Mexico: Recipes and Cuisine

Adobo is a very popular marinade for pork and other meats in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and Central America. The ingredients vary widely, but most have a base of oil, garlic and some type of acidic ingredient. Read more »

Aguas frescas are fresh fruit drinks that are very popular all over Mexico. These refreshing beverages are typically served from large barrel-shaped glass containers. Some of the more traditional varieties are watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberry. Read more »

Also known as Spanish rice, arroz a la mexicana is one of the most popular ways to prepare rice in Mexico and the American Southwest. The tomatoes give it a rich, ruddy hue and a deep, rounded flavor. Read more »

Atole (ah-TOH-lay) is an ancient Mexican beverage with origins in pre-Columbian times. Similar warm drinks, thickened with cornmeal, are found throughout Central America and are especially popular for breakfast. Mexican atole is traditional at dia de los muertos celebrations, and it's chocolate version, champurrado, is popular at Christmastime. The consistency of atole varies anywhere from almost porridge-like to a thin, pourable drink. Read more »

Carne asada, or grilled meat, is great backyard grill food. It is enjoyed throughout Central America, but is particularly popular in Mexico. Many recipes get very elaborate with the marinade ingredients, but the original recipe relies on a simple combination of onions and citrus juice to highlight the flavor of the beef. Read more »

Wild boar, or cerdo, was traditionally used in this typically Mayan dish from southern Mexico. Epazote is an herb that is almost always used to flavor black beans in the Yucatán. You can substitute bay leaf. Read more »

Ceviche is believed to have originated in Peru or Ecuador in Inca times. The seafood was originally marinated in chicha, a fermented corn beverage. Spanish conquerors brought with them citrus trees and the juice of the lemon, lime and Seville orange was substituted. Over time, ceviche became popular throughout Latin America, and each country, locale and cevichería supplies its own twist on the basic recipe. Read more »

Empanadas are meat pies popular throughout the Latin world. They probably originated in Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain. Spanish settlers introduced empanadas to the New World, and they are a special favorite in Chile and Argentina. The variety of fillings for empanadas is endless and includes stewlike mixtures chicken, beef, ham and cheese, fish and seafood. Other fillings include spinach, peas, potatoes, pumpkin and beans. Read more »

Flan, or crème caramel, is one of the most common dessert dishes in the Latin world. Coming originally from the border area of France and Spain, this simple yet elegant dessert has spread in popularity as far as the Philippines and Japan. Read more »

Guacamole is popular in Mexico and throughout Central America. The name comes from the Aztec worlds ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). Guacamole is also common in Tex-Mex and American Southwestern cuisine. In Mexico it is this rich and creamy condiment is often still made with a traditional mortar and pestle called a molcajete. Often called guacamol in other parts of Central America. Read more »

Horchata (or-CHA-tah) is a milky white, sweet beverage that was introduced to Spain by the Moors. The original Spanish version is made with ground tiger nuts and is especially popular in Valencia. In Latin America, where the tiger nut is not commonly available, pulverized rice is used. In Mexico, horchata is one of the most common aguas frescas and is ladled from large glass jars set in ice. Read more »

Huevos rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast, traditionally served to farm laborers, or rancheros. The eggs match perfectly with the spicy tomato sauce. Use fresh tortillas to mop up every last bite. Read more »

Sliced jalapeños en escabeche are used as a garnish for a variety of Mexican dishes. They can also be chopped and added to soups and stews for an extra punch. Some hardy souls like to munch on them whole. Read more »

Pan de muerto, or "bread of the dead," is a sweet anise-scented bread served during Mexico's Días de los Muertos celebrations. The bread is offered up at temporary altars to relatives and friends who have passed away. Loaves are typically round and decorated with a knob of dough on top, representing a skull, and with bone-shaped pieces of dough around its perimeter. Pan de muerto is often sprinkled with colored sugar or glazed with orange juice. Read more »

The famous cake of three milks, pastel de tres leches is believed to have originated in Nicaragua. It has become very popular throughout Central America and is becoming more and more common in the United States. Soaking the cake in three kinds of milk gives it a rich, dense quality, almost like a cheesecake. Read more »

Pescado à la veracruzana is one of the most famous dishes of Veracruz on the Caribbean coast of eastern Mexico. The ingredients and seasonings show a strong Spanish influence. Read more »

Pozole is a special occasion dish in Mexico, especially in Guerrero State. Restaurants called pozolerías specialize in it. This dish is a well known cure for hangovers and is often eaten in the wee hours of the morning as a preventive. Pozole is also popular in New Mexico, where it is usually spelled posole. Read more »

Queso fundido is as simple as it is decadently tasty. Flavorful cheese is melted together with fragrant mushrooms, roasted peppers or other garnishes and served with fresh corn tortillas. Serve this south-of-the-border version of cheese fondue as a starter to any Mexican meal. Your guests will be singing your praises. ¡Que rico! Read more »

Recados are Mayan spice pastes particularly popular in the Yucatán region of Mexico. A deep brick red, recado rojo is the most common, and is an essential ingredient of the region's famous slow-roasted pork dish, cochinita pibil. Use it as a flavoring rub for pork, chicken and fish. Premade recado rojo can be bought at Latin markets in brick-shaped packages. Read more »

Popular throughout Central America, salpicón is a refreshing salad that is great as a topping for tostadas or wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. It is especially easy to make in large quantities for parties and family gatherings. Read more »

Salsa mexicana is the basic salsa that is used as an all-purpose condiment in Mexico. There are innumerable variations, but here is a basic--and very tasty--version. Other names for it are salsa cruda, salsa fresca, salsa picada and pico de gallo. Read more »

Salsa made with tomatillos is a refreshing and bright change from your typical tomato-based salsa. Salsa verde improves in flavor if allowed to rest for 1-2 hours before serving. Tomatillo salsa pairs well with pork, chicken, tamales, enchiladas and is a great dip for tortilla chips. Read more »

Albóndigas is Spanish for "meatballs," and sopa de albóndigas is Mexican meatballs in a bowlful of hot broth. It's favorite comfort food in Mexico and a great way to warm up a cold day. Read more »

Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in Mexico and throughout Central America. In El Salvador and Guatemala they are often served as the starchy portion of a meal. The fresh elote, or corn, used in Central America has a higher starch content than that in the United States, but the addition of masa harina in this recipe produces a very good approximation of the original. Read more »

Tamales are a staple of Central American cuisine. At their simplest, they are masa corn dough wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed in a large pot — the tamalera. Most tamales have some sort of stuffing. There are thousands of varieties of tamales, and each region has its own specialty. This simple recipe makes tamales stuffed with chicken in tomatillo sauce. Feel free to experiment with your own stuffings. Read more »

Tostadas are snack food in Mexico, made in street stalls throughout the country. The tostada shell itself is made by frying corn tortillas until they are crisp. The tostada shells then serve as a platform for all sorts of toppings from cheese and beans to shredded chicken to ceviche. They are a great way to use up leftovers from a Mexican meal. Read more »

Homemade fruit vinegars are popular throughout Central America, and vinagre de piña is a favorite. The trimmings of a pineapple are mixed with piloncillo and water and are set aside to ferment for a few weeks or months. The light, fruity vinegar that results is perfect for vinaigrettes and in salads like curtido. Read more »