Mexican cuisine

thumb|upright|[[Chile en nogada, maize, tamales, pozole, mezcal, pan de muerto, and cóctel de camarón]]

Mexican cuisine consists of the cuisines and associated traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Mexican cuisine's ingredients and methods arise from the area's first agricultural communities, such as those of the Olmec and Maya, who domesticated maize, created the standard process of nixtamalization, and established foodways. Successive waves of other Mesoamerican groups brought with them their cooking methods. These included the Teotihuacanos, Toltec, Huastec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Purépecha, Totonac, Mazatec, Mazahua, and Nahua. With the Mexica formation of the multi-ethnic Triple Alliance (Aztec Empire), culinary foodways became infused (Aztec cuisine).

Today's food staples native to the land include corn (maize), turkey, beans, squash, amaranth, chia, avocados, tomatoes, tomatillos, cacao, vanilla, agave, spirulina, sweet potato, cactus, and chili pepper. Its history over the centuries has resulted in regional cuisines based on local conditions, including Baja Med, Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxacan, Lebanese Mexican and the American cuisines of New Mexican and Tex-Mex.

After the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec empire and the rest of Mesoamerica, Spaniards introduced a number of other foods, the most important of which were meats from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat, and sheep), dairy products (especially cheese and milk), rice, sugar, olive oil and various fruits and vegetables. Various cooking styles and recipes were also introduced from Spain both throughout the colonial period and by Spanish immigrants who continued to arrive following independence. Spanish influence in Mexican cuisine is also noticeable in its sweets, such as alfajores, alfeniques, borrachitos and churros.

African influence was also introduced during this era as a result of African slavery in New Spain through the Atlantic slave trade and the Manila-Acapulco Galleons.

Mexican cuisine is an important aspect of the culture, social structure and popular traditions of Mexico. An example of this connection is the use of mole for special occasions and holidays, particularly in the south and central regions of the country. For this reason and others, traditional Mexican cuisine was inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Basic elements

thumb|left|upright|Still-life with Fruit, Scorpion and Frog (1874) by [[Hermenegildo Bustos]]

thumb|right|[[Still-life, oil on canvas painting by José Agustín Arrieta (Mexican), , San Diego Museum of Art]]

Mexican cuisine is a complex and ancient cuisine, with techniques and skills developed over thousands of years of history. It is created mostly with ingredients native to Mexico, as well as those brought over by the Spanish conquistadors, with some new influences since then.

In addition to staples such as corn and chili peppers, native ingredients include squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla, Chocolate originated in Mexico and was prized by the Aztecs. It remains an important ingredient in Mexican cookery.

Vegetables play an important role in Mexican cuisine. Common vegetables include zucchini, cauliflower, corn, potatoes, spinach, Swiss chard, mushrooms, jitomate (red tomato), and green tomato. Other traditional vegetable ingredients include chili pepper, huitlacoche (corn fungus), huauzontle, and nopal (cactus pads).

European contributions include pork, chicken, beef, cheese, herbs and spices, as well as some fruits.

Tropical fruits, many of which are indigenous to the Americas, such as guava, prickly pear, sapote, mangoes, bananas, pineapple and cherimoya (custard apple) are popular, especially in the center and south of the country.

Edible insects have been enjoyed in Mexico for millennia. Entemophagy or insect-eating is becoming increasingly popular outside of poor and rural areas for its unique flavors, sustainability, and connection to pre-Hispanic heritage. Popular species include chapulines (grasshoppers or crickets), escamoles (ant larvae), cumiles (stink bugs) and (water bug eggs).

