Mexican food guides
What is huitlacoche? Where does mole poblano come from? We answer the most common questions about Mexican dishes and ingredients, with history, origin and recipes to cook them at home in Canada.
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Northern tamales: what they are and where they're typical
Northern tamales are small, firm pieces of maize dough with pork in red chilli, typical of Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua during the Christmas season.
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Oaxacan tamales: what they are and how they're made
Discover Oaxacan tamales, wrapped in banana leaf with maize masa, chicken and mole negro, an emblematic ceremonial dish of the Oaxacan repertoire.
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Tatemado: what it is, how it's done and what it's for
Discover tatemado: the Mexican technique of charring chillies, tomatoes and vegetables directly over fire or embers, the basis of the deep flavour of traditional salsas.
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Tecomate: what it is and how it's used in Mexican cooking
The tecomate (Amanita caesarea) is one of the most prized wild edible mushrooms in Mexico, known as the mushroom of kings for its delicate, elegant flavour.
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Tejate: what it is, what's in it and how it's made
Oaxacan tejate: a pre-Hispanic ritual drink of maize, cacao, cacao flower, pixtle and rosita. The drink of the gods of the Mixtec peoples.
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Tejocote: what it is, taste and uses in Christmas ponche
The tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) is a yellow-orange, bittersweet and aromatic fruit, an essential ingredient of Mexican Christmas punch and traditional sweets.
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Tejuino: what it is, how it's made and where to drink it
Discover tejuino, a drink of fermented nixtamalised maize masa, piloncillo and lime. Pre-Hispanic origin and popularity in Jalisco and Colima.
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Tepache: what it is, how it's made and how it differs from kombucha
Discover tepache, a fermented drink of pineapple, piloncillo and cinnamon. Pre-Hispanic origin, traditional recipe and differences with the Mexican kombucha.
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Tesgüino: what it is and how the maize beer is made
Discover tesgüino, a fermented drink of sprouted maize from the rarámuri of the Sierra Tarahumara. Recipe, ritual use and ball races.
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Tetelas: what they are, what they are filled with and how they are made
Discover tetelas: triangles of nixtamalised maize dough filled with beans, cheese or asiento, typical of Puebla, Oaxaca and the Mixteca region.
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Tlacoyos: what they are, fillings and how to make them
Tlacoyos are pre-Hispanic antojitos of blue maize masa stuffed with broad bean, bean or curd cheese, cooked on a comal. A speciality of central Mexico and of market…
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Oaxacan tlayuda: what it is, history and how to prepare the giant tortilla
What a tlayuda is, its origin in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, ingredients (asiento, beans, tasajo, quesillo) and how it differs from a taco or Mexican pizza.
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Torta ahogada: what it is and how to eat the Guadalajara icon
The torta ahogada is the street icon of Guadalajara: salty birote filled with carnitas and completely bathed in tomato or chile de árbol salsa. An essential dish of…
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Torta cubana: what's in it, origin and how to make it
The torta cubana is the largest torta in Mexico: telera bread filled with milanesa, ham hock, ham, sausage, chorizo, cheese, avocado and egg. A speciality of the Centro…
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Coloured tortillas: what they are and which maize they are made from
Discover Mexico's coloured tortillas: blue, red, yellow, white and purple maize. Native landraces, flavours and the biodiversity of Mexican maize.
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Tortillera: what it is, the types and how to use the press
Discover the tortillera, or tortilla press: the Mexican utensil that shapes nixtamalised maize dough into perfect discs. Wood, iron or aluminium.
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Tortitas de camarón: what they are and how to make them
Dried prawn fritters are crisp discs made from ground dried prawns and egg, simmered in romeritos with mole. A Lenten dish from central Mexico.
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Mexican tostadas: what they are, toppings and how to eat them
Mexican tostadas are fried or toasted maize tortillas, a crisp base for tinga, chicken, beans and seafood. A national antojito with regional variations.
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Comal toasting: what it is and how it's done
Discover toasting on a comal: the Mexican technique for enhancing the flavours of dried chillies, seeds, spices and tortillas on the quintessential pre-Hispanic utensil.
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Artisanal totopos: what they are and how they are made
Discover Mexican artisanal totopos: crisp dried tortillas from Oaxaca and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. A long-keeping Zapotec tradition.
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Trompa de puerco: what the mushroom is and how to cook it
The trompa de puerco (Hypomyces lactifluorum) is a wild mushroom of Mexican pine forests, of intense orange colour, gathered in the State of Mexico and Veracruz.
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Tuba: what it is, origin and how the palm drink is made
Discover tuba, a fermented drink of coconut palm sap from Colima and Guerrero. Filipino origin, the tubero's technique and variants with fruit.
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Tuna (prickly pear): what it is, history and varieties of the nopal fruit
The tuna is the fruit of the nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica), sweet and refreshing, native to Mexico. Eaten fresh, in water, ice cream or jam. Harvested June to October.
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Uchepos: what they are and how the sweetcorn tamales are made
Discover uchepos, sweet Michoacán tamales of tender sweetcorn, an emblematic dish of Purépecha cuisine during the fresh sweetcorn season.
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Mexican vanilla: what it is, how it's grown and its uses
Discover the vanilla of Papantla (Vanilla planifolia), an orchid endemic to Veracruz with a designation of origin. Totonac history, process and use.
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Vaporcitos: what they are, origin and recipe
Vaporcitos are small Yucatecan tamales of patted dough with achiote, chicken and banana leaf, steamed. Recipe, origin and how to serve them.
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Purslane (verdolagas): what it is, taste and how to cook it
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a Mexican succulent quelite with fleshy leaves and a mild tangy flavour, ideal in stews with pork in green salsa.
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Xamues: what they are, taste and how they're eaten
Discover xamues, giant mesquite bugs of the high plateau of Hidalgo, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. Sour-apple flavour and use in salsas.
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Xoconostle: what it is, benefits and uses in cooking
The xoconostle is the tart prickly pear (Opuntia matudae), with pinkish pulp and a sour flavour. Used in salsas, mole de olla, preserves and traditional Mexican medicinal…
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Yema de huevo: what the wild mushroom is and how to use it
The yema de huevo (Amanita basii) is a yellow wild mushroom of the Mexican forests, an endemic species gathered in the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla.