 FOOD
Mexican cuisine (mercado) is centered around three national staples:
tortillas, beans and chile peppers. Tortillas are thin round patties of
pressed corn or wheat-flour dough cooked on griddles. Beans (frijoles) are
eaten boiled, fried or refried, in soups, on tortillas or with just about
anything. The flavor of traditional Mexican food varies from region to
region, depends on the influence of the native American traditions and the
Spanish heritage. The North of Mexico is known for its beef production and
meat dishes whereas the Southeastern is known for its spicy vegetable and
chicken-based dishes. If you have had Mexican food in the US before, you
might find that authentic Mexican dishes are not actually very spicy. On
the contrary, they taste rather bland in comparison to the heavily-seasoned
Americanized Mexican dishes, and meat is used more sparingly while the main kind
of meat used in the dishes is pork. Seafood in Mexico is generally
excellent. Apart from the throng of restaurants and food stalls in Mexico,
there is abundant of food sellers along every train and bus stop that approach
travellers directly with baskets full of homemade goodies, local specialities
and drinks. So basically there's no need to worry over the shortage of
food while you're travelling in Mexico.
What to eat:
Burrito - This is a common Mexican dish and different cities have
variations of the same dish. It consists of a soft flour tortilla
typically filled with beans and any kind of meat and rolled up. Other
ingredients include salsa, refried beans, whole pinto beans, Mexican rice,
shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, guacamole and shreded cheese.
Chilaquiles - This traditional dish consists of fried tortilla chips
covered in green or red salsa or mole. Then broiled or grilled with a
cheese topping. Sometimes chicken strips are mixed into the sauce, or the
dish can be served a fried egg on top or a strip of meat alongside.
Enchiladas - An enchilada is made with a tortilla filled with chicken,
cheese or meat, although it can as well be filled with anything the cook fancy.
The preparation is then covered by any of tomato sauce, green tomato sauce or
mole. Enchiladas are usually baked, but are sometimes fried.
Guacamole - This is an avocado-based relish or dip in Mexico.
The basic ingredients include avocados, onion, lime juice, tomato, chiles,
cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper, and sometimes cottage cheese. Guacamole
is usually eaten with corn chips or can be added to any Mexican dish.
Menudo soup - Menudo soup is a spicy soup and is traditionally thought
of as a remedy for hangovers.
Pico de Gallo - This Mexican garnish is made from chopped onion,
tomato, and chiles. Sometimes lime juice is added as well as cilantro,
avocado, cucumber, and radish. Since it's less liquid than other Mexican
dips, it can also be used as a main ingredient in dishes such as tacos and
fajitas. Pico de Gallo is better known as salsa mexicana in Mexico as its
red, white and green colors represent the Mexican flag.
Quesadilla - A quesadilla is prepared by folding a tortilla over a
cheese, cooked meat and /or bean filling. Then either fried, deep fried or
toasted. Sometimes the dish is spiced with salsa. The term can also
be used for a pair of tortillas, with the cheese and other fillings between them
and cooked in a similar way. Quesadillas are sometimes served as appetizer
by cutting into strips before serving.
Tacos - A taco is a rolled or folded tortilla filled with meat,
chili-based salsa, guacamole, and garnishes such as pico de gallo or cilantro.
In fact, the filling can be just about anything, usually meats or vegetables
that are chopped and fairly dry.
Vegetarain food - Vegetarians can eat well in Mexico as many Mexican
dishes are meat-free and there are always great choices of vegetables and fruits
available. Most restaurants serve vegetable soups and rice, and items like
quesadillas, chiles rellenos, and even tacos and enchiladas often come with
non-meat fillings. Another possibility is queso fundido, simply melted
cheese, served with tortillas and salsa. Eggs, too, are served anywhere at
any time, and many jugerias serve huge mixed salads to which grains and nuts can
be added.
DRINKS
Besides water (tap or bottled), there is a great variety of drinks in this
country to accompany your savory Mexican dishes or just to quench your thirst.
Here is the list of some of them:
Spirits
Wine (vino-tinto for red, blanco for white) is not seen much although Mexico
does produce some very fine brands. Names like Hidalgo or Domecq
have renowned quality, but other new brands may be experimented as many new
brands are trying to emulate the success of those already established ones.
Beer is prevalent in Mexico, and there are several brands and taste to
satisfy the adventurous drinkers. Cerveza is Mexico's national beer
and has an excellent taste. The best known examples of lager-style (cerveza
clara) are Sol and Corona. Other great brands are Bohemia,
Superior, Dos Equis and Tecate. Darker Beers (oscura) are
available from Negra Modelo, Indo and Tres Equis. Tequila
perhaps represents what's best of Mexican's spirits. The spirit is
distilled from the agave cactus and is mainly produced in the state of Jalisco
and is usually served straight with lime and salt on the side. Mescal
(often spelt mezcal) is basically the same drink, but made from a different type
of cactus called the maguey and is less refined. Tequila is in fact just a
variety of mescal. Pulque is a mildly alcoholic milky beer favored
by the poor and is usually sold in special bars called pulquerias. It's
made directly from the sap of maguey and the taste may need some time to warm to
as it's pretty thick and viscous like palm wine.
Soft drinks
Soft drinks (refrescos) such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Squirt, as well as
Mexican brands such as apple-flavored Sidral can be found everywhere.
Real fruit juices can be found from shops and stalls displaying the
"Jugos y Licuados" sign and known as jugerias or licuaderias.
Juices (jugos) can come from any type of fruits. Licuados are made of
fruit mixed with water or milk in a blender, usually with sugar added.
Mexico is also known for its coffee produce. Cafe solo or negro
is a simple dark and strong coffee, and often sweetend unless asked for sin
azucar (no sugar). For a weaker taste, try cafe americano.
White cafe lovers may fall in love with the wholesome cafe con leche
which is made with all milk and no water. Espresso and cappuccino
are also available. For something more exotic, try cafe de olla.
It's made by being stewed in a pot for hours with cinnamon and sugar added,
hence the rich, sweet and tasty flavor. However, outside traditional
coffee areas instant coffee is generally the norm. Tea in Mexico is
often some kind of herb tea like manzanillo (chamomile) or yerbabuena
(mint). If you get the chance, definitely try traditional hot chocolate
which is an extraordinary, spicy, semi-bitter concoction unlike the milky kind
often known in the US.
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