Mexican Food Recipes
Mexican Food Articles
An Introduction to Mexican Recipes and Mexican Food
Mexican food has evolved over the centuries into what it is today. The melting pot of cultures and cuisines responsible for contributing towards what we know today as Mexican food includes African, Caribbean, Portuguese, Spanish and French dishes, amongst others. Mexico is also a very large country and each region has its own specialties and preferences.
A Little Mexican History
Mexican history is a fascinating subject and Mexican food as we know it can be traced back to the arrival of the Spanish explorers in the early 1600s. This later resulted in the Conquest of Mexico and this culture collision forced a fusion of Aztec and Spanish flavors together, resulting in a lot of the famous Mexican recipes we are familiar with today. Cheese, milk, wine, meat, garlic, and citrus are all Mexican staples today but these came originally from the Spanish. Aztec ingredients include corn, squash, and beans.
Mexican food continued to evolve and Tex Mex food also emerged, which blends the flavors and cooking styles of the southwestern United States with northern Mexico. Mexican food, contrary to popular belief, is not all spicy.
Mexican recipes range from aromatic and mild to fiery hot. There are Mexican recipes for all occasions including soup, salad, pastries, stews, casseroles, rice dishes, sweet bread recipes, salsas, meat dishes, fish dishes, and a whole lot more.
Typical Mexican Food
It can be difficult to define typical Mexican food exactly, just because it is so varied. What somebody might eat on the east Mexican coast is also very different from the food eaten by someone living in the center of the country, just because of what is available in each place. Communities living by the sea are used to eating a lot of seafood, for example, so many local dishes include fish and seafood. More inland, where seafood is either not available or more expensive, beef and chicken are more popular.
There are certain things that regional Mexican meals do have in common however, and one of those is the use of fresh produce. Mexicans love to cook with fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fresh meat and fish wherever possible. Herbs and spices add the finishing accents to those wonderful Mexican meals and there are certainly a lot to choose from.
The Best Mexican Cooking Tips
If you want to explore the world of Mexican cuisine, the best advice is to jump right it. Pick a recipe you like the look of and make it. You will be delighted that so many Mexican recipes are so simple. Easy recipes are not lackluster recipes, however, and fresh produce has so much flavor of its own that you simply do not have to add lots of other ingredients to give authentic Mexican recipes their unmistakable flavor. Choose the best, ripest, and most flavorful ingredients and let those ingredients do the talking.
If you are a newcomer to Mexican cooking, you might like to learn about the Mexican recipe staples. Corn is one of the key food ingredients in Mexican recipes. It was the main staple of the Aztec diet and it is primary used in Mexico today for making tortillas.
Beans are another staple in Mexican recipes and these are healthy as well as economical and filling. Mexican cheese, chilies, cilantro, avocado, beef, chicken, and tomatoes are also popular ingredients in Mexican cuisine and it is fun to make a range of Mexican recipes, so you can experiment with these flavorful ingredients and more.
Enjoy and watch out for the hot spots.
Mexican Food Articles and Mexican Recipes Links
Mexican Cooking
Mexican Cooking Tips
Mexican Food
Mexican Food Glossary
Mexican Herbs and Spices And More
Mexican History
Mexican Holidays
Mexican Recipes
Mexican Cooking
A Traditional Mexican Cooking Guide
There is nothing difficult about cooking Mexican food and a lot of Mexican recipes are incredibly easy. Mexican dishes often rely on good quality meat, poultry or seafood, as well as fresh seasonal produce and a variety of seasonings. You do not need any special equipment for Mexican cooking but you might find a few things helpful, especially if you discover that you like to make Mexican food. A comal, which is a Mexican griddle, is handy to have, and a mortar and pestle is great for crushing and grinding fresh herbs and spices. These items are used in traditional Mexican kitchens and you might find them timesaving.
