What to eat at a Mexican restaurant?

Mexican cuisine is a celebration of vibrant, contrasting flavors, bright colors and enveloping aromas that reflect its rich history and cultural diversity. With roots that lie in ancient indigenous civilizations, gastronomic traditions have undergone various influences over the centuries, including Spanish, African and predominantly Texan. The specialties that you could find at the dedicated restaurant are therefore varied and changeable, so it is important to know how to recognize them.

Talking about authentic cuisine today is increasingly complicated, because a global cuisine that combines tradition with contamination has now spread to every corner of the world. It is therefore not uncommon that a cuisine as complex and acclaimed throughout the world as Mexican cuisine , declared a World Heritage Site in 2010 , is often proposed in a modified version, and reinterpreted in both an American and European way. So what are the most proposed and requested dishes in the restaurant, coming from a varied land, together with regional specialities? And which dishes, despite being exquisite, are not traditional? Prepare to immerse yourself in a world of intense and satisfying flavors that embody the passion and liveliness of Mexico. There is a huge difference between the original preparations and those most commonly tasted in the rest of the world.

Mexican and Tex Mex: the differences

What we in Europe usually know, albeit incorrectly, as Mexican cuisine is actually Tex-Mex cuisine, that is, a cuisine contaminated by the influence of Texan cuisine . In fact, once they arrived in the United States, the migrants struggled to find some of the main ingredients to prepare typical dishes, making up for these shortcomings with the creation of a more American version of the tradition. Tex Mex cuisine undoubtedly maintains the main characteristics, first of all the spicy connotation, but presents notable differences, not only in the choice of ingredients, but inevitably also in the final flavour. Forget nachos, burritos or other dishes that are well known to us: true Mexican cuisine is made of spices and strong flavours , white cheeses that contrast with cheddar.

What are the real traditional dishes ?

All traditional dishes, rich in local ingredients, are rarely eaten in Europe, but if you can find a restaurant that serves authentic cuisine you must try.

Tacos al pastor

Taco al pastor is a traditional dish of Mexican cuisine, known for its rich and aromatic flavor. It is a taco filled with marinated pork and cooked vertically on a skewer similar to the one used for kebab. This preparation was influenced by the cuisine of the population of Lebanese origin who immigrated to Mexico during the 20th century.

Sopes

Sopes are a traditional dish of Mexican cuisine , particularly popular in some regions of the country. These are small, thick tortillas with raised edges that serve as the base for a variety of delicious toppings and fillings.

Pozole

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup, characterized by its rich broth and hearty ingredients. It is a dish often associated with celebrations and special occasions in Mexico. There are several variations of pozole, but the three most common are: red, green and white pozole.

Mole

Mole is a rich and complex sauce of Mexican cuisine, characterized by the combination of sweet, salty, spicy and bitter ingredients . It is one of Mexico’s most iconic and beloved sauces, with many regional variations. The mole is often associated with celebrations and special occasions. There are several variations of mole throughout Mexico, including:

• Mole Poblano:One of the most famous versions, originating from the state of Puebla, often associated with turkey or chicken.
• Mole Negro:Originating from Oaxaca, it is known for its dark color and complex flavor. It can be served with chicken or turkey.
• Mole Coloradito:Also native to Oaxaca, it has a red color and can be served with pork or chicken.
• Mole Amarillo:Originally from Oaxaca, it is characterized by its intense yellow color and often accompanied by pork or chicken.
• Mole Manchamanteles:Originating from Oaxaca, it has a fruity base and can be served with pork or chicken.

Tamales

Tamales are common to multiple American regions . Mexican ones are a delicacy characterized by a corn dough (known as masa ) filled with various ingredients and wrapped in corn or banana leaves. This delicious dish has ancient roots and represents a significant part of Mexico’s gastronomic culture.

Guacamole

What about the highly acclaimed guacamole ? This sauce is the only one that is practically identical in both cuisines, although in Mexico it is often eaten accompanied by tortillas, and competes for the starring role with many other, less widespread types.

Instead, the spicy note that defines many dishes unites Mexican cuisine with Tex-Mex cuisine, even if the latter is based on very specific and limited varieties of chili pepper: green chile, jalapeño and chipotle, types that are not too spicy. Tradition, however, uses a wider range of products, from serrano, pasilla, poblano, cascabel, piquín, to habanero . 

Chili, with multiple spicy nuances

Chili is a typical sauce of Mexican cuisine, based on chili peppers , tomatoes and onion. In international cuisine, the name refers to a famous meat dish, chili di carne , which has numerous vegetarian and vegan variations.

