While there are countless reasons to travel there, the food in Mexico alone makes it worth the trip. From tacos al pastor on a busy street corner to a elegant dinner in a world-famous restaurant, the culinary choices are endless.
To state that food is a big deal in Mexican culture is a vast understatement. The country’s cuisine is a vital part of its culture and is a point of pride for the Mexican people. eating is one of the very best things to perform in Mexico!
There are so many incredible locations to go to in the country, and the cuisine modifications depending upon the region. Of course, you can always find essential dishes like tacos, but the fillings and toppings vary. then there are the different regional specialties — mole in Oaxaca, carnitas in Michoacan, and fresh ceviche on the coast in locations like Cozumel, Tulum, Cancun and Isla Mujeres.
Mexico has been my home away from home for the better part of the last three years, and one reason I keep coming back is the food. During these years, I’ve done some solid research study (i.e. I’ve eaten all the things) from coast to coast. It wasn’t easy, but somebody had to do it!
In this post, you’ll discover about the history of Mexican food, the top 10 dishes you should try, the very best foodie tours, and I’ll even listing a few of the very best drinks.
Oto jest. My guide to the very best food in Mexico.
Spis treści
Information about Mexican Food
Food in Mexico: 10 Dishes You Shouldn’t Miss
Traditional Food in Mexico
Street Food in Mexico
Best Food tours in Mexico
Must-Try drinks in Mexico
Best Mexico Desserts
When Do Mexicans Eat?
Best restaurants in Mexico
Ready for All The Food in Mexico?!
Information about Mexican Food
Mexican food is famous the world over, and for good reason. It’s full of flavor, color, and history.
First of all, let’s draw the important distinction between food in Mexico and what you’ll find north of the border. Those hard-shell tacos with ground beef and gigantic burritos are tasty, but they’re Tex-Mex and not genuine Mexican cuisine.
The traditional food in Mexico is so widely known and respected that it made the UNESCO Intangible cultural Heritage List. together with traditional celebrations like Day of the Dead and music such as mariachi, the cuisine is a defining element of Mexican culture.
As I mentioned, the cuisine of Mexico has a long and complex history. Let’s dive into that a bit and discover more about the food in Mexico.
History of Mexican Food
The history of Mexican cuisine dates back countless years to native groups like the Maya. Their domestication of maize (corn) may be the single most important event in the history of this famous cuisine.
They began utilizing the process of nixtamalization, which is when you cook corn in limewater then grind and dry it to create masa flour. This is where we get the all-important essential in the Mexican diet — the almighty tortilla.
Corn tortillas are a essential food in Mexico
At the time, people were hunter-gatherers. It wasn’t always easy getting meat for protein, so beans were extremely common, and they stay a essential in the regional diet in Mexico to this day.
With the Spanish conquest came the introduction of many new foods to Mexico — rice, garlic, and spices such as cinnamon. They also introduced the idea of dairy products and meat from domesticated animals.
The Spanish brought slaves with them, which introduced aspects of some Asian and African cuisines to Mexico. more recently, the influence of its neighbor to the north (the USA), with whom it shares a 2,000-mile border, can be seen.
Main components of Mexican Food
As you may expect, corn is the primary component in Mexico. While both rice and wheat were given Mexico from abroad, the country has continued to favor corn one century after the next.
Whether it’s a stick of elote (Mexican street corn), a plate of yummy chilaquiles, or just a hot basket of tortillas served with dinner, there’s always corn on the table. It even is available in drink form, such as pozol or atole.
Other vital components in Mexican cuisine include beans and chili peppers. There are chilis of all shapes, colors, sizes, and heat levels here.
Although Mexican food has a reputation for being spicy, it’s not always muy picante. people utilize chilis to add flavor and not just for the flavor factor.
Avocados, tomatoes, squash, and cocoa are other important widely known native ingredients. Some you may not be familiar with include huitlacoche (a type of corn fungus) and nopal (a type of cactus).
In addition to tortillas, sauces are a vital part of a meal in Mexico. From enchiladas smothered in green salsa to chicken drenched in mole negro, there are tons of different sauces in Mexican cuisine.