Maize

thumb|right|Ancient [[Mesoamerican engraving of maize, National Museum of Anthropology of México]]

Despite the introduction of wheat and rice to Mexico, maize is the most commonly consumed grain in almost all areas of the country and serves as the main ingredient in many local recipes (such as maize tortillas, atole, pozole, menudo, and tamal). While also eaten fresh, most maize is dried, nixtamalized and ground into a dough called masa. This dough is used both fresh and fermented to make a wide variety of dishes, from drinks (such as atole and pozole) to tamales, sopes, and many other foods. However, the most common way to eat maize in Mexico is in the form of tortillas, which accompany almost every dish. Tortillas are made of maize in most of the country, but other regional versions exist, such as wheat in the north or plantain, yuca and wild greens in Oaxaca. Mexican food has a reputation for being very spicy, but it has a wide range of flavors and while many spices are used for cooking, not all are spicy. Many dishes also have subtle flavors.

thumb|Taco

Many dishes in Mexico are defined by their sauces and the chiles those sauces contain (which are usually very spicy), rather than the meat or vegetable that the sauce covers. These dishes include entomatada (in tomato sauce), adobo or adobados, pipians and moles. A hominy soup called pozole is defined as white, green or red depending on the chile sauce used or omitted. Tamales are differentiated by the filling which is again defined by the sauce (red or green chile pepper or mole). Dishes without a sauce are rarely eaten without salsa or without fresh or pickled chiles. This includes street foods, such as tacos, tortas, soup, sopes, tlacoyos, tlayudas, gorditas and sincronizadas. For most dishes, it is the type of chile used that gives it its main flavor. Common bean varieties and cultivars used in Mexican cuisine include the pinto bean and the black turtle bean. Beans and corn are deficient in different essential amino acids but complement each other. When eaten in combination, they provide a complete protein source.

Spanish contributions

thumb|Pechuga [[adobada, chicken breast in adobo with a side of chayote, mushrooms, corn and poblano rajas. Adobo, including a key item, vinegar, arrived with the Spanish. A common characteristic of Mexican adobo is its incorporation of chile ancho.]]

Together with Mesoamerica, Spain is the second basis of Mexican cuisine, contributing in two fundamental ways: Firstly, they brought with them old world staples and ingredients which did not exist in the Americas such as sugar, wheat, rice, onions, garlic, limes, cooking oil, dairy products, pork, beef and many others. Secondly, they brought various culinary traditions from the Iberian peninsula which have become prevalent in Mexico. Equally, the discovery of the incorporation of New World ingredients to Spanish cuisine has led to the shared naming of foods such as chorizo, which uses paprika.

Spanish cuisine was in turn heavily influenced by its Moorish heritage and this created one of the earliest instances of fusion cuisine. The Spanish also introduced the technique of frying in pork fat. Today, the main meats found in Mexico are pork, chicken, beef, goat, and sheep. Fish and other seafood are also popular, especially along the coasts, and the cooking method commonly has a Spanish origin such as with Huachinango a la vizcaina.

Cheesemaking in Mexico has evolved its specialties, although Spanish-style cheese such as Manchego is also produced in Mexico. It is an important economic activity, especially in the north, and is frequently done at home. The main cheese-making areas are Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Querétaro, and Chiapas. Goat cheese is still made, but it is not as popular and is harder to find in stores.

Churros are a common snack originating in Spain and because sugar cane was brought to the Americas through Spanish colonization, all of Mexico's sweets have a Hispanic origin, often with a Muslim heritage such as Alfeñiques.

Food and society

Home cooking

thumb|right|[[Huevos rancheros]]

In most of Mexico, especially in rural areas, food is commonly eaten at home.

The typical Mexican household has four meals throughout the day: a light breakfast, commonly including coffee/atole (maize drink), and a light meal around 11 a.m., which includes a snack and drink. These are followed by "comida" (as opposed to "almuerzo"), between noon and 2 p.m. This is usually the heaviest meal of the day. It sometimes begins with soup, often chicken broth with pasta or a "dry soup", which is pasta or rice flavored with onions, garlic or vegetables. The main course is meat served in a cooked sauce with salsa on the side, accompanied with beans and tortillas and often with a fruit drink in some areas. The last meal of the day is supper, which varies greatly by region, and is usually eaten between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

In the evening, it is common to eat leftovers from the comida or sweet bread accompanied by coffee or chocolate. Breakfast can consist of meat in broth (such as pancita), tacos, enchiladas or meat with eggs. This is usually served with beans, tortillas, and coffee or juice.]]

thumb|left|[[Chiles en nogada, due to the dish's incorporation of red, white and green, is popularly consumed during the celebrations of the Grito de Dolores. Tied to the independence of the country since it is said they were prepared for the first time to entertain the future emperor Agustín de Iturbide when he came to signing of the Treaty of Córdoba.]]