Really Authentic Mexican Cooking
If you want to cook like a Mexican, it is important to take pride in your recipes. Use the best ingredients you can get, whether that is a great steak or some good quality fish. Cheap cuts of meat like skirt steak can also be used successfully if you slow cook them to make them tender. Use fresh, ripe fruit and vegetables and fresh herbs wherever possible. Mexican food recipes often look very tempting and you can use all kinds of colorful garnishes to make your food look even nicer. Traditional Mexican ingredients like avocado, queso fresco, Mexican vanilla beans, fresh cilantro and more will lend an air of authenticity to your Mexican recipes.
Mexican Cooking Styles and Equipment
Mexican Cooking
Useful and Traditional Mexican Cooking Utensils
What is the Definition of Ceviche and How to Make Ceviche
How to Make Low Fat Mexican Food
Canning Salsa - How to Can Salsa at Home
How to Make Salsa the Authentic Mexican Way
Mexican Cooking Tips
Handy and Useful Mexican Cooking Tips
If you are new to Mexican cooking, follow the recipes carefully. Sometimes a recipe might specify that you need to use a certain type of chili pepper and others times it is fine to use any chili. If you already know about the most typical Mexican ingredients, you can substitute ingredients as and when you like but if you are learning about this delicious cuisine, it might be best to stick to the recipes. Mexican food is as much about simplicity as flavor and you might be surprised that some of the tastiest recipes only contain a few ingredients. Mexicans know how to combine spices and seasonings to add maximum flavor to their traditional dishes.
The Best Tips for Authentic Mexican Recipes
Cooking Mexican rice is important to learn because this side dish pairs perfectly with so many Mexican recipes. There are also good tips for making a great Mexican casserole recipe or making delicious Mexican soup. As you make more Mexican recipes, you will discover facts for yourself about how best to use and combine ingredients to give an authentic Mexican taste to your recipes. Sometimes an ingredient might not be available unless you live near a well-stocked Mexican grocery store, in which case learning about substitutions is also important if you want your Mexican food recipes to come out well.
Mexican Cooking Tips Worth Knowing
Mexican Casserole Tips
How to Cook Mexican Rice
Mexican Drinks - How to Make a Margarita
Mexican Food
A Closer Look at Mexican Food
Even though there are lots of kinds of Mexican food that most of us are familiar with, such as tacos and fajitas, there are also many Mexican food recipes, which you might be unfamiliar with. Have you ever tried Mexican ceviche or a Mexican paella? What about Mexican beef soup or a layered salad recipe? Mexican food varies from region to region, since Mexico is such a huge country. There are parts of Mexico where fish and seafood are eaten more than chicken or beef, and other areas where corn tortillas are far more common than wheat tortillas. The diversity of Mexican cuisine is fascinating and one of the best things about it is the fact that it is so easy to make Mexican food yourself at home.
Exciting Mexican Food Recipes
There is nothing dull about Mexican food at all. There might be some ingredients, which feature in many Mexican food recipes, such as tomatoes, beef, chicken, cheese, sour cream, avocadoes, and corn, but there are other recipes containing none of these. Mexican cuisine has evolved over time and contains Spanish, French, Portuguese, Caribbean, African, and Italian influences, amongst others. This delicious cuisine is heavily focused on using the best quality fresh produce and seasonings to make the most incredibly flavored recipes. Mexican food tends to be nutritious and healthy, as well as flavorful.