There’s also the ubiquitous chili powder and hot sauce, which Mexicans seem to like putting on just about everything. walk along the beach and you may be offered a mango covered in both. It seems a bit odd, but trust me when I state it’s delicious!
Traditional Mexican food items
Influences of Food in Mexico
You can see a wide variety of influences from all corners of the globe in Mexican cuisine. There’s the obvious Spanish influence of course — a result of the conquest of the country in the 1500s.
Originally, the Spanish conquistadores tried to recreate their diet from back home in the new World. They started growing rice, which is still a big part of the food in Mexico.
More importantly, the introduction of the domestication of animals led to a big boost protein consumption with meat and cheese. It’s hard to picture Mexican cuisine today without things like chorizo and Oaxaca cheese!
Fast forward to the 19th century, and Mexico saw many different waves of immigrants arriving. The Lebanese brought shawarma, which led to the creation of tacos al pastor. French food ended up being prominent with the upper class at this time, and Mexico soon embraced a taste for bread and sweets.
Of course, there’s also the obvious influence of the USA on food in Mexico. American chains are around the location and are rather popular. Mexican street food has been Americanized as well, with lots of vendors selling perros calientes (hot dogs) and hamurguesas. Of course, these include jalapeños and hot sauce. This is still Mexico, after all!
Food in Mexico: 10 Dishes You Shouldn’t Miss
When traveling here, you can chow down on tasty Mexican street food or sit down in a restaurant. These variety from simple, affordable regional joints as much as world-renowned locations where the waitlist is weeks long.
You could honestly plan your entire trip around eating and there would be absolutely nothing wrong keeping that — Mexico is (hands down) one of the very best countries to travel for food. While there are numerous dishes you should try when you travel to Mexico, these are my top 10.
Tacos
Let’s begin with the undisputed king of Mexican cuisine — the taco. There truly is a taco truck on every corner here, and I don’t see a issue with that!
A taco can be many different things in Mexico, but I’ll tell you what it’s not. It’s never a hard shell full of ground beef, lettuce, sour cream, and cheese (if you want that, you’ll have to head to a fast-food joint in the USA). In Mexico, if it has cheese on it then it’s a quesadilla, not a taco.
Typically, a genuine Mexican taco starts with two small, soft corn tortillas. then comes the primary filling, which can vary from carne asada (grilled meat) and frijoles (beans) to fried shrimp and spicy chorizo. the most common garnishes are diced white onion and cilantro, in addition to the different salsas and hot sauces that are generally on the table.
Tacos al pastor…my favourite!
When it comes to tacos, it’s hard to beat al pastor. This mouth-watering spit-grilled pork is the Mexican version of shawarma and it’s fantastic. You can find them around the country, but nobody does it like Mexico City.
If you like eating tacos, then you’re going to like traveling in Mexico. You can usually get 4-5 tacos for $2 or less from street food vendors and regional restaurants. even gourmet tacos in nice restaurants won’t break the bank — budget-friendly food is one of the many reasons why Mexico is one of the cheapest locations to travel.
Kret
This next one is actually just a sauce. There are many different varieties of mole sauce, but the most famous is definitely mole poblano. This is understood as the Mexican national dish, as it’s eaten on special events around the country.
This dark sauce is composed of over 20 ingredients, with the most important being the chili pepper and chocolate. It seems strange at first, but it’s actually a perfect mix that’s neither as well wonderful nor as well spicy.
Mole sauce is commonly served over turkey, which is native to Mexico. these days mole dishes with chicken are rather prominent as well. You usually get a side of rice to accompany it, with a plate usually setting you back $3-4 in a regional restaurant.
In case you were wondering, it’s pronounced “mol-eh,” not like the funny bit mammal!
Mole is a must try in Mexico
Chiles en Nogada
This is definitely one of the cooAby nie meksykańskie potrawy. To chili Poblano nadziewane rozdrobnionym mięsem gotowanym owocami i przyprawami. Następnie wlewają kremowy sos orzechowy na górę razem z nasionami granatu.
Rezultatem jest danie z smaku. Ludzie lubią jeść to w dniu samodzielności, ponieważ ma wszystkie trzy kolory meksykańskiej flagi-zielone chili, biały sos i czerwony granat.
