Mexican Cuisines

This post is tied to the Tex-Mex Cuisine post I published last year, in that Mexico’s food history has a critical role in both cuisines. While Mexican cuisine stands on its own, Tex-Mex cuisine is recent and stands in reference to Mexico and its history with the USA.

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Personal Story

I have visited Mexico only once, and although I did visit a few noisy, aromatic, and colorful markets, I ate at small places and managed to get very sick, so wound up eating mainly at major hotels that catered to Western tourists from then on. As a result, I cannot say I have any real experience with the food in the country. That is on my list however, and I would like a culinary visit in the future.

Meanwhile, back at home, I was taught to make Chile Relleno from Patricia, who was born in Mexico City. We spent one afternoon together, cooking enough for both our families. She taught me how to prepare poblanos, discussed the traditional way her grandmother made the food, and a lighter version of Chili Relleno that she and her mom now cook. I found that one afternoon really delightful and I have used those cooking skills ever since.

I also have had Mexican-born friends and acquaintances, such as Arminda Flores, but have only eaten the dishes, not learned to cook from them. Of course, now when I am ready to learn about the cuisine, we have to distance to stay safe due to the pandemic. So all I can say is, that the majority of my Mexican food experience is mainly what I have eaten in restaurants, and many “hole in the wall” places in California and areas in the Southwest. But additionally have learned some dishes from Kitchen on Fire cooking school.

So while we have been isolating, I have taken the time to learn on-line from Master Class‘ Chef and restaurant owner Gabriela Tamara, and follow several YouTube grandmothers who share their recipes and cooking styles. What I appreciate so much is that even when I do not speak the language well, I am still able to follow their ingredients and cooking instructions. How is this possible? I know cooking techniques and recognize ingredients since I use them as well. Also I have a Spanish dictionary at hand.

UNESCO + Mexican Cuisine

UNESCO established a Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the goal of ensuring the protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide, and to increase the awareness of their significance.

Mexico has many entries, along with these three that specifically or indirectly point to food.

• 2008: The Indigenous Festivity dedicated to the Dead,
  • Commemorates the transitory return to Earth of deceased relatives and loved ones and marks the completion of the annual cycle of cultivation of maize, the country’s predominant food crop.
• 2010: Traditional Mexican cuisine – ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigm.
  • Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective participation.
  • Mexican cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden, with everyday tortillas and tamales, both made of corn, forming an integral part of Day of the Dead offerings.
  • Collectives of female cooks and other practitioners devoted to raising crops and traditional cuisine are found in the State of Michoacán and across Mexico. Their knowledge and techniques express community identity, reinforce social bonds, and build stronger local, regional and national identities. Those efforts in Michoacán also underline the importance of traditional cuisine as a means of sustainable development.
• 2010: Parachicos in the traditional January feast of Chiapa de Corzo

History of Mexican Cuisine

The story of Mexican cuisine starts over 10,000+ years ago. Then waves of different cultures (the Olmec, Teotihuacanos, Toltec, etc.) came and brought their influence to the customs, food, and festivities.

• Wikipedia writes that ~7000 BCE, the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America hunted game and gathered plants, including wild chile peppers. Corn was not yet cultivated, so one main source of calories was roasted agave hearts
• ~1200 BCE, corn was domesticated and a process called nixtamalization, or treatment with lye (calcium hydroxide), was developed to soften corn for grinding and improve its nutritional value. This allowed the creation of tortillas and other kinds of flat breads.
• Protein was hard to come by, so they relied on  amaranth, domesticated turkey, insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and ant larvae, iguanas, and turtle eggs.
• Eventually, the native staples included: corn (maize), beans, squash, amaranth, chia, avocados, tomatoes, tomatillos, cacao, vanilla, agave, turkey, spirulina, sweet potato, cactus, and chili pepper.