Mexican Food - The Evolution of This Tasty Cuisine
A Look at Mexican Food Customs
An Introduction to Mexican Food
The Most Famous Mexican Foods
The Regional Fare of the Many Mexican Regions
A Look at Modern Mexican Food Culture
Mouthwatering Mexican Seafood and Mexican Fish Recipes
Popular Foods of Mexico - A Few Must Try Recipes
Mexico Foods Breakfast Ideas
How to Freeze Mexican Food
Where to Buy Mexican Ingredients
An Interesting Look at Cinco de Mayo Food
The Popularity of Authentic Mexican Salsa Recipes
Mexican Food Glossary
Mexican Food Glossary - From Achiote to Vino
Sometimes a Mexican recipe might call for an ingredient you have never heard of or a cooking method that you are unfamiliar with. This is why our comprehensive Mexican food glossary is so valuable, because you can look up these ingredients or cooking methods in just a few minutes and then carry on with the recipe you are following. The Mexican food glossary also has a pronunciation guide so you can speak knowledgably to your guests about the delicious food you are serving them without getting any of the Mexican words wrong or mispronouncing them. A good host knows about his or her homemade Mexican food recipes, and you can impress your dinner guests endlessly with a few interesting Mexican food facts.
Learning About Typical Mexican Ingredients
Consulting the Mexican food glossary is not just about learning facts to impress your dinner guests or finding out about ingredient substitutions. You can also use the glossary to learn more about typical Mexican ingredients or to glean ideas and inspiration about future Mexican dishes you want to try making, based on the ingredients in them. Throwing unfamiliar ingredients together haphazardly can result in successful food but knowing some facts about the ingredients you are working with gives you more confidence in the kitchen and this will reflect in your tasty, homemade Mexican meals.
Why a Mexican Food Glossary is Useful
Mexican Food Glossary Mexican Food A - B
Mexican Food Glossary Mexican Food C - E
Mexican Food Glossary Mexican Food F - J
Mexican Food Glossary Mexican Food L - N
Mexican Food Glossary Mexican Food P - Z
Mexican Herbs and Spices and More
Flavorful Mexican Herbs, Spices, and More
Chili powder might be the first spice to come to mind when you think about Mexican recipes but there are so many more ways to give flavor to your homemade Mexican dishes, as you will discover. Popular spices in Mexican food include cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and chili powder. These can be used as they are or combined to make Mexican spice mixtures and tasty spice blends. You can also use garlic powder or onion powder if you are making quick, easy Mexican recipes, although for an authentic Mexican recipe you will probably want to use fresh garlic and onions.
Using Fresh Herbs in Mexican Cooking
Fresh herbs add color as well as flavor to Mexican food and Mexicans love to use herbs in their recipes. Cilantro is perhaps the most popular herb used in Mexican recipes, followed by oregano. Cilantro, oregano, and parsley are aromatic and can be used in soups, salads, casseroles and more. These fresh herbs are also used for garnish. A dollop of sour cream topped with a sprig of fresh cilantro makes a wonderful garnish for plenty of different Mexican recipes, and some chopped herbs look good sprinkled over a bowl of soup. Epazote is another Mexican herb, although you might need to go to a specialty Mexican grocery store to find that one.
Flavorful Mexican Herbs, Spices, and More
Mexican Spices are Wonderful Seasoning Spices for Mexican Dishes
Mexican Spices - Mexican Cooking Spices
Using Peppers in Mexican Cookery
Different Types of Hot Peppers
How to Make Chili Powder at Home
Mexican History
A Fascinating Glimpse at Mexican History
Whether you are interested in the history of Mexico in general or a timeline to show how Mexican cuisine has evolved, there is no doubt that food is a big part of Mexican history. There are fascinating tales to be learnt about Mexican food, such as how chimichangas came to be known by that name and the history of enchiladas and how they evolved. As with any other cuisine, if you go back a few centuries there were a lot fewer staples that Mexicans could use to make recipes and this is how many of today's most popular Mexican recipes came into being. Traditional ingredients like corn, chocolate, chicken and tomatoes have been incorporated with newer ones to make today's classic Mexican recipes.
The Evolution of Mexican Food
Some people feel that Mexican food has evolved too much. Because Mexico is so vast, each region has its own popular dishes and there are also a lot of Mexican food recipes enjoyed all over Mexico. The unfortunate thing however is that Mexican food has been changed into something unrecognizable by the fast food industry, which means that many people assume that all Mexicans live on a diet of Taco Bell style food. Nothing could be more untrue and authentic Mexican food is known for its nutritional benefits, its variety, and its ease of preparation, as well as its incredible flavors.