Chiles en nogada znajduje się w menu tylko wtedy, gdy granaty są w sezonie. Zwykle dzieje się to od końca sierpnia do początku stycznia, w zależności od regionu. Jeśli wydaje się, że to danie, które chcesz wypróbować, te 5 miesięcy może być najlepszym czasem, aby pojechać do Meksyku.
Chiles en nogada, wyjątkowe meksykańskie jedzenie
Pozole
Ta tradycyjna zupa jest zdecydowanie jedną z najlepszych potraw w Meksyku. Jest wykonany z Hominy, który jest pokarmem wykonanym z wysuszonych jądra kukurydzy.
Możesz zamówić miskę Pozole z różnymi rodzajami mięsa, z najbardziej popularnym wieprzowiną i kurczakiem. Możesz również zamówić to tak, jak jest, jeśli szukasz dania przyjaznego wegetarianom.
To jedno z tych potraw, które są niezwykle powszechne w całym Meksyku. To zdecydowanie wygodne jedzenie dla Meksykanów, którzy prawdopodobnie powie ci, że najlepszą miskę można znaleźć w ich domu abueli.
Jeśli nie masz meksykańskiej babci, nie martw się – możesz znaleźć Pozole wszędzie. Miska zwykle kosztuje tylko 2-3 USD i przez chwilę zapewni Ci pełne.
Miska Pozole to coś więcej niż tylko danie, to całe doświadczenie. W związku z tym będę miał więcej na ten temat, który pojawi się później w tym przewodniku po jedzeniu w Meksyku.
Pozole to smaczne jedzenie w Meksyku
Huevos Rancheros
To słynne meksykańskie danie oznacza „jajka w stylu ranczo” i można je znaleźć w menu w całym kraju. Składa się z smażonych jaj podawanych na tortillach pokrytych świeżą salsą. To proste, wypełniające i pyszne!
Kiedy zamawiasz talerz Huevos Rancheros, na boku otrzymujesz na boku trochę oddzielającego fasoli i/lub ryżu meksykańskiego. Jeśli masz szczęście, możesz nawet uzyskać kilka plasterków awokado.
Salsa jest na ogół czerwona, ale można również zamówić fascynujące danie spin-off o nazwie Huevos Divorciados (rozwiedzione jaja). Jedno jajko ma czerwoną salsę, a drugie ma zieloną, stąd nazwa, gdy się podzielono.
Huevos Rancheros – śniadanie mistrzów
Cochinita Pibil
Ten następny produkt na naszej liście jest zdecydowanie jednym z najlepszych potraw w Meksyku. Cochinta Pibil to przepyszne, powolne danie wieprzowe z Jukatanu. Wierz, że pociąga wieprzowina, tylko lepiej.
Kluczem do uzyskania tej delikatnej, soczystej wieprzowiny jest marynowanie jej w wyjątkowo kwaśnym soku cytrusowym, który jest doprawiony nasionami Annatto. Pochodzą one z drzewa achiiote, które pochodzi z Meksyku i zapewniają charakterystyczne pomarańczowe kolor.
Nazwa Cochinta odnosi się do małej świnia, więc tradycyjna metoda tworzenia tego dania jest ssąca świnia. Czasami jest to tylko schabowanie wieprzowe. Tymczasem Pibil to styl gotowania, w którym mięso jest owinięte liściem bananowym i gotowane w dole przez kilka godzin.
To dużo pracy, ale wyniki są tego warte.
Cochinita Pibil, smaczny posiłek w Meksyku
Podobnie jak w przypadku większości meksykańskich posiłków, Cochinita Pibil jest ogólnie podawana z talerzem świeżych tortilli wraz z ryżem i fasolą. Ma trochę kopnięcia, ale nie jest tak pikantne i możesz dodać własne ciepło dzięki salsom i dodatkowym papryce.
Znajdziesz Cochinita Pibil zarówno od sprzedawców ulicznych żywności, jak i eleganckich restauracji. Oczywiście koszt może się znacznie różnić w zależności od tego, gdzie się cieszysz! Kilka tacos cofnie ci kilka dolców, podczas gdy ładny posiłek w miejscu z obrusami może kosztować bliżej t