Cooking Ideas for Making Tasty Traditional Mexican Food - Food - Main Course

It might surprise you to know that Mexican food is considered to be the most varied in the world after Chinese food. Every region of the country has its own food style and Mexican cuisine in vast. The Mexican food eaten in the Yucatan is especially exciting, since it is a unique mixture of Mexican, Mayan, Caribbean and Lebanese influences.

Not all Mexican foods are spicy but some are and chili peppers are widely used in Mexican dishes. There are many kinds of chili peppers including jalapeo, pasilla, habanero, poblano, serrano and more. Mexicans eat a varied diet of fresh fish, meat, seafood, poultry, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Sauces, stews, and soups are common fare and Mexican cooking methods include slow roasting, deep-frying, and baking.

Mexicans like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and anything older than two days is not considered fresh. Costly pesticides and herbicides are hardly used and produce is picked when ripe or very nearly ripe. Imported food is usually shunned in favor of locally grown produce and everything is grown nearby. The exception would be Mexico City, where produce that is not likely to be sold is exported.

Traditional Mexican Food

Tortillas are so much a Mexican food staple that the price in controlled by the government and kept at five pesos a kilo! A tortilla is a ball of masa, or corn dough, which is flattened into a thin disc. They are traditionally made of corn and supermarkets make them fresh all day. Tortillas are used to make traditional Mexican tacos. Authentic tacos are soft, not like the rigid U-shaped Taco Bell variety.

Tamales, tortillas, and tacos are traditionally made from corn. A lot of soups and stews include fava beans, kidney beans, and lentils. Tomatoes are used in various Mexican food recipes and especially in salsa recipes.

Fruit is enjoyed fresh or used to make desserts and sauces. Mango, papaya, pineapple, and coconut are all popular with Mexicans and nopales, prickly pear cactus paddles, are sauted and eaten like vegetables. Alternatively, they can be sweetened and used in Mexican dessert recipes.

Salsas and Condiments

A lot of people favor the addition of salsa, lime, or sour cream to their food. In a traditional Mexican restaurant, you will also get small bowls of condiments. These are likely to include chopped onion, cilantro, a mild chili salsa, a hot chili salsa, salsa Mexicana and lime. Salsa Mexicana is made from chopped onion, chopped fresh tomato, cilantro and habanero chili. You might also get guacamole, which is an avocado and lime sauce. Charred green onion mixed with salsa ingles (Worcestershire sauce) and limejuice is another well-liked Mexican condiment.

Mexican food is rich in color and flavor and fresh produce is very important. There are probably more myths about Mexican food than any other cuisine, with people confusing Tex Mex and Mexican style fast food for the real thing but real Mexican cuisine is a real joy.