Facts About Mexican History and Mexican Recipes
Mexican Food History - The History of Traditional Mexican Food
The Fascinating History of Enchiladas
A Look at the Cinco de Mayo History
When Did Mexico Gain Independence from Spain
Mexico City - A Vibrant and Fascinating Place
The History of Mexico - The Early Days
Interesting Facts About Mexico
Understanding Cinco de Mayo History
Where Did Salsa Originate and How Did it Evolve
Salsa History and Salsa Facts
Some Famous People from Mexico
Mexican Holidays
Mexican Holidays and Fantastic Fiesta Food
There is no doubt that eating and drinking are a bit part of Mexican holidays. What would a Mexican fiesta be without vibrantly colored, traditional, and authentic Mexican food recipes? Some Mexican fiesta food is made only during the holidays because these recipes are more fiddly than other Mexican recipes. Tamales are a good example of this. They are delicious but take longer to make that a lot of other Mexican foods, hence they are often made in bulk around fiesta time. It is nice to reserve special recipes for the holidays because it gives people something special to look forward to.
The Best Mexican Recipes for Fiesta Time
The holidays are a time when people like to indulge in their favorite foods and, of course, this varies from person to person. If you are catering for a Cinco de Mayo party or another fiesta, you might like to have a buffet, in which case you can make a variety of traditional Mexican recipes. There are lots of Mexican food recipes, which you can make ahead, such as salsas and salads, so decide on a few make ahead dishes, to give you time to make the other ones. A crockpot chili is another good idea. Make some sweet Mexican recipes for the Mexican holidays too, if you like, such as sweet Mexican bread or fruit-filled empanadas.
Mexican Holidays - A Time to Enjoy Mexican Food
Fun and Hearty Cinco de Mayo Food
Cinco de Mayo Traditions and Facts about Cinco de Mayo
Fun Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas
Mexican Independence Day Food and Celebrations
A Look at Typical Mexican Christmas Food
How to Throw the Best Cinco de Mayo Parties
A Guide to Mexican Food Festivals
Mexico Holidays - How to Celebrate in Style
Fun Activities For Cinco de Mayo
What You Need to Know about Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
Facts About Cinco de Mayo
Colorful and Festive Cinco de Mayo Costumes
Cinco de Mayo Traditions In and Out of Mexico
Fun and Playful Cinco de Mayo Games
Festive and Lively Cinco de Mayo Music
Houston - Cinco De Mayo Tuesday and Events
When Did Mexico Gain Independence from Spain?
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the citizens in New Spain started to rebel against the government because they resented the Spanish control of the high offices and they objected to the economic and political reforms which the Spanish had initiated to modernize the colony. The Creoles (the Spanish born into the new world) also wanted to be the custodians of the Spanish monarchy and they were in disagreement with many of the liberal ideas coming from France and the United States.
Supported by the Indians and Indian-Spanish, the Creoles began a revolution for independence, which was fought until 1821. When Napoleon III announced his brother Joseph Bonaparte to be the King of Spain, the independence movement kicked off properly. The Creoles formed an army and wanted to renounce their allegiance to the Spanish.
Hidalgo and "El Grito"
Just before dawn on September 16, 1810, a Creole priest from Guanajuato called Hidalgo ordered the Spanish citizens in the area to be arrested. He rang the church bell and made a declaration, which is known as "el grito" and reenacted every year on the night of September 15. Mexican Independence Day is a two-day celebration, taking place on September 15 and 16. Hidalgo was actually captured and executed by the Spanish before Mexico gained its independence.
So, in answer to the question when did Mexico gain its independence from Spain, the independence was declared on September 16, 1810 but was not actually gained until September 27, 1821. A lot of people assume that Spanish and Mexican recipes are very similar but this is certainly not the case and Mexico and Spain have diverged a lot from each other in the past couple of centuries.