Mexican cuisine is elaborate and often tied to symbolism and festivals, which is one reason it was named as an example of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Even the idea of flavor is considered to be social, with meals prepared for certain dinners and certain occasions when they are considered the most tasty.

The ability to cook well, called "sazón" (lit. seasoning) is considered to be a gift generally gained from experience and a sense of commitment to the diners. For the Day of the Dead festival, foods such as tamales and mole are set out on altars and it is believed that the visiting dead relatives eat the essence of the food. If eaten afterwards by the living it is considered to be tasteless.

thumb|left|Barbacoa in [[Actopan (Hidalgo)|Actopan, Hidalgo. The barbecue in a ground oven is a typical dish from the Mezquital Valley.]]

Mexican regional home cooking is completely different from the food served in most Mexican restaurants outside Mexico, which is usually some variety of Tex-Mex.

thumb|[[Mole sauce, with dozens of varieties across the Republic, is seen as a symbol of Mexicanidad and is considered Mexico's national dish. Mole is served at Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead and at birthdays, baptisms, weddings and funerals, and tends to be eaten only for special occasions because it is such a complex and time-consuming dish. While still dominant in this way, other foods have become acceptable for these occasions, such as barbacoa, carnitas and mixiotes, especially since the 1980s. This may have been because of economic crises at that time, allowing for the substitution of these cheaper foods, or the fact that they can be bought ready-made or may already be made as part of the family business.

thumb|Tamal

Another important festive food is the tamale, also known as tamal in Spanish. This is a filled cornmeal dumpling, steamed in a wrapping (usually a corn husk or banana leaf) and one of the basic staples in most regions of Mexico. It has its origins in the pre-Hispanic era and today is found in many varieties in all of Mexico. Like a mole, it is complicated to prepare and best done in large amounts. Tamales are associated with certain celebrations such as Candlemas. They are wrapped in corn husks in the highlands and desert areas of Mexico and in banana leaves in the tropics.

Street food

thumb|right|Mexican [[candy stand]]

Mexican street food can include tacos, quesadillas, pambazos, tamales, huaraches, alambres, al pastor, and food not suitable to cook at home, including barbacoa, carnitas, and since many homes in Mexico do not make use of ovens, roasted chicken. One attraction of street food in Mexico is the satisfaction of hunger or craving without all the social and emotional connotation of eating at home, although longtime customers can have something of a friendship/familial relationship with a chosen vendor.

Tacos are the top-rated and most well-known street Mexican food. It is made up of meat or other fillings wrapped in a tortilla often served with cheese added. Vegetarian fillings include mushrooms, potatoes, rice, or beans.

thumb|left|250px|Popcorn Modern day.

The origin of tacos is based on the pre-Hispanic custom of picking up other foods with tortillas as utensils were not used. It possible that the term taco comes from the term tlaco or tlacatl, which means middle or half in nahuatl. Tacos are not eaten as the main meal; they are generally eaten before midday or late in the evening. Just about any other foodstuff can be wrapped in a tortilla, and, in Mexico, it varies from rice, to meat (plain or in sauce), to cream, to vegetables, to cheese, or simply to plain chile peppers or fresh salsa. Preferred fillings vary from region to region with pork generally found more often in the center and south, beef in the north, seafood along the coasts, and chicken and lamb in most of the country.

Another popular street food, especially in Mexico City and the surrounding area is the torta. It consists of a roll of some type, stuffed with several ingredients. This has its origins in the 19th century, when the French introduced a number of new kinds of bread. The torta began by splitting the roll and adding beans. Today, refried beans can still be found on many kinds of tortas. In Mexico City, the most common roll used for tortas is called telera, a relatively flat roll with two splits on the upper surface. In Puebla, the preferred bread is called a cemita, as is the sandwich. In both areas, the bread is stuffed with various fillings, especially if it is a hot sandwich, with beans, cream (mayonnaise is rare), and some kind of hot chile pepper.

