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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Sesame (ajonjolí): what it is, taste and uses in Mexican food
Discover ajonjolí (Sesamum indicum), the aromatic seed at the base of mole poblano and Oaxacan mole. Varieties, Mexican production and culinary uses.
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Simojovel chilli: what it is, heat and uses
The Simojovel chilli is the chiltepin endemic to Chiapas, the base of chamoy and Chiapas salsas. Discover its origin, extreme heat and uses.
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Sinaloan cuisine: what it is, seafood and aguachiles
Discover Sinaloan cuisine: aguachiles, chilorio, sierra ceviches and seafood of the Sea of Cortez in one of Mexico's most vibrant coastal cuisines.
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Sonoran caldo de queso: what it is and how to make it
Sonoran caldo de queso is a soup of potato, tomato, Anaheim green chilli and ranchero or regional cheese, milky from milk or cream. An emblematic dish of Sonora.
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Sonoran cuisine: what it is and typical northern dishes
Get to know Sonoran cuisine: large sobaquera flour tortillas, grilled beef, machaca and bacanora at the table of the desert and ranching of the north-west.
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Sopa azteca: what tortilla soup is and how to make it
Sopa azteca, or tortilla soup, is a Mexican roasted-tomato broth topped with fried tortilla, pasilla chilli, avocado, cream and panela cheese. Tlaxcala and CDMX dispute…
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Sopa de fideo: what's in it and how to make it at home
Sopa de fideo is the Mexican everyday-meal classic: pasta toasted in oil and cooked in a broth of tomato, garlic and onion. An eatery lunch across the country.
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Sopa de lima: what it is and how to make it
Yucatecan sopa de lima is a chicken or turkey broth with the endemic sour lime, coriander and fried tortilla. An emblematic dish of the Maya-Spanish peninsular…
- Guide
Sopa tarasca: what it is, what's in it and how to make it
Sopa tarasca is a Michoacán cream of blended pinto bean with tomato and pasilla chilli, served with fried tortilla, cream and cheese. An emblematic dish of Pátzcuaro.
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Sopes: what they are, how to make them and toppings
Sopes are Mexican antojitos of thick maize masa with a pinched rim, fried in lard, spread with refried beans and topped with stews, salsa, cheese and cream.
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Sotol: what it is, how it's made and how it differs from mezcal
Discover sotol, the Mexican spirit made from sereque (Dasylirion). Denomination of Origin, production in Chihuahua and Durango, and differences from mezcal.
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Soursop (guanábana): what it is, taste and how to eat it
The soursop (Annona muricata) is a large tropical fruit with spiny skin and creamy white pulp with a bittersweet flavour. The star of Mexican aguas frescas, ice creams…
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Southern Baja California cuisine: what it is and its dishes
Discover Southern Baja California cuisine: roasted clams, fish machaca, Pichilingue oysters and the meeting of the desert with the Sea of Cortez.
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Squash blossom: what it is, its season and how to clean it
Discover squash blossom, a pre-Hispanic ingredient of quesadillas, soups and crêpes. Varieties, the rainy season and techniques for cleaning it.
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Star anise: what it is, aroma and uses in Mexican cooking
Discover star anise (Illicium verum), an Asian spice used in Mexican breads, atoles, Christmas punch and sweets. It flavours moles and cured meats.
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State of Mexico cuisine: what it is and typical dishes
Discover State of Mexico cuisine: Capulhuac barbacoa, Toluca green chorizo, Lerma river mosquitos and the tradition of Mexico's central highlands.
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Tabasco cuisine: what it is and its typical dishes
Discover Tabasco cuisine: grilled pejelagarto, chipilín tamales, cacao and the Olmec, Maya-Chontal fusion of Mexico's humid tropics.
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Tabiche chilli: what it is, heat and uses in Oaxaca
The tabiche chilli is a regional chilli of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca used in regional moles and stuffed chillies. Discover its flavour, heat and uses.
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Tacos al pastor: what they are, origin and how they're made
Tacos al pastor are pork marinated with chillies and achiote, roasted on a vertical spit with pineapple on top. Heir to the Lebanese shawarma and a Mexico City emblem.
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Tamal de cazuela: what it is and how to make it without leaves
The tamal de cazuela is a dish from Veracruz and Durango that dispenses with the leaf: masa, mole or salsa and meat are baked in a dish to be served in slices.
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Tamal de elote: what it is and how to make it
The sweetcorn tamale is a sweet tamale made with fresh kernels of tender maize, butter, sugar and milk. A Michoacan and Guerrero tradition for an afternoon treat.
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Tamalera: what it is, the types and how to use it for tamales
Meet the Mexican tamalera: a tall steamer pot with a rack for cooking tamales. Types, capacities and how to set it up for perfect steaming.
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Tamales barbones: what they are and how to make them
Barbon tamales are a speciality of Escuinapa, Sinaloa: tamales filled with whole prawns whose whiskers poke out, guajillo-chilli dough and maize husk.
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Tamales canarios: what they are, recipe and origin
Discover tamales canarios, sweet Mexican tamales made with rice flour, butter, egg and raisins, originating in Michoacán.
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Tamales colados: what they are and how the masa is made
Yucatecan strained tamales are tamales of fine sieved dough with red recado, chicken and achiote wrapped in banana leaf. Recipe and Maya origin of the south-east.
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Tamarind sweets: what they are, types and how to make them
Little balls, sticks and pulparindos: discover Mexican tamarind sweets, their chilli-laced sweet-and-sour flavour and their origin as a street snack.
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Tamaulipas cuisine: what it is and typical dishes to try
Discover Tamaulipas cuisine: carne asada a la tampiqueña, stuffed crab, mochomos and the northern fusion with the Gulf of Mexico.
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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.
- Guide
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.