Mexico City - A Vibrant and Fascinating Place
Mexico City, Mexico, is well worth a visit. As well as the excellent Mexican food that you can sample there, there is plenty to see and do. Mexico City is the biggest city in Mexico and also the country's capital city. The city was built in 1325 by the Aztecs, who called it Tenochtitlan. The municipality was established in 1524 and the name was changed to "Mexico City" in 1585.
This city was built on a series of canals and lakes, which were drained afterwards. Since this time, the pumping of underground water for the city's residents coupled with the naturally soft ground means that a lot of Mexico's heartland is sinking about seven inches a year.
What is the Elevation of Mexico City?
Mexico City is seven thousand three hundred and forty seven feet above sea level. It has a subtropical highland climate because of the tropical location as well as the fact that its elevation is very high.
Mexico City Population
If you are wondering what is the population of Mexico City, the answer is that is 2009 the population was estimated to be almost nine million people. The land area is five hundred and seventy three square miles. This means that Mexico City is the biggest metropolitan area in all of the Americas.
Things to Do in Mexico City
The Castillo de Chapultepec is a very well preserved castle and there are some fascinating exhibits that you can browse. There are also some amazing volcano and mountain views so take your camera. You can either climb the hill to get to the castle or take the train. If you do enjoy architecture, the metropolitan cathedral is also well worth a visit.
Xochimilco is a great place to visit and you can rent a boat and enjoy the picturesque surroundings. This peaceful area feels like it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of Mexico City, so it is a nice day trip if you fancy a quiet day away from it all.
Mexico City Gastronomy
No trip to Mexico City is complete without sampling some delicious Mexican food recipes! A lot of Mexican restaurants open for breakfast but bear in mind that some of the best Mexican food you can get is eaten standing up at a street stall. Why not try a torta, which is a toasted sandwich with any filling from fish to marinated pork or vegetables and cheese?
There are plenty of places to eat in the Zona Rosa but the place does get very busy at the weekends. This was the gastronomical epicenter of the city at one point until other neighborhoods started to emerge and compete. There are Mexican restaurants and international ones in the Zona Rose.
Polanco offers plenty of choice if you are looking for fine dining and you can try some "nueva cocina mexicana" (new Mexican cuisine) here. The Centro Historico area offers everything from cozy neighborhood restaurants right up to fine dining. There are also lots of taco strands on the street between the Alameda Central Park and the Zocalo Square. You certainly will not go hungry if you are in Mexico City!
Mexico Holidays - How to Celebrate in Style
Mexican holidays and fiestas are colorful, vibrant, and lively. They are a time to indulge in all the best Mexican recipes and these holidays are celebrated in Mexico and in the United States, in Mexican communities. These fiestas bring a sense of culture and home and the great food and drink help to make the occasions special.
So what holidays does Mexico celebrate? Actually, there are a number of Mexican holidays including Cinco de Mayo, Mexican Independence Day, Day of the Dead, Carnaval, Semana Santa and more. Mexico is a religious country and some of these holidays are Catholic ones.
How Do Mexicans Celebrate Fiestas?
If you have ever celebrated Mexico holidays in the country itself, you will have seen the endless Mexican food buffets and the homes and streets adorned with brightly colored decorations. Lanterns in bright colors are hung and tables are decorated with festive tablecloths. Dancing, eating, and drinking are popular, as well as floats, parades, music and more.
It is great to see how important holidays in Mexico are celebrated in the United States and how these two cultures are so harmonized. The United States has embraced the flavor of Mexican fiestas and Cinco de Mayo is almost as big a deal in the United States as it is in Mexico.
How to Organize a Mexican Fiesta
Why not plan to have your own Mexican themed party? You can do this for Cinco de Mayo or for another of the well-known Mexican holidays or you can have a fiesta at any time. A Mexican-themed party is a great time to cook all your favorite Mexican recipes and party with friends and family.
