An important festive food in Mexico known as the tamale is a filled cornmeal dumpling steamed in a wrapping. This is one of the basic staples in most regions of Mexico.
Guacamole is another popular side dish which is served with many dishes, but it’s also a great dip accompanied with tortilla chips. Since it’s made from avocados, it’s incredibly healthy and abundant with nutrients.
Did you know that dishes in Mexico that don't have a sauce are rarely eaten without a salsa or without fresh or pickled chilies? Cool!
Aside from the awesome flavor it imparts to food, did you know that the chili pepper is a powerhouse of nutrition as well? Apparently, chili contains high amounts of vitamin C, A and E, and may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
In Mexican cooking, chile peppers are selected just as much for their flavor as for their heat. Writing in the sixteenth century, the Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas said that the indigenous people did not feel like they were really eating without chiles.
Cheese making in Mexico has evolved its own specialties. Cheese making is mostly done at home. The main cheese making areas are Chihuahua, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Goat cheese is still made, but it is not as popular.
The French intervention in Mexico brought with it the introduction of a variety of breads such as bolillos and conchas. Bolillos are oblong rolls, often cooked in wood ovens and are similar to the french baguette.
If you've eaten much Mexican food, you know oregano is an important herb ingredient in many recipes. Is there anything special about the oregano used in Mexican cuisine? If you guessed there is, you're right. Unlike Mediterranean oregano that is related to the common herb mint, Mexican oregano is a close cousin to lemon verbena. It shares some of lemon verbenas citrusy flavor notes.
Margaritas are prepared by combining tequila with triple sec and lime juice. This popular Mexican cocktail is either served frozen or on the rocks. Traditionally, margarita glasses are rimmed with salt and garnished with a wedge of fresh lime.
According to some of the top Mexican cuisine chefs stand by the belief that regardless of what delicious taco fillings one uses to make tacos, it’s all about the quality of the tortilla.
The first official American fans of Mexican food were the members of the military. In the late 1800s, the War Department agreed to allow San Antonio canners to feed its soldiers chile con carne.
We’re open for lunch! Break the habit of a greasy burger and French fries and try our fresh made-to-order Mexican cuisine! It’s sure to please the palate.
There isn’t a part of the cow that is not used in Mexican cuisine! This includes the cow tongue - which is called lengua. Lengua is slow cooked and then stir fried and served in tacos.
One of the reasons that Mexican food is so deliciously rich and diverse is because the country is considered a "megabiodiverse" region. In fact, it is in the top 5 megabiodiversities in the world with about 65 percent of our planet's biodiversity coming from Mexico.
Interestingly, in the United States, the consumption of salsa as a condiment began to expand beyond local Hispanic communities to the larger population during the 1940s. The most common type of salsa was a version of Mexican salsa cruda, made with chopped tomatoes, onions, and fresh jalapeno or Serrano peppers.
Have you ever tried ceviche? This is a popular food in Mexican cuisine. It is a seafood dish that is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with aji, or chili peppers.
Did you know that Mexicans eat flowers? Apparently, their cuisine makes use of a variety of flowers such as hibiscus, colorines, squash blossoms and even tetechas, which are flowers that grow on top of giant cacti.
Salsa roja, or "red sauce," is often used as a condiment in Mexican cuisine. The ingredients of salsa roja are fresh tomatoes, chili peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh cilantro. The spiciness can range from mild to mouth-searing.
The first Mexican tortilla machine was unveiled in 1904 by inventors Everardo Rodriguez Arce and Luis Romero. However, the very next year, their machine was one-upped by Ramon Benitez who manufactured a tortilla machine that was significantly more practical.
Whenever you're searching for authentic Mexican dishes, remember that some of the chain restaurants specialize in Tex-Mex, not Mexican cuisine. This type of Mexican food has a strong American influence.
Back in the early 1960’s, restaurant workers at Disneyland’s theme park would fry the leftover tortillas and add some flavors to them, which actually helped in the creation of Doritos.
The first mass produced Margaritas were made in what type of dessert focused restaurant equipment? If you guessed soft serve ice cream machines, you're right. Margaritas are sometimes made in similar equipment today.
What is the name of the crystalline compound that makes peppers hot? If you guessed capsaicin, you're right. Do all peppers contain this spicy ingredient? If you guessed no, you're right again. There are lots of mild pepper varieties, including bell peppers and some types of paprika.
Mexico introduced maize (or corn), tomatoes, and cocoa to the world. All three of these Mexican food staples were domesticated from wild plants and shrubs and farmed by Mesoamerican civilizations 3,000 years ago.
