The exciting Mexican cuisine!
One of the most widespread and beloved cuisines worldwide is the delicious and rich Mexican cuisine!
It is based on natural, pure ingredients and is widely known for its unique blend of flavors, the variety of its ingredients and spices, and the colorful presentation of its dishes.
History
This cooking is based on the old traditional eating habits of the Aztecs and Mayans (with a history of 5 thousand years) combined with the dietary trends brought by the Spanish colonists.
Specifically, in 1519, Mexico was conquered by the Spanish, who were impressed by the philosophy and culinary diversity of these two ancient civilizations, while they brought several food items from their own country, such as olive oil, chickpeas, rice, tart fruits, garlic, and cheese, as well as recipes from the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Later, new influences emerged, (from other European immigrants), which is why Mexican cuisine includes a wide variety of dishes, a representative sample of the blend of pre-Columbian, Spanish, French, and more recent American cultures.
The basic ingredients
Corn and beans are the country’s two main traditional crops and are widely used. Corn is also used to make “masa,” the famous dough used for tamales and tortillas.
Other ingredients commonly used in Mexican recipes include peppers, tomatoes, rice, chili peppers, sweet potatoes, legumes, squash, onions, garlic, and various exotic fruits (mango, papaya, avocado, pineapple, etc.).
There are also various side dishes that accompany Mexican meals. Some of these include flore de calabaza, nopales (prickly pear cactus pads), huitlacoche, romeritos, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds), while the spices used include cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, oregano, chili powder, chipotle, jalapeño, epazote, and others.
Mexican menus and dishes
Each region is characterized by specific flavors since Mexico is a very large country geographically. For example, its southeastern part is famous for the spicier flavours of vegetables and chicken, its north for beef dishes, and its famous bay for seafood.
It should be noted that not every recipe is spicy, and, in general, this cuisine has little to do with what is served in similar restaurants.
Its staple dishes consist of tortillas (corn tortillas) filled with various ingredients. Depending on the ingredients used, they are called tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, tamales, etc. Of course, chili con carne is a must—a truly spicy dish made with ground meat and beans, served with rice.
In addition, this cuisine is famous for its sauces; in fact, Mexican sauce has surpassed ketchup in sales in the United States. It stands to reason, then, that there is a wide variety of dips to accompany every meal, such as the cheese dip and the guacamole dip (made with avocado).
As we’ve seen, delicious and mouthwatering Mexican cuisine consists of a wide variety of ingredients and colors, with rich, bold flavors.
In addition to the restaurants that specialize in Mexican cuisine where you can go to try it, you can easily prepare Mexican recipes since ready-made blends of Mexican spices and ingredients are available on the market!
The choice of flavors is simply yours!!!!
Viva México!