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History
The Spaniards
thought they had found a land of plenty when they landed on the
shores of the Yucatan in 1521, much to the dismay of the Aztec, Maya,
Zapotec and other natives populating this vast stretch of land.
Hernan Cortes and his crew set the stage for three centuries of
Spanish rule which finally started to unravel in 1810, when a village
priest, Miguel Hidalgo, uttered his famous grito, or cry:
"Mexicanos! Viva Mexico! Viva la Independencia!" The
ensuing hundred years were filled with invasions (most notably from
the U.S.) and fitful leadership, whereas the dawn of the twentieth
century saw the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in earnest, with
the likes of Pancho Villa battling it out with his countrymen.
Cuisine
Undoubtedly an
important part of Mexican culture is its varied cuisine. When
Christopher Columbus started his search for valuable species in 1492,
instead of arriving in India, he found America, sparking off the
conquest of countries which like México opened the world to
new culinary horizons with its universal donation of vanilla,
avocado, corn, tomato and chocolate, among others.
In
México there are great regions which have their own
gastronomic art. Due to their variety and deliciousness the cuisine
of Puebla, Oaxaca and Yucatán stand out, however one must not
forget the recipes from Bajío (central part of the country) or
the cuisine of the border states.
Mexican food
is popular throughout the world. But the kind you're probably used to
-tacos with guacamole, quesadillas, enchiladas and carnitas- is only
a small part of this country's culinary repertoire. With it's variety
of indigenous civilisations, each region in México is marked
by a distinct aroma, taste and texture.
In central
México you'll find a blend of Aztec and Spanish. Typical is
the centuries old "mole poblano", a thick, dark sauce made
with dried chillies, nuts, seeds, spices, cocoa and other ingredients.
Southern
México, with its variety of dried peppers, is famous for its
savoury herbed stews and sauces.
Seafood,
garnished with tomatoes and herbs followed by rich coffee is the
basic meal along the Pacific Coast. And in the Yucatán
Península, dinner is likely to be a Mayan delicacy like
"pork pibil" cooked in banana leaves with the famed
"achiote" sauce.
In food, as in
everything else, the Mexican people have found a way to raise the
everyday basics to an art form.
It is also
pertinent to point out that the fundamental Mexican food is based on
corn, black beans and chilli.
Typical Dishes:
Ceviche
- Raw fish marinated in lime juice, often in a chopped salad.
Chiles Renellos
- Large Poblano chilies stuffed with cheese or spicy meat
(picadillo). The chillies are mild, though the sauce may not be.
Enchiladas
Tortillas - flatbreads, coated in a tomato and chilli sauce,
stuffed with vegetables, chicken or pork then folded and baked.
Despite the chilli content, enchiladas are often fairly mild.
Enchiladas suizas are topped with sour cream.
Huachinango
- Red Snapper, a common feature on the menus at coastal resorts.
Often available 'al gusto' or cooked in a choice of methods.
Quesadillas
- Tortillas stuffed with cheese, folded and grilled. A simple dish
often served with beans or a little salad and suitable for those
avoiding anything spicy.
Mole sauce
- A wonderful rich sauce made with the unlikely combination of
chocolate, chilies and many spices. It can be red or green depending
on the ingredients and the moles of Puebla and Oaxaca are
particularly famous, hence 'mole poblano' or 'mole oaxaqeño'.
The sauce is often served over chicken, though turkey is more
traditional. Mulli sauce, a concoction of various chilies originally
made by the Nahua Indians, was transformed one day when Maria del
Perpetuo Socorro of the Puebla convent decided to add chocolate,
peanuts, sesame seeds and cinnamon in order to tone down the sauce to
suit the delicate palate of Archbishop Manuel Fernández de
Santa Cruz.
Another of
Oaxaca's specialties, pipían sauce is green and
made from pumpkin seeds. It is often served over chicken.
Poc Chuc
- Another Yucatecan specialty, where pork fillet is cooked with
tomatoes, onions and spices.
Pollo Pibil
- A Yucatecan specialty, not often found outside this region. It
traditionally consists of chicken marinated in orange and spices then
barbecued in banana leaves.
Tacos
- Tortillas fried until they are crispy and served with various fillings.
Tamales
- Cornmeal paste wrapped in corn or banana husks and often stuffed
with chicken, pork or turkey and/or vegetables, then steamed.
Tortas
- Mexican sandwiches, often large rolls with generous fillings.
Tostadas -
Thin and crisp tortillas served loaded with guacamole, sour cream,
chilies, chicken etc.
The most
common flavours you may find in Mexican food are firstly garlic. It
comes fresh, in a jar or in powdered form and is used in many
recipes. Salsa, taco seasoning and Spanish rice are just a few
recipes that use garlic.
Next is onion
which usually comes fresh or powdered. It is commonly used in
conjunction with garlic.
Spices
Other common
flavours are oregano, cumin and chilli powder. Mexican oregano gives
their dishes a rich earthy flavour. There are other types of oregano
such as Mediterranean as used in Italian cuisine. Oregano pairs well
with tomato based dishes and lends an interesting flavour to other recipes.
Cumin
has been around since the beginning of history.
Chile(Chilli)
Powder - Chilli powder is actually a blend of dried, powdered
chillies, cumin and oregano. Other spices are sometimes included in
the mix, but those are the key ingredients. It is used primarily for
seasoning meats and vegetables but has other uses as well.
Ancho
chile powder is another wonderful Mexican flavour. It is
almost sweet and has rich dried fruit flavours.
Another chilli
powder commonly used and gaining popularity outside of Mexico is Chipotle.
Actually it a just a jalapeno that has been dried and smoked.
Chipotle has a distinctive flavour that goes well in many sauces and
salsas. It is also the primary flavour in Adobo, a marinade.
Unusual Flavours
Epazote
is one of the lesser known spices. It is used to flavour beans and is
supposed to calm any intestinal discomfort beans may cause. It also
goes by "Mexican tea." It is very pungent and should be
used sparingly as it is poisonous in large quantities.
Cinnamon,
cloves and anise are also used to add
unique dimensions of flavour to Mexican dishes.
Cocoa
is used in several dishes to add a very rich warm flavour. Spices
combined with small amounts of cocoa and peanut butter are used to
make Mole, a thick sauce often served over chicken.
Raisins can also be used to flavour certain dishes.
Drink
On November 2,
the day of the dead, tortillas, candies, drinks, tobacco and cane
alcohol are still left on the altars for their ancestors. For
Mexicans everything is an excuse for celebration. In cook books
you'll commonly find recipes to feed 40 or 80!
While men
drink tequila or cerveza, women prefer flavoured waters that they
serve in big earthenware bowls placed in a large basin full of ice,
decorated with banana leaves and flowers. Among these very sweet
drinks there is tamarind water, pitahaya (dragon
fruit), tascalate with chocolate, etc. There is also a drink called
"tears of the virgin," made with raw beets, served during
the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and placed on the altars.
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