Food served in Mexico is probably quite different from the food offered by your favorite Mexican restaurant in the USA. Though some restaurants in the USA serve a few traditional dishes, most of the food consists of recipes that have been adapted to cater to American tastes.

In our five-plus years of living in Mexico, we have overheard countless tourists (mainly from the USA) complain about the food. We often see tourists exiting the restaurants around Guanajuato's Jardín de la Unión shaking their heads and making comments (in very loud voices) like, "Not a burrito on the menu!" or "I asked for a taco. Just a simple taco like I eat at Taco Bell all the time. Whatever that was on my plate, it certainly wasn't a taco!"

Tacos, at least the way chain restaurants in the USA serve them, are unknown to most Mexicans in Guanajuato. The same goes for burritos, chimichangas, sopapillas, and nachos. Though they are delicious, these are not traditional Mexican dishes.

We are going to explore traditional, authentic Mexican foods, provide recipes, discuss some ingredients that may be unfamiliar, talk about the history of food in Mexico, and learn about various fiestas in Mexico in which special foods are served. We will also provide some articles and books about food in Mexico.

¡Buen Provecho!

ARCHIVES

Recipe Archive One|

Food in Mexico – This Week's Offerings

I have been a fan of Mexican food since my college days. The only Mexican food in town at that time was served at Taco Grande, similar to Taco Bell. Mexican food, to us college kids who didn't know better, was hard-shell tacos, burritos, nachos, and taco salad. While these were delicious (and cheap!), I had no idea there was a whole world of wonderful food waiting to be sampled.

When I moved to Dallas after my college graduation, I found a Mexican restaurant on almost every street. The food was similar to Taco Grande, but there were a few more choices…like fajitas, chimichangas, flautas, enchiladas, and sopapillas. I thought I was eating the traditional foods that Mexicans eat in Mexico.

Then, my husband and I moved to Mexico and I discovered that traditional Mexican food is not at all what I thought it was. There is far more variety and far more exotic foods than I ever imagined.

One traditional food that we love is Sopa Azteca or Tortilla Soup. This is a hearty, spicy soup that is often served in restaurants as the first course of the comida corrida (meal-of-the-day), but is really a meal in itself.

Tamales are another traditional food that we enjoy. The size, shape, and ingredients vary from region to region throughout Mexico. Some people say that the Mexican state of Oaxaca has the best tamales in the world.

Food in Mexico – Ingredients that may be unfamiliar

Ancho chile – This is a Poblano chile that has been dried. These can be fried in oil or ground into powder. Removing the veins and seeds before using will reduce the amount of heat they give the dish.

Queso asadero – This is a mild white or light yellow cheese that melts well. It is sometimes called Oaxaca cheese, as it is believed to have originated in that state. If this cheese is not available in your area, you can substitute Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese.

Queso adobera – This is a fresh cheese similar to Queso asadero or Oaxaca cheese, but is soaked in an adobo chile marinade. This marinade usually consists of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices.

Crema – Sometimes called Queso crema, this is not cheese but a heavy cream similar to crème fraiche, a soured cream that is thicker and less sour than the sour cream you may use on baked potatoes.

GUANAJUATO - Escamoles (ant eggs) and other Mexican delicacies

By

Cindi Bower

The other day as I was flipping through the six channels we are able to receive in Guanajuato without cable, I saw an announcement for an upcoming cooking show on the educational channel. As I'm interested in Mexican cuisine and love watching cooking shows, I made a point to tune in. Was I in for a surprise! The subject of that day's program was "Insectos y salsas" (insects and sauces).

I knew that grasshoppers (chapulines), ants (hormigas) and ant eggs (escamoles) were just of few of the more exotic foods eaten by the Aztecs and Mayans from my research into Mexican cuisine. Before moving to Mexico six years ago, I happened to catch Anthony Bourdain's show, "A Cook's Tour," on the Food Channel. One of the episodes featured a trip to a restaurant in Tlaxcala where he tried escamoles and gusanos de maguey (worms that burrow into the maguey cactus).

Of the escamoles, he said, “They’re perfectly good, with a slightly aromatic, woody background, almost fungal.” (http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2001/08/kitchen_cowboy). His driver, Martin, said the worms give men lots of power with the women and taste “Very special. They fry the worms golden brown and when you first bite in it’s crispy, like pork skin. Then you chew and…” (http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2001/08/kitchen_cowboy).

A Mexican friend here in Guanajuato was telling me about a trip he and his family made to Mexico City. One of the foods they sampled were chapulines colorados, red grasshoppers. His five-year-old son described how they pinched the heads off, then chomped down the body, legs and all. He and his father claimed they were delicious, but his mother and sister could not bring themselves to try them. His sister said she wanted to vomit when she saw her brother and father eating grasshoppers with evident delight. They all drew the line at gusanos, though.

These descriptions did not make me want to sample any of these "delicacies," but I was interested in watching the show just to see how they were prepared. Also, I wanted to watch the cook sample the finished products so I could watch her face to see if she really enjoyed eating worms and bugs as appetizers. Alas, she merely presented the final results, but did not pop any into her mouth.

First, the chef demonstrated how to make various salsas…pico de gallo, verde, roja and guacamole. All looked simple to make and looked delicious. I'll be sharing recipes for these salsas in future Blog postings.

Then, she moved on to the protein part of the appetizers. She went to the local market to buy the gusanos and chapulines. However, the escamoles required a trip to a field of cactus plants with the farmer. He looked for ants, followed a line of them back to the nest at the base of a cactus plant, and dug up about two cups of ant eggs. After he stood up with his prize, he was covered with ants, which I've read viciously sting whoever or whatever disturbs the nest. He didn't act like the ants bothered him, though.

Back at the studio, the cook washed the dirt off the escamoles. She commented that sometimes one finds a few larvae mixed in with the eggs. Don't discard them, she said, as they are high in protein and quite delicious. Yeah, right I thought! Yuck!

She melted some butter in a skillet, added some chopped garlic, and cooked it until it was brown. She added the escamoles to the skillet and cooked for about a minute. She added a little epazote (a common herb used in Mexican cooking) and allowed the mixture to cool a bit. To serve, she spread some guacamole on a small, crisp corn tortilla about the size of Ritz cracker and topped it with a spoonful of the escamoles.

The gusanos de maguey and the chapulines colorados were fried in oil (in separate skillets) with a little chopped parsley until they were browned. The cook drained them on paper towels to remove the excess oil. She spread pico de gallo on one crispy tortilla round and topped it with a few of the fried gusanos. On another tortilla round, she spread a little salsa verde and topped it with a few fried chapulines.

To me, it was a waste of tortillas and salsa to top the appetizers with worms, ant eggs (and larvae!) and grasshoppers, but that's just me. Many people love these delicacies and rave about how wonderful they are.

I'll take their word for it, but no insect or worm or ant egg will ever enter my mouth by my hand. I'll eat grass or flowers or leaves first (of course, only after being carefully examined for creepy crawlies!).

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Food in Mexico – General Recipe

Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup)

Soup

Day-old tortillas, cut in ¼-inch strips (use two or more tortillas per serving)

1 ancho chile

2 tomatoes, cooked and then crushed

½ onion, chopped

1 Tbsp flour

Beef or chicken broth, as needed

Garnish

Ancho chiles, fried and cut into large pieces

Queso asadero or Queso adobera, sliced

Avocado slices

Fried pork rind broken into small pieces; optional

Preparation

1) Remove the seeds and veins from the chile and brown in oil. Remove the chiles and set aside. In the same pan, brown the tortilla strips over low heat so they don't cook too fast and burn. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.

2) In the same oil, brown the flour, onion, tomatoes, and a little salt. When browned, add the broth.

3) To serve, put the hot broth in the bowl, add a portion of the fried tortilla strips, crema, sliced cheese, fried ancho chile pieces, pork rind, and a slice of avocado.

Some cooks add cooked, shredded chicken or beef to the broth.

In our experience in central Mexico, the soup is served with limón halves on the side. I think a squeeze or two of limón juice enhances the soup's flavor.

Enjoy!

Food in Mexico – Regional Recipe

Tamales de Oaxaca (Oaxacan Tamales) – Makes 3 ½ to 4 dozen tamales

Dough

4 cups cornmeal (Maseca) for tamales

1 1/3 cups of lard or vegetable shortening

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Filling

1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast

1 jar black mole (about 8 ounces)

Wrappers

15 banana leaves, cut into 12" by 7" squares or use cornhusks

Preparation

Put the chicken in a pot and pour in enough water to cover. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the broth (reserve the broth to use in the dough) and shred. Combine the shredded chicken and the mole sauce. Use a little chicken broth to thin the mole if necessary.

Put the banana leaves into a pot of boiling water. When the leaves unfold, lower the heat. Remove the leaves one at a time, cut a long strip or two from the edge of the leaf (to use as ties), cut into squares, and drain well. If using cornhusks, soak in a pot of hot water for about an hour, rinse well, and put into a pot of clean water. When ready to use, drain and pat dry.

Beat the lard until it is light and fluffy. Add the cornmeal, baking powder, reserved broth (add lukewarm water if necessary), and the bouillon. Mix well and continue beating until a marble-sized ball of dough floats in water.

Spread a thin layer of dough on each square or inside each cornhusk. Divide the chicken-mole mixture evenly among the squares or husks. If using the banana leaves, fold each square in half, then in half again and tie them with the reserved strips. If using cornhusks, roll the husk so the filling is surrounded by the dough. Fold the ends over.

Stand the tamales vertically in a steamer and steam for an hour (if using banana leaves) or for 2 to 3 hours (if using corn husks).