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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. However, it is not the objective of this homepage to
give a paper on the very varied and rich Mexican cuisine, but to
present the basic recipes with the understanding that the elements
needed for their preparation are easily available in Denmark, which
is not the case of the ingredients needed for more sophisticated dishes.
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 chiles, 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 Chile. With these considerations in mind, some
easy recipes for Mexican food are presented.
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 chilies are mild, though the sauce may
not be.
Enchiladas
Tortillas - flatbreads, coated in a tomato and chili
sauce, stuffed with vegetables, chicken or pork then folded and
baked. Despite the chili 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. Thus the famous mole sauce was born. Pipían
sauce 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.
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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