One of the most important things to think about when planning a fiesta is, of course, the food. Which Mexican recipes are you going to make? You can make a few traditional Mexican recipes such as enchiladas, chiles rellenos or tacos. What about a buffet with chips, guacamole, salsa, and easy Mexican snacks? Perhaps you fancy making a big pot of chili con carne.
A make-your-own fajita stand or nachos stand is a lot of fun and people enjoy assembling their own snacks. If there are going to be kids there, buy, or make a piņata and fill it with candy. Set it up outside and give the kids a baseball bat.
More Tips for Making Traditional Mexican Recipes
Organizing a Mexican fiesta at home is a lot of fun and you will get the chance to make some authentic Mexican recipes and traditional Mexican foods to impress your guests with. Make sure you choose some dishes that you can make ahead and others that you can make later, else it will be a real rush at the end to get all the food ready at the same time, and a party is supposed to be about enjoying yourself rather than getting stressed over the food!
If you want to make some traditional Mexican recipes, make sure you have the right ingredients so your food will have an authentic flavor. Perhaps there is a Mexican grocery store near you, in which case you will be able to get all the necessary ingredients there.
The History of Mexico - The Early Days
Mexico has a very interesting history and there have been some highly developed cultures living there, including the Toltecs, Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayas. These cultures existed a long time before the Spanish conquest, which was in the early sixteenth century.
Unlike the other civilizations, the Mayas never disappeared and there are still Mayas and Maya descendants in Mexico today, in sizeable populations. A lot of the Mayan languages are still spoken today.
Early Mexican Civilizations
The Olmecs were the first ancient civilization to live in Mexico and this was around 1000 BC. They lived around the Tabasco and Veracruz areas, building cities and huge stone head carvings and spreading out across southern and central Mexico. This civilization disappeared around 400 BC. There were other civilizations after the Olmecs, including the Zapotecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltecs, Mixtecs and more.
The Toltec people continued the classic urban culture (Toltec is Mexican for "craftsman") and the Chichimec settled in the north. This means that the Aztecs were originally Chichimec when they migrated to Mexico.
The Aztecs
These civilizations had great achievements in architecture, mathematics, pottery, arm, textile weaving, and astronomy. They were also able to predict lunar and solar eclipses. The Aztecs were a small tribe living in the area where Mexico City is today and they were ruling the biggest empire Mexico had ever seen by the end of the fifteenth century. They spent two centuries in warfare and migration and then renamed themselves the Mexica and that is how the Spanish discovered them in the sixteenth century.
The Aztecs had two social classes - the nobility at the top and the commoners at the bottom. Rather than being born into one of these classes, you could rise up by, for example, being brave in war or being extremely skilled in something. Aztec males went to school to learn about religion and history, and also about war as well as various crafts.
Aztec women were viewed as being subordinate to Aztec men and they were expected to behave with high moral standards and chastity. Most religious and government functions were closed off to the women. Aztecs had simple, harsh laws and nearly every crime was punished by corporal punishment, mutilation, or death. The Aztecs believed in slavery but this had nothing to do with skin color. Slaves were temporary and were captured in wars and battles instead.
The Arrival of the Spanish
The Spanish explorers arrived a few years later and took over. The Aztecs were defeated and Spanish rule lasted for three hundred years. Mexico was one of Spain's best-loved colonies, largely because of its great mineral wealth and fertile plains. The country was heavily taxed and not allowed any autonomy. There was nearly always fighting throughout the land because of the repression of the native Indians.
A Catholic priest named Miguel de Hidalgo y Costilla led an armed rebellion at the turn of the nineteenth century but he was captured and executed before Mexico saw independence. His actions began the war of independence however and Mexican Independence Day is celebrated every year on September 16. In fact, this is one of the major Mexican holidays.