With the later invasion of Spain, in 1519, additional foods were introduced from Europe, and other places in the world:

• Meats from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat, and sheep), dairy products (especially cheese and milk), and rice. 
• NPR speaks to later African influence: black beans and rice, plantains, coffee, sesame seeds, watermelons and yams.
• Churros are actually descended from an ancient Chinese salty dish called youtiao. The Portuguese took it and introduced it to Europeans, who promptly replaced the salt with sugar. Eventually, the Spaniards introduced the churro to Mexico during the Conquistador era. (1)
• Al pastor or adobada: Meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie was adopted after Lebanese immigrants moved to Mexico.

Over time, the original cuisine, coupled with colonial foods and regional conditions, resulted in a variety of Mexican food. What is important is that in Mexico, food is a critical aspect of their culture, social structures and living traditions.

What is Mexican Food

So, what I consider authentic Mexican cusine is those foods derived from a combination of: ancient Aztec, Mayan and some more recent Spanish traditions (2).

• Quoting Cristina Potters of Mexico Cooks!, “There are specific recipes to follow, specific flavors and textures to expect, and specific results to attain. Yes, some liberties are taken, particularly in Mexico’s new ‘alta cocina’ (haute cuisine) and fusion restaurants, but even those liberties are based on specific traditional recipes.”

Mexican food is not inherently unhealthy or fatty, although you cannot tell that by what is served in the USA. I have found that yes there are fatty dishes, but regular every day food is fiber laden carbs (think beans not cheese), complex carbs (think sweet potato not deep fat fried tortilla chips), protein (think slow cooked pork or chicken, not fatty minced beef), and plenty of fresh herbs and veggies. But mostly, nowadays, I think of corn.

Tacos are not crispy, oil fried corn tortillas, topped with minced beef and grated cheddar cheese, mashed avocado, iceberg lettuce, and sour cream. Mexican tacos are soft (steamed or warmed on a griddle) corn tortillas topped with delicious meat or veggies (sometimes pickled veggies). But corn is the soul of the land, it grows ~59 varieties of heirloom corn that in turn have a rainbow of colors, shapes, and taste; whereas the USA grows ~10 varieties.

If there is cheese, it is often just a bit of Queso Fresco, but that is not native to Mexico, Cheese was introduced by the Spanish and became incorporated into the Cuisine in the mid-1800s (3).

• Corn, corn meal, corn flour. This is the critical grain of Mexico.
• Mexican cuisine favors protein such as chicken, pork, or seafood.
• Features fresh, healthy ingredients (tomatoes, onions, chiles) in their Salsa, which is made at home from scratch.
• Traditional herbs + spices (cilantro, epazote, etc).
• Variations of the whole pinto bean is used, although now black beans are being incorporated in parts of the country.
  • Frijoles prepared from scratch, and there are plenty of other beans used in Mexico, like “golden Peruvian” and ”flor de junio”.
• In general, corn (or maize) tortillas are Mexican.
  • Wikipedia writes: Flour tortillas originated in the northern mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora and Sinaloa, where the territory is more suited to growing wheat than corn.
• Tacos are made from steamed or heated (on a griddle) corn tortillas
  • May have stewed, fried or grilled meats (not spicy, or pepper hot)
  • Topped with herbs, and chopped onions
• Burritos, are not considered Mexican either, although a smaller and different version is served in the Northern parts of the country near the border. Tacos de harina are flour-based tacos that are small, and have only a few ingredients.
• Crispy tortillas are Tex-Mex, the only Mexican dish to come to mind that has crunchy tortillas are flautas (4).
• Sauces are usually green or mole (with great regional variations (5).
• Toppings include the use of a tangy, Crème Fraîche like, crema.
• A much simpler tortilla-cheese quesadilla is Mexican, all the other variations and fillings or toppings are not.
• Mexican enchiladas are made with (red or green) chili, and topped with crema and queso fresco. Any other version is most likely Tex-Mex.

Finally, Mexican food is not as meat heavy as restaurants in the USA would have you believe. Vegetarian foods are available everywhere.

