred green onion mixed with salsa ingles (Worcestershire sauce) and limejuice is another well-liked Mexican condiment.
Many Mexican food recipes are rich in flavor and color and the use of fresh produce is important. A lot of people make the mistake of confusing Mexican fast food and Tex Mex style Mexican cooking for real, traditional Mexican food but authentic Mexican cuisine is a true delight.
About the Author:
Looking for traditional Mexican recipes with a real authentic Mexican recipes flare try our selection of classically inspired Mexican dishes at MexicanFoodRecipes.org.
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