History of Mexico Food

The birth of chili has a controversial history in Mexican cuisine. It is believed to be a dish of the indigenous people of North America that the Mexicans would have reworked due to two main reasons: the first is a continuous osmosis and mixing between populations in the first half of the 19th century; the second is the need to preserve meat (beef in particular) for a long time even during lean periods. Traditionally, in fact, it was prepared with dried meat with spices and fat, in order to have this ingredient available for as long as possible. Over the years we have moved away from the origins: the vegetarian and vegan variants in fact involve the use of black beans and tomatoes. For all preparations, a pinch of cumin, coriander and sometimes cayenne pepper are also used.

Before the 19th century, however, chili could have been any sauce similar to today’s pepper-based sauce: chili is in fact the generic name given to a series of chili peppers, both red and green (fresh or powdered), united by fact of belonging to the Capsicum genus of the Solanaceae family. As with the habanero (some qualities are actually called habanero chili), it spans a wide range that describes its spiciness on the Scoville scale: from zero to one and a half million units. The taste changes depending on the quality: for example, lemon chili, as the name suggests, has a strongly citrus aftertaste.

One of the most interesting examples is chipotle sauce , with a strongly smoky taste, which is served as an appetizer with tortillas or as a condiment for meat dishes.

8 delicious dishes that aren’t really Mexican

Burritos

Many consider burritos a symbol of Mexican cuisine, but in reality they are very uncommon, except in some northern states. Legend has it that they were invented by Juan Méndez in Ciudad Juárez, a street vendor wrapped various foods in wheat tortillas to keep them warm: sensing the commercial potential of the invention, he bought a donkey (a burrito) and crossed the border to sell them to the richest Americans. The international fame of this dish is actually based on the Tex-Mex version which is much richer in ingredients, including rice, which is not used in the area of ​​the states of Sinaloa and Sonora.

Chili with beef

Chili con carne was also invented in Texas , probably with the contribution of Mexican workers who arrived during the 19th century. Its history is therefore quite long: over the last 150 years it has been able to gain international and above all local appreciation, so much so that in 1977 it was named the “national dish” of Texas.

Chimichanga

Roll stuffed with meat, vegetables and various spices and then fried, it is a typical dish of Tucson, Arizona. It is true that in fact Arizona was the last contiguous state annexed to the United States, in 1912, and that before that it was part of Mexico; but the name of the dish isn’t Mexican either. According to some, it is the corruption of the expletive thrown by the cook Monica Flin when a burrito ready to be served in her restaurant, El Charro Cafe, fell into a pan of boiling oil, ending up frying and giving rise to the chimichanga.

Fajitas

Fajitas are another very popular dish, considered among the symbols of Mexican cuisine: they also actually come from Texas, and were not known before the 1970s. The name derives from the cut of meat used for preparation, namely the beef belly. The variations are numerous.

Nachos

Nachos  can be found in restaurants, supermarkets and pubs, accompanied by the inevitable spicy sauces, cheese or guacamole . They too are a Tex-Mex specialty, but at least born in Mexico, in Piedras Negras. Their inventor was called Ignacio Anaya, known as Nacho: he had the idea of ​​baking tortillas together with cheese and jalapeño peppers, and gave his name to the specialty. Definitely a successful idea.

Quesadillas

Authentic Mexican dish radically transformed in the USA. Original quesadillas are corn or wheat tortillas folded in half, filled with melted cheese ; the American ones are instead made up of two tortillas (or separate segments of tortillas) and filled like sandwiches, with all kinds of ingredients. In Mexico it may happen that two tortillas are used, but in that case the dish is called scronizada .

Hard shell tacos _

Rigid tacos , or hard shell tacos , are the most striking example: not only do they not exist in Mexico, but also in the United States, sold mainly in fast food restaurants or supermarkets. Rigid, U-shaped tortillas are in fact an industrial product, invented to make the preparation of tacos easier and faster. Even in Italian supermarkets you could find kits that include hard shells and spicy sauce: but no matter how much chili, coriander and cheese you put in them, you will never get a Mexican dish. You can always prepare them at home with the original recipe , and fill them with whatever you prefer, chicken , lamb , beef , or just vegetables .

Taquitos

Somewhere between the dishes listed above, taquitos , so much so that they are sometimes called rolled tacos or flautas . They are smaller than burritos and made of tiny, crunchy tortillas wrapped tightly around the filling (which can be beef, chicken or vegetables, with guacamole or other sauces). They too were born in the United States: invented in New Mexico, they became famous in California thanks to entrepreneurs from Los Angeles and San Diego.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when you find yourself at a Mexican restaurant, the experience will offer you a rich variety of flavors, colors and aromas that reflect the tradition and diversity of this fascinating cuisine . Experiencing authentic dishes is a journey through the history and culture of a country far from our own, so as you explore the menu, don’t be afraid to venture beyond the confines of your gastronomic comfort zone. Be sure to treat yourself to some traditional appetizers accompanied by exquisite sauces such as guacamole, or the spicy one, approaching the various degrees of heat of local chili peppers can be an exciting challenge, only for true connoisseurs.