Myths of Mexican Fast Food

Chef Claudette Zepeda grew up living and traveling between Tijuana and San Diego so her understanding of food comes from those experiences. Later she became a James Beard Best Chef West semifinalist and competitor on “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Mexico.”

She has been quoted as saying that the terms “authentic” (as in authentic Mexican food) only applies to a personal experience; what is authentic to you. And that cuisine is not a static thing, but changes. So, according to her thoughts, to speak of authentic Mexican cuisine is to approach the topic wrong. I happen to think there is such a thing as “authentic” Mexican cuisine, but it is based on the indigenous people’s cuisine that utilize the natural ingredients that grew and lived around them.

Chef Zepeda is also quoted as saying there is no such thing as Mexican fast food. Her argument is, while you can throw tortillas on the stove and cook them quickly, it takes 2.5 days to make masa, or it takes 2 days to make tamales. Even beans take time to cook and season properly. From her point of view, every Mexican dish made is really a labor of love.

Mexican Ingredients

Traditional Mexican cuisine, in my opinion, is a comprehensive cultural and agricultural approach to food. It includes farming and foraging, ritual practices, age-old skills, unique culinary techniques, ancient ancestral community customs, feasts, and manners.

Base Veggies + Spices

Cocinacorazon writes that indigenous Mexican food is based on the corn tortillas, savory beans and chili peppers triad. But what grounds the food culturally, is the use of ancient grains, local herbs, regional veggies, regional meat or fish, and available fruits.

Spices + seasonings are salt, chili pepper or powder, cilantro, garlic, onions, “Mexican” oregano (not a true oregano) and Epazote (in limited quantities, pungent and poisonous in high amounts (6)).

Veggies used in Mexican cooking now may also include: zucchini, cauliflower, corn, potatoes, spinach, Swiss chard, mushrooms, jitomate (red tomato), green tomato, etc. By the way, squashes, chocolate and vanilla are also Mexican (7).

Cheese

Spanish introduced cheese, so now there are several used in Mexico: Asadero, Cotija, Manchego, Oaxaca, Panela, Queso Fresco, and Queso Añej (8). These are all white and/or soft cheeses.

Chiles

Chiles are indigenous to Mexico, and there are many types available. Chiles can be used fresh, whole, smoked, dried, or powdered and can also be considered a spice.

• spicy hot jalapeño
• dried and smoked jalapeño pepers are named chipotle
• aromatic ancho is sweet with fruit flavors
• fiery serrano
• mild poblano chiles are the key ingredient in chiles rellenos.

Flowers + Herbs

Foraging included picking, cooking and eating edible flowers like: calabaza flower, carnations, cempasúchiln, chrysanthemums, colorines (in Veracruz), jamaica (or hibiscus), Opuntia flower, quesadillas de flor (or squash blossoms, 9).

Foraging also included herbs, some of which I have not heard of before. Yes there is cilantro, but also: Chaya (especially in Yucatan) Epazote, Halachas, Huauzontle, Papalo, Pipicha, Quelites, and Te Limón (10, 11).

Insects

TheGuardian reports that the Aztecs, Mixtecs and other Central and South American civilizations flourished for millennia on diets rich in grubs, grasshoppers and other edible invertebrates. So there is a history of eating these readily available proteins and there should be no surprise that has continued to a certain point.

These proteins are not farmed, but foraged from the surrounding land. While more common in poor and rural communities, historically seen as poor people’s food, there seems to be a resurgence of this activity in the cities as well. This is true, in fact, all around the world as insects are becoming part of the solution for an ever growing need for protein alternatives to farm animals.

The San Juan Market, for instance, sells the chicatanas  (giant winged ants) that are reportedly tasty with salsa (7). Also there are chapulines (grasshoppers or crickets) and grubs (gusanos de maguey) that live in flowering agave plants, fried with salt and lime. The list includes ”delicacies” such as: escamoles (ant larvae), cumiles (stink bugs) and ahuatle (water bug eggs), dubbed Mexican caviar.

I personally have eaten crickets (in chip form), have eaten grubs, and have bought dog treats that were made of crickets. So I do not find this protein disgusting. In fact, I have written a post on eating insects and grubs as it may just help us feed the world.

Mushrooms/Fungus

Huitlacoche is a fungus that can infect corn, and is not a pretty thing to see. But MatadornNetwork reports that once it’s mixed with epazote, garlic and you put it inside a blue tortilla… you’ll be immediately hooked. Every year, during the rainy season, huitlacoche fever rises and most people will enjoy buying a little bit of the fresh mushroom, even if it’s the most expensive thing in the shopping list.

Salsa (“sauce”)

My experience of Mexican sauces is mainly salsa and its many variations. The other major sauce is Mole, but I have limited experience with this sauce. So let me describe the variations of salsa I have experienced.

• Avocado Salsa: The avocado tree is native to Mexico (12) so having avocado as a salsa ingredient is also common.
• Pico de gallo: I make this raw topping often, and it is a mixture of tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime.
• Salsa negra “black sauce”: Features roasted dried chilies (that turns the sauce blackish), oil, and garlic.
• Salsa roja “red sauce”: A red tomato base with cooked chili peppers.
• Salsa verde “green sauce”: A base of green tomatillos cooked with herbs, garlic, and onions.

Mole is a sauce with many variations, and it is a prized family recipe for a complex and flavorful sauce.

• Wikipedia writes: 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 (table cloth stainer), Chichilo (smoky stew), Rojo (red), and Verde (green).

Mexican Dishes

Regional Dishes

Mexican food is not all about tacos, although I do highlight some of their varieties below. There are many dishes, that use a base of corn masa. Those dishes each taste unique: tamales, atole, esquites, tostadas, pozole, tlacoyos and chilaquiles. But there are also soups, stews, sweets, and snacks that have nothing to do with tortillas.

There are regional dishes, like the Yucatán lima soup, Ensenada’s fish tacos, or sandwiches like Guadalajara‘s spicy pork, the torta ahogada. And dishes like Mole, which is a generic term to describe a type of sauce that is complex, contains a large amount of ingredients, and is different in each region of Mexico (13).

Taco Variations

Here is a partial list of some of the tacos I have eaten — except for the insect one, I have not tasted them, although am intrigued.

• Asador: Feature meat cooked on a griddle, like carne asada.
• Cazo: Tacos stuffed with fillings cooked in a traditional Mexican copper pot.
• Cazuela: Tacos with stewed meats cooked in traditional Mexican clay cookware (cazuela).
• Fish tacos: Baja California specialty of fried or grilled fish.
• Shrimp tacos: Tortillas filled with cooked shrimp, topped with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime
• Insect Tacos: FoodandWine writes, Some of the most well-known bug tacos are made from gusanos (maguey worms), jumiles (stink bugs), chicatanas (giant winged ants), escamoles (ant larvae), ahuatle (water-fly eggs), chapulines (grasshoppers), and escarabajos (beetles).
• Breakfast Tacos: I make these per a friend’s instruction, with scrambled eggs, chorizo, and/or potatoes.
• Vegetable and vegan tacos are also widely available. Think peppers & chiles mixed with cheese, cream and sweetcorn (rajas con queso) or cactus (nopales) (14) and beans.

Salutation

I personally like both Mexican and Tex-Mex foods. I believe that the Tex-Mex Cuisine is very much a collection of American comfort food. At the same time, I love Mexican Cuisine, which I find very subtle and sublime, steeped in ancient history and the work of women, community, and survival.

As usual, when making broad stroke statements about a cuisine, if I have written something incorrect please let me know. I am open to learning from any mistake and it is my desire to be appreciative and respectful of the world’s various cuisines.

—Patty

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