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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Bacanora: what it is and how it differs from mezcal
Discover bacanora, the Sonoran spirit from Agave angustifolia with DO. History, Porfirian prohibition, distilleries and difference from mezcal.
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Baja California cuisine: what defines it and what to eat
Discover Baja Californian cuisine: Ensenada fish tacos, the Valle de Guadalupe wine route, Baja Med cooking and Pacific seafood.
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Balché: what it is, how it's made and its Maya ritual use
Discover balché, a Maya ritual drink fermented with the bark of the tree Lonchocarpus longistylus, virgin honey and water. Ceremonial uses in Yucatán.
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Banana leaf cooking: what it is, how it's done and uses
Discover cooking in banana leaf in the Mexican south-east: tamales, fish, cochinita and mucbipollo wrapped to add aroma and retain moisture.
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Barbacoa: what it is, how it's made and why it's buried
Hidalgo barbacoa is mutton wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked in an earth oven. A Mexican Sunday dish served with its consommé and chickpeas.
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Birria: what it is, history and the traditional recipe from Jalisco
What birria is, its origin in Cocula, Jalisco, ingredients (goat or beef, chillies, spices) and how it differs from barbacoa or quesabirria.
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Black sapote: what it is, taste and uses in desserts
The black sapote (Diospyros nigra) is a Mexican tropical fruit with dark, creamy, sweet pulp, ideal for desserts and mousses. Harvested from October to January in…
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Blue maize masa: what it is, its flavour and uses in antojitos
Meet blue maize masa: native maize from Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico and Puebla. Anthocyanin pigments, fruity flavour and antojitos like tlacoyos.
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Borrachitos: what they are and how to make them
Borrachitos are Mexican gummies with a liqueur filling (rum, brandy or tequila), a traditional sweet of Tenancingo, State of Mexico, since the 19th century.
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Bu'pu: what it is and how the Zapotec drink is made
Bu'pu: a frothy Zapotec drink from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec with cacao, maize and aromatic flowers. An ancestral ritual tradition of Oaxaca.
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Cacahuazintle masa: what it is, its uses in pozole and tamales
Discover cacahuazintle maize: a variety with large white kernels for pozole, fine tamales and special masa. A tradition of the Mexican highlands.
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Cacao: what it is, origin, varieties and uses in cooking
Discover cacao (Theobroma cacao), a plant domesticated in Mesoamerica. Criollo varieties, Aztec currency, mole and chocolate from Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca.
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Café de olla: what it is, ingredients and how to make it
Café de olla: traditional Mexican recipe with ground coffee, piloncillo and cinnamon, brewed in a clay pot. The country's iconic hot drink.
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Calabaza en tacha: what it is and how to make it
Calabaza en tacha: a traditional sweet of Castilla squash cooked with piloncillo and cinnamon. Indispensable on Day of the Dead altars.
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Caldo de habas: what it is and how to make it
Caldo de habas is a Mexican Lenten soup with dried broad beans, tomato, nopales and mint. A vegetarian dish of central Mexico, especially Hidalgo and Tlaxcala.
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Caldo de mariscos: what's in it, recipe and origin
Mexican caldo de mariscos combines prawn, fish, clam and octopus in a tomato broth with guajillo chilli and epazote. Typical of Veracruz, Sinaloa and Nayarit.
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Caldo de res: what's in it and how to make the puchero
Mexican caldo de res - also called puchero or cocido - is a broth of shank, marrow, corn, potato, carrot, courgette and chayote. A national family Sunday dish.
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Caldo tlalpeño: what it is and how to make the soup
Caldo tlalpeño is a soup originating in Tlalpan, CDMX, with chicken broth, chickpeas, avocado, smoky chipotle and panela cheese. Comforting and emblematic of the…
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Camotes poblanos: what they are and how they're made
Camotes de Santa Clara: a Puebla convent sweet of cooked sweet potato with sugar, in fruity flavour varieties. A tradition of Puebla Baroque confectionery.
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Campeche cuisine: what it is, pan de cazón and dishes
Discover Campeche cuisine: pan de cazón, pámpano en escabeche, Campeche panuchos and the Maya, pirate and mestizo heritage of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Candlemas tamales: the 2 February tradition explained
The 2 February tamales in Mexico are the ritual payment owed by whoever found the Baby Jesus in the Kings' Day ring. A syncretic tradition that closes the Christmas…
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Capirotada: what it is, what's in it and how to make it
Mexican capirotada: a traditional Lenten dessert with stale bread, piloncillo syrup, cheese, dried fruits and spices. Colonial tradition and religious symbolism.
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Capulín: what it is, taste and uses of the Mexican cherry
Capulín (Prunus serotina subsp. capuli) is Mexico's native cherry, a purple-red fruit with a bittersweet flavour. Used in tamales, atoles, jams and traditional desserts.
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Caribe chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes
The caribe chilli is the spiciest güero chilli of northern Mexico, the base of northern salsas, pickles and marinades. Discover its flavour and uses in carne asada.
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Cascabel chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes
The cascabel chilli is a dried ball chilli that rattles when shaken thanks to its loose seeds. Discover its nutty flavour, moderate heat and uses in Mexican salsas.
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Catarina chilli: what it is, taste, uses and substitutes
The catarina chilli is a regional dried chilli of Aguascalientes, similar to the cascabel and the guajillo. Discover its nutty flavour, heat and uses.
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Cenizo quelite: what it is, taste and how to cook it
Cenizo quelite (Chenopodium berlandieri) is a pre-Hispanic edible herb of the Mexican highlands, the wild ancestor of huauzontle, with ash-grey leaves.
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Chalupas poblanas: what they are and how to make them
Chalupas poblanas are small oval tortillas, fried in lard and topped with green or red salsa, sprinkled with onion and shredded meat. An iconic snack from Puebla.
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Chamoyada: what it is, what's in it and how to make it
The chamoyada is a Mexican frozen treat of mango or other fruit bathed in chamoy, chilli powder and tamarind. A typical sweet-and-sour summer street snack.
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Champurrado: what it is, recipe and how it differs from atole
Discover champurrado, a thick maize masa atole with chocolate, piloncillo and cinnamon. Pre-Hispanic history and an emblematic drink of Christmas and the Day of the Dead.