The influence of American fast food on Mexican street food grew during the late 20th century. One example of this is the invention of the Sonoran hot dog in the late 1980s. The frankfurters are usually boiled then wrapped in bacon and fried. They are served in a bolillo-style bun, typically topped by a combination of pinto beans, diced tomatoes, onions and jalapeño peppers, and other condiments.

Besides food, street vendors also sell various kinds of drinks (including , , and ) and treats (such as , , and ). Most tamale stands sell as a standard accompaniment.

File:001_Tacos_de_carnitas,_carne_asada_y_al_pastor.jpg|Tacos of carnitas, carne asada and al pastor

File:Tostadas_shrimp_cooking_food_dinner_salsa.jpg|Tostada

File:tortamex.jpg|alt=Typical Mexican Torta|Mexican-style torta with typical accompaniments

File:ElBajio02.JPG|Bean mini-gordita flavored with avocado leaf Veracruz-style

File:Elote_recipe.jpg|Corn

</gallery>

History

Pre-Hispanic period

thumb|left|A native American grinder stone tool or "[[metate" from Central Mexico]]

Around 7000 BCE, the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America hunted game and gathered plants, including wild chili peppers. Corn was not yet cultivated, so one main source of calories was roasted agave hearts. By 1200 BCE, corn was domesticated and a process called nixtamalization, or treatment with alkali, was developed to soften corn for grinding and improve its nutritional value. This allowed the creation of tortillas and other kinds of flat breads. The indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica have numerous stories about the origin of corn, usually related to being a gift of one or more gods, such as Quetzalcoatl.

The other staple was beans, eaten with corn and some other plants as a complementary protein. Other protein sources included amaranth, domesticated turkey, insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and ant larvae, iguanas, and turtle eggs on the coastlines. Vegetables included squash and their seeds; chilacayote; jicama, a kind of tuber; and edible flowers, especially those of squash. The chili pepper was used as food, ritual and as medicine.

Modern period

thumb|right|Las Tortilleras, an 1836 [[lithograph from a painting by Carl Nebel of women grinding corn and making tortillas]]

After the Conquest, the Spanish introduced a variety of foodstuffs and cooking techniques, like frying, to the New World. European style wheat bread was initially met unfavorably with Moctezuma's emissaries who reportedly described it as tasting of "dried maize stalks". On the Spanish side, Bernal Díaz del Castillo complained about the "maize cake" rations on campaign. Spanish settlers introduced these staples to the region, although some continued to be imported, such as wine, brandy, nuts, olives, spices, and capers. Over time ingredients like olive oil, rice, onions, garlic, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves became incorporated with native ingredients and cooking techniques.

In the eighteenth century, an Italian Capuchin friar, Ilarione da Bergamo, included descriptions of food in his travelogue. He noted that tortillas were eaten not only by the poor, but by the upper class as well. He described lunch fare as pork products like chorizo and ham being eaten between tortillas, with a piquant red chili sauce. For drink, pulque, as well as corn-based atole, and for those who could afford it, chocolate-based drinks were consumed twice a day. According to de Bergamo's account neither coffee nor wine are consumed, and evening meals ended with a small portion of beans in a thick soup instead, "served to set the stage for drinking water".

thumb|Hot chocolate and [[pan dulce are the quintessential breakfast in Mexico. Many of Mexico's sweet breads were influenced by French immigrants.]]

During the 19th century, Mexico experienced an influx of various immigrants, including French, Lebanese, German, Chinese and Italian, which have had some effect on the food. One lasting evidence of this is the variety of breads and sweet breads, such as bolillos, conchas and much more, which can be found in Mexican bakeries. The Germans brought beer brewing techniques and the Chinese added their cuisine to certain areas of the country. This led to Mexico characterizing its cuisine more by its relation to popular traditions rather than on particular cooking techniques.

Since the 20th century, there has been an interchange of food influences between Mexico and the United States. Mexican cooking was of course still practiced in what is now the Southwest United States after the Mexican–American War, but Diana Kennedy, in her book The Cuisines of Mexico (published in 1972), drew a sharp distinction between Mexican food and Tex-Mex.

thumb|right|[[Pujol (restaurant)|Pujol was named by The Wall Street Journal as the best in Mexico City.]]

thumb|left|250px|[[Mexican juice bar]]

In the latter 20th century, international influence in Mexico has led to interest and development of haute cuisine. In Mexico, many professional chefs are trained in French or international cuisine, but the use of Mexican staples and flavors is still favored, including the simple foods of traditional markets. It is not unusual to see some quesadillas or small tacos among the other hors d'oeuvres at fancy dinner parties in Mexico. Many of the most popular beverages can be found sold by street vendors and juice bars in Mexico.

thumb|right|[[Champurrado, Mexican chocolate-based drink]]

thumb|right|[[Café de olla, Mexican spiced coffee sweetened with piloncillo.]]

Chocolate played an important part in the history of Mexican cuisine. The word "chocolate" originated from Mexico's Aztec cuisine, derived from the Nahuatl word xocolatl. Chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten. It was also used for religious rituals. The Maya civilization grew cacao trees and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink. The drink, called xocoatl, was often flavored with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote. Tejate is another Mexican beverage made from cacao. Coffee is also popular in Mexico; Café de olla is a traditional preparation of coffee with cinnamon and piloncillo.

Alcoholic beverages from Mexico include tequila, pulque, aguardiente, mezcal and charanda. wine, rum and beer are also produced. The most common alcoholic beverage consumed with food in Mexico is beer, followed by tequila. Like in Oaxaca, tamales are usually wrapped in banana leaves (or sometimes with the leaves of hoja santa), but often chipilín is incorporated into the dough. As in the Yucatán Peninsula, boiled corn is drunk as a beverage called pozol, but here it is usually flavored with cacao. Another beverage (which can be served hot or cold) typical from this region is Tascalate, which is made of powdered maize, cocoa beans, achiote (annatto), chilies, pine nuts and cinnamon. This is because Mexico City has been a center for migration of people from all over Mexico since pre-Hispanic times. Most of the ingredients of this area's cooking are not grown in situ, but transported from all over the country (for example, tropical fruits).

Street cuisine is very popular, with taco stands and lunch counters on every street. Popular foods in the city include barbacoa (a specialty of the central highlands), birria (from western Mexico), cabrito (from the north), carnitas (originally from Michoacán), mole sauces (from Puebla and central Mexico), tacos with many different fillings, and large submarine-like sandwiches called tortas, usually served at specialized shops called torterías. This is also the area where most of Mexico's haute cuisine can be found.

thumb|Grilled [[Skirt steak|arrachera, shrimp, sausage, onions, potatoes and chiles toreados served on an iron skillet]]

When the Europeans arrived, they found much of the land in this area suitable for raising cattle, goats and sheep. This led to the dominance of meat, especially beef, in the region, and some of the most popular dishes include machaca, arrachera and cabrito.

The north has seen waves of immigration by the Chinese, Mormons, and Mennonites, who have influenced the cuisines in areas, such as Chihuahua and Baja California.

thumb|[[Enchiladas with tasajo beef]]

One major feature of Oaxacan cuisine is its seven mole varieties, second only to mole poblano in popularity. The seven are negro (black), amarillo (yellow), coloradito ("little red"), mancha manteles ("tablecloth stainer"), chichilo ("smoky stew"), rojo (red), and verde (green). another typical dish is the scorpion (Centruroides suffusus and Centruroides vittatus) either in taco, skewer, lollipops, or even, drowned in mezcal. The sting of the Durango scorpion can pose a serious health risk and requires medical attention.

Veracruz

thumb|[[Huachinango a la veracruzana, a dish based on red snapper]]

The cuisine of Veracruz is a mix of indigenous, Afro-Mexican and Spanish. The indigenous contribution is in the use of corn as a staple, as well as vanilla (native to the state) and herbs called acuyo and hoja santa. It is also supplemented by a wide variety of tropical fruits, such as papaya, mamey and zapote, along with the introduction of citrus fruit and pineapple by the Spanish. The Spanish also introduced European herbs, such as parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay laurel, cilantro and others, which characterize much of the state's cooking. They are found in the best-known dish of the region, huachinango a la veracruzana, a red snapper dish. Plantain was introduced by African slaves.

