5 dishes you must try
Mexico stands out as a fascinating culinary destination, but coul be by its variety of dishes and ingredients, how to use these ingredients in a unique and extravagant way or because we are the first gastronomy honored with the distinction of "World Heritage" by Unesco. But either way, there is no doubt that if you come to Mexico and not try some of our food, it's like had not come here.
Mexican cuisine has made great world culinary ingredients such as chocolate and corn, which is almost impossible to imagine a world without Mexican cuisine. So I must also point out that making an article on the most representative dishes of Mexico is not an easy task. Mexican cuisine stands worldwide for its wide variety of regional specialties and a dish as common as tacos may come to vary from city to city.
It's easy to go to any restaurant and ask anything of the menu, without knowledge about it. The bad side of this is that worldwide are many pseudo-Mexican food restaurants (and I emphasize in PSEUDO) and many people confused the true mexican food with the Tex-mex food, and sometimes are clueless who arrives in Mexico asking for a Taco Bell. We (the mexicans) are very porud of our food and for us that is maddenig and sometimes even insulting.
As I have seen that most of the travel guides is written by people who have visited Mexico, but have never lived as a Mexican, because their eating and drinking section does not go beyond tacos and tequila.
As many good dishes are always forgotten by the guides, or guides focus more on personal taste about who writes them, that's why I decided to put the 5 things you must try when you come to Mexico. This small list is only an attempt to demonstrate our culinary wealth and include the 5 most popular dishes from all over Mexico, and can be found throughout the country. I have decided for now to focus on salty food, but soon I will make a Mexican meal sweets and desserts. I recommend that on your next visit to Mexico try the specialty of the reigion you visit.
# 1 Tacos. Of course, even if it's cliche, the taco is the best-known dish in Mexico and in turn is of the most ancient and most have suffered variations by region and economic situation the nation is going. It is also the most confused and poorly interpreted, thanks to Tex-Mex restaurant. The essence of the taco is the tortilla that has 2 common presentations: Corn Tortilla and flour tortilla.
The taco comes in several forms, but the most common is the soft tortilla (not fried) filled with various savory dishes. It is eaten with bare hands and is usually accompanied with hot sauce. Currently the tacos have spread worldwide as a type of fast food, and are often confused with the preparation of Tex-Mex food which is fried tortillas in oil industrially producing a U-shaped toast, which is more like a typical preparation of northern Mexico called Doblada (note: this is not a taco).
There are countless types of tacos, and each region has its favorite taco and for each special event, so ask for the best taqueria when you reach your next destination and enjoy some delicious tacos.
# 2 Mole. The term mole or mulli in Nahuat (the anciente language that speak many cultures before the spanish arrivel) originally referred to any sauce (eg, Guacamole means "avocado sauce"), and currently serves to name a group of dishes that have some common elements, such as the chilis and spices. The most famous mole in Mexico is the mole poblano, but there are many varieties of mole. This kind of mole is a specialty of the city of Puebla. It consists mainly in a sauce of a great variety of ingredients (over than 60) poured over turkey or chiken pieces. It is one of the most representative dishes of the country.
There are several versions about the origin of the mole as we know it today, ranging from romantic stories to the improbable or miraculous. However, it is certain that the mole is not the product of chance but the result of a slow cooking process since prehispanic and perfected in the Colony, where Mexican cuisine was enriched with Asian and Europeans ingredients. The mole is famous for its large number of ingredients among which some are: parsley, tomato, yervabuena, amaranth, cocoa or chocolate tablet, many kinds of chillies, chipotle, almonds, walnuts, raisins, sesame seeds, cloves , cinnamon, pepper, onion and garlic. Despite being a sauce with an impressive number of strong and spicy ingredients, a well-prepared mole is not heavy for the stomach. # 3 Pozole. The pozole comes since the prehispanic times and the current recipe is a blend of Mexican ingredients, European and Asian. In the pre-Columbian times was performed based on dog flesh, but now day we use chicken or pork meat (so do not worry, we no longer eat dog here in Mexico). It's a kind of soup made based on corn which is added meat. This basic setup have variations throughout the Mexican territory, like the withe pozole frome Guerrero satet or the red pozole frome Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco. The term "pozole" is also used in southeastern Mexico for a drink. The process of preparing the pozole is long (hours actually) but really not so complicated, plus it is perfectly possible to prepare large quantities due to the fact that the main ingredient is abundant and cheap. That's why the pozole is considered a food " for parties", it is possible to prepare a lot to satisfy a large number of people without much effort. Is the typical dish to consume at the Mexican Independence party. #4 Tamal. The tamal is not exclusive of Mexico and you can have variations of this dish throught all Latin America, but in no country have so much diversity of tamales like Mexico. Each region and state has certain types of tamales, and its range is estimated about 5,000 types of tamales around the country. Tamales are an important part of the Mexican diet, and very popular at parties and celebrations. Its use is traditional parties, baptisms, weddings and holidays (more in the winter holydays). Tamales in Mexico can be divided mainly in four ways: from the casing, for its size, its ingredients or its filling. They are usually consumed at dinner and enjoyed with savory or sweet fillings, either as a main dish or dessert, accompanied by a atole (traditional beverage made of corn), are typically considered a mexican late lunch. There are also some varieties that are for nreakfast. Is only a matter of walking through the aisles of a market or downtown for found the tamale saler and enjoy of this dish.#5 Chile en nogada
The chile en nogada or chile in walnut sauce is one of the typical dishes of Mexican cuisine, specifically the state of Puebla. It has been called "the dish per excellence" is prepared with a poblano chile stuffed with a stew of meat and chopped fruit, topped with walnut cream, parsley and pomegranate, representing the three colors of the mexican flag. Has been regarded internationally as one of the finest and most representative dishes of high Mexican cuisine.
This dish was created in Puebla by the Clarisse nuns of the convent of Santa Monica as to the mexican independence. According to tradition, the place where were the nuns was adorned with the three colors of the nascent Mexican flag: green, white, and red. The nuns get into the spirit and the patriotic ardor that reigned in those days, decided to prepare a dish containing the three colors of the flag and mixed sweet and salty flavors with more than twenty ingredients, although the sophistication of the plate today requires around fifty ingredients.
This dish is essentially a big and not so spicy chile (like the gren pepper) stuffed with a stew of beef and pork, all mixed with fruit (banana, apple, pear, peach, etc.) among other things. Often used as a dressing finely chopped walnuts in a sweet muscat, forming a white sauce of various ingredients and which is decorated with the scarlet of the pomegranate fruit.
Now you know that the mexican cusine have a lot to give and share. If you are interestet to know more about the mexcan cusine, you can watch this video that explaines why the mexican cusine is now a World Heritage by Unesco
So inspiring and interesting. This will help me experience true local culture when I go to Mexico!