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.
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Pit barbacoa: what it is and how it's cooked underground
Discover pit barbacoa: the pre-Hispanic technique of cooking meat underground wrapped in maguey leaves, the soul of Mexico's Sunday barbacoa.
- Guide
Pitahaya: what it is, taste and health benefits
Pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus) is a cactus fruit with a pink scaly skin and white or red pulp with small seeds, grown in Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
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Pitaya: what it is, types, taste and how to eat it
The pitaya is the fruit of columnar cacti (Stenocereus spp.) and climbing cacti (Hylocereus). Native to Mexico, it offers colourful pulp in pink, white, yellow and…
- Guide
Plantain: what it is, how to cook it and its uses
The plantain (Musa paradisiaca) is a large, starchy variety eaten cooked, fried or roasted in Tabasco, Veracruz, Chiapas and Mexican cuisine in general.
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Poblano chilli: what it is, heat, taste and uses
The poblano chilli is the fresh chilli most used in stuffed chillies and chiles en nogada. Discover its history, heat and why it is an emblem of Puebla.
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Polvorones: what they are, recipe and Mexican variants
Mexican polvorones: traditional lard biscuits with icing sugar. Pink, orange and butter variants. An adapted Andalusian colonial recipe.
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Popo: what it is and how the frothy Veracruz drink is made
Popo: a pre-Hispanic frothy drink of cacao, maize, chupipi vine and sugar. Traditional of Tuxtepec, Acayucan and the Veracruz Sierra de Sotavento.
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Posada food: what is served at the Mexican posadas
At the Mexican posadas (16-24 December), spiked ponche, tamales, atole, buñuelos, aguinaldos and antojitos are served. A syncretic colonial tradition.
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Pox: what it is, how it's drunk and the spirit's origin
Discover pox, the Tzotzil-Tzeltal spirit of maize, cane and wheat. A Maya ceremonial drink in San Juan Chamula, recipes and revaluation.
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Pozol: what it is, ingredients and how it's drunk
Pozol: a pre-Hispanic fermented drink of nixtamalised maize dough, cacao and water. Traditional of Tabasco and Chiapas, it refreshes field work for hours.
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Pozole: what it is, history and traditional Mexican recipe
What pozole is, its pre-Hispanic history, ingredients (cacahuazintle maize, meat, chillies) and the regional red, white and green recipes.
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Pueblan cuisine: what it is, key dishes and its history
Discover Pueblan cuisine: mole poblano, chiles en nogada, cemitas and pipianes in a baroque tradition that defines Mexican identity.
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Pulque: what it is, history and the process of the fermented maguey drink
Discover pulque, a pre-Hispanic fermented drink made from maguey aguamiel. Tlachiqueros, pulquerías and curados of Hidalgo and Tlaxcala.
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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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Puya chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes
The puya chilli is the smaller, spicier version of the guajillo, used in birria and adobos. Discover its fruity flavour, heat and uses in Mexican cuisine.
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Quelites: what they are, types and how to cook them
Quelites are wild and semi-cultivated edible herbs of the Mesoamerican tradition. Discover their varieties, culinary uses and cultural value in Mexico.
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Querétaro cuisine: enchiladas, gorditas and what to eat
Get to know Querétaro cuisine: Querétaro enchiladas, crumb gorditas, nopales in maguey leaf and the tradition of the Mexican Bajío in the heart of the Sierra Gorda.
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Quintana Roo cuisine: Maya dishes and what to eat
Discover Quintana Roo cuisine: pescado tikin xic, sopa de lima, Caribbean lobster, Maya recados and the flavours of Tulum, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya.
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Quintoniles: what they are, benefits and how to cook them
Quintoniles (Amaranthus hybridus) are the tender leaves of wild amaranth, a nutritious pre-Hispanic quelite of central Mexico, a spring crop of the milpa.
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Raicilla: what it is and what the agave spirit tastes like
Discover raicilla, the Jalisco spirit from Agave maximiliana and inaequidens with Denomination of Origin. Sierra and coast, fruity and artisanal profile.
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Rajas con queso tamales: what they are and how to make them
Rajas con queso tamales are the vegetarian favourite of the capital's tamalera: fluffy dough, poblano rajas, panela cheese and green salsa.
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Red costeño chilli: what it is, heat and uses in moles
The red costeño chilli is a dried chilli from the Costa Chica of Oaxaca, indispensable in regional moles and salsas. Discover its flavour, heat and uses.
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Red pipián: what it is, ingredients and how to make it
Learn about red pipián, the Mexican salsa with pumpkin seed, guajillo chilli, sesame and peanut, a dish of central and southern Mexico.
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Romeritos: what they are, how to cook them and when
Romeritos are Mexican wild quelites stewed with mole, dried-prawn fritters and potatoes. A traditional dish of Lent and Christmas in central Mexico.
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Rosca de Reyes: what it is, meaning and when it's eaten
The Rosca de Reyes is the sweet bread of 6 January in Mexico: decorated with candied fruit, it hides figures of the baby Jesus; whoever finds them pays for the tamales.
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Salbutes: what they are, what's on them and how to make them
Salbutes are Yucatecan antojitos of freshly made tortilla fried in lard until it puffs up and topped with shredded chicken or turkey, pickled red onion, lettuce and…
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Salting and curing meat: what it is and how it's done
Discover the salting and curing of meats in Mexico: Yecapixtla cecina, northern machaca, dried meat and chilli-rubbed cecina. Traditional northern techniques.
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San Luis Potosí cuisine: what it is and typical dishes
Discover San Luis Potosí cuisine: enchiladas potosinas with ancho chilli, Huastec zacahuil, asado de boda and the diversity of the four regions of San Luis Potosí.
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Saramuyo: what it is, taste and how to eat it
The saramuyo (Annona squamosa) is an annona with a scaly green skin and creamy, very sweet white flesh, a traditional fruit of south-east Mexico and the Yucatán…
- Guide
Serrano chilli: what it is, heat and uses vs jalapeño
The serrano chilli is the most used fresh chilli in Mexican cuisine. Discover its flavour, heat and why it is the base of pico de gallo, green salsa and guacamole.