The African influence is from the importation of slaves through the Caribbean, who brought foods with them, which had been introduced earlier to Africa by the Portuguese. As it borders the Gulf coast, seafood figures prominently in most of the state. The state's role as a gateway to Mexico has meant that the dietary staple of corn is less evident than in other parts of Mexico, with rice as a heavy favorite. Corn dishes include garnachas (a kind of corn cake), which are readily available especially in the mountain areas, where indigenous influence is strongest.

Anthropologist and restaurateur Raquel Torres Cerdán has worked to preserve and record many of the foods of the indigenous peoples of the region.

Western Mexico

left|thumb|[[Chilaquiles]]

West of Mexico City is the Pacific coast and the states of Michoacán, Jalisco and Colima. The cuisine of Michoacan is based on the Purepecha culture which still dominates most of the state. The area has a large network of rivers and lakes providing fish. Its use of corn is perhaps the most varied. While atole is drunk in most parts of Mexico, it is made with more different flavors in Michoacán, including blackberry, cascabel chili and more. Tamales come in different shapes, wrapped in corn husks. These include those folded into polyhedrons called corundas and can vary in name if the filling is different. In the Bajío area, tamales are often served with a meat stew called , which is flavored with cactus fruit.

The main Spanish contributions to Michoacán cuisine are rice, pork and spices. One of the best-known dishes from the state is morisquesta, which is a sausage and rice dish, closely followed by carnitas, which is deep-fried (confit technique) pork. The latter can be found in many parts of Mexico, often claimed to be authentically Michoacán. Other important ingredients in the cuisine include wheat (where bread symbolizes fertility) found in breads and pastries. Another is sugar, giving rise to a wide variety of desserts and sweets, such as fruit jellies and ice cream, mostly associated with the town of Tocumbo. The town of Cotija has a cheese named after it. The local alcoholic beverage is charanda, which is made with fermented sugar cane. Jalisco's cuisine is known for tequila, with the liquor produced only in certain areas allowed to use the name. The cultural and gastronomic center of the area is Guadalajara, an area where both agriculture and cattle raising have thrived. The best-known dish from the area is birria, a stew of goat, beef, mutton, or pork, with chiles and spices. The area which makes tequila surrounds the city. A popular local drink is tejuino, made from fermented corn. Bionico is also a popular dessert in the Guadalajara area.

On the Pacific coast, seafood is common, generally cooked with European spices along with chile, and is often served with a spicy salsa. Favored fish varieties include marlin, swordfish, snapper, tuna, shrimp and octopus. Tropical fruits are also important.

File:Carne En Su Jugo .jpg|Carne en su jugo

File:Tamales mexicanos.jpg|Tamales wrapped in corn husks

File:MojarraFritoJanitizio.JPG|Mojarra frita (fried) served with various garnishes, including nopales, at Isla de Janitzio, Michoacán

File:Birria Tatemada, La Barca, Jalisco..jpg|Birria, a common dish in Guadalajara

File:AsadoBoda.JPG|Asado de boda (Wedding stew), typical dish of Zacatecas

File:Chapala133.JPG|Torta ahogada accompanied by light beer, Jalisco

File:Menudo-con-garbanzos-restaurante-chipiona-venta-aurelio.JPG|In widey held local folklore, menudo is said to alleviate some of the symptoms of a hangover.

</gallery>

Yucatán

thumb|right|250px|Mexican [[ceviche]]

The food of the Yucatán Peninsula is distinct from the rest of the country. It is based primarily on Maya food with influences from the Caribbean, Central Mexican, European (especially French) and Middle Eastern cultures. As in other areas of Mexico, corn is the basic staple, as both a liquid and a solid food. One common way of consuming corn, especially by the poor, is a thin drink or gruel of white corn called by such names as pozol or keyem. both used on chicken and pork.

Recado rojo is used for the area's best-known dish, cochinita pibil. Pibil refers to the cooking method (from the Mayan word píib, meaning "buried") in which foods are wrapped, generally in banana leaves, and cooked in a pit oven. Various meats are cooked this way. Habaneros are another distinctive ingredient, but they are generally served as (or part of) condiments on the side rather than integrated into the dishes.

Honey was used long before the arrival of the Spanish to sweeten foods and to make a ritual alcoholic drink called balché. Today, a honey liquor called xtabentun is still made and consumed in the region. The coastal areas feature several seafood dishes, based on fish like the Mero, a variety of grunt and Esmedregal, which is fried and served with a spicy salsa based on the x'catic pepper and achiote paste.

Traditionally, some dishes are served as entrées, such as the brazo de reina (a type of tamale made from chaya) and papadzules (egg tacos seasoned in a pumpkin seed gravy).

Chocolate

thumb|right|225px|Mexican chocolate discs

In the era pre-dating European influence chocolate was drunk in a warm syrupy form mixed with honey to create a pleasant drinking experience. During this time chocolate was also treated as medicine. After the arrival of Europeans, chocolate was brought across the sea to Europe where it would be used in various forms including medicine and confections. In the modern era, chocolate is used as both a topping and a dip, as well as in candies. The traditional form of chocolate consumption lives on in the form of Mexican hot chocolate, the natural evolution of the warm syrup.

Fruits

There are few fruit-related dessert recipes which are popular in Mexico, some using native fruits, such as plantains, and others using foreign fruits like oranges. Recipes for these foods can not be found dating back to the early 19th century and incorporate both sugar and ice. Fruit dishes are naturally sweet and juicy which made them popular in the Mexican climate.

One such dessert is orange and lime ice, a treat similar to snow cones. It is made by freezing strained oranges and lime juice mixed with sugar.

Baked goods

Baked dessert items in Mexico are mostly ideas imported from Europe over time. These items came from a variety of different nations before becoming staples of desserts in the region. Baked goods include cookies made with local fruits, churros which originated in the Iberian Peninsula, and macaroons which come from Italy. Churros can be made by mixing flour with boiling water, shaping and frying that mixture then coating it in cinnamon or sugar. Churros can be eaten hot or cold and can be molded into any number of different shapes.

Tres Leches Cake

The most popular cake in all of Mexico is tres leches cake (Three Milk's Cake). It is moist due to its milky ingredients. To top things off, it can be topped off with whipped cream and other sorts of jams, cherries or strawberries.

Mexican food outside Mexico

thumb|[[Greece|Greek-style barbecue taco with feta cheese]]

Mexican cuisine is offered in a few fine restaurants in Europe and the United States. Sometimes landrace corn from Mexico is imported and ground on the premises.

United States

thumb|left|250px|[[Chimichanga served in restaurant (Melbourne, Australia)]]

Mexican food in the United States is based on the food of Native Americans and Hispanos in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Mexican foods that originate in the United States often come from the Southwestern region; breakfast burritos and red or green chile come from New Mexican cuisine, and chili con carne and chimichangas are examples of Tex-Mex cuisine.

Korean tacos are a Korean-Mexican fusion dish popular in a number of urban areas in the United States and Canada. Korean tacos originated in Los Angeles. Sushi burrito is a Japanese–Mexican fusion food that became popular in urban areas across the United States, originating in California as part of the broader trend of innovative street food. The sushi burrito was created in 2008 by Peter Yen of the San Francisco fast casual restaurant Sushirrito. In 2013, Carlos Gaytán became the first Mexican to obtain a Michelin star for his work at the Mexique restaurant in Chicago. In 2014, Daniela Soto-Innes helped to open Cosme in New York City, serving there as the chef de cuisine. Houston chef Irma Galvan's restaurant was recognized and named an 'American classic' by the James Beard Foundation in 2008.

References

Bibliography

Pilcher, Jeffrey M. Que Vivan Los Tamales! Food and the Making of Mexican National Identity (1998).
Pilcher, Jeffrey M. Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food (Oxford University Press, 2012) online review.
Hernandez-Rodriguez, R. Food Cultures of Mexico. Recipes, Customs, and Issues (Greenwood, 2021).