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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Chiltepín chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes
The chiltepín chilli is the round wild chilli of north-west Mexico, considered the mother chilli. Discover its origin, heat and uses in Sonoran cuisine.
- Guide
Chiltomate: what it is, how it's made and uses in Yucatán
Discover chiltomate, the Yucatecan mother sauce of roasted tomato and habanero chilli that accompanies huevos motuleños, panuchos, salbutes and papadzules.
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Chimichanga: what it is, origin and how it differs from a burrito
The chimichanga is a burrito fried in oil until golden and crisp, originally from Sonora and the border. Filled with meat, beans and cheese.
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Chinene: what it is, taste and how it differs from avocado
The chinene (Persea schiedeana) is the giant avocado of Veracruz, a relative of the common avocado with larger fruits and a more fibrous, sweeter flavour.
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Chinicuil: what is it, history and how to eat the red maguey worm
Chinicuil is the edible red maguey worm of Mexico, a pre-Hispanic delicacy. Discover what it is, its Aztec origins and how it is prepared.
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Chipilín tamales: what they are, taste and recipe
Chipilin tamales are a Chiapas speciality that mixes maize dough with fresh leaves of the chipilin quelite, a herbal flavour unique to Mesoamerica.
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Chipilín: what it is, taste and uses in tamales
Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata) is an aromatic Chiapas herb essential in tamales, broths and rice, with a herbal flavour between chard and green tea.
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Chipotle chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes
The chipotle chilli is the smoked jalapeño, the base of Mexican adobos, tinga and salsas. Pre-Hispanic history, meco and morita varieties, heat and uses in cooking.
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Chipotle meco: what it is, heat and uses vs morita
The chipotle meco chilli is the large, heavily smoked variety of the dried jalapeño. Discover its flavour, heat, how it differs from the morita and how to use it in…
- Guide
Chivitos: what they are, taste and how they're eaten
Chivitos (Calandrinia micrantha) are a spring quelite of the Mexican Bajío, with succulent leaves and a mild flavour, gathered in Guanajuato and Michoacán.
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Chochoyotes: what they are and how to make them step by step
Discover chochoyotes: little maize-dough dumplings with a central dimple, simmered in Oaxacan moles and stews. A Zapotec and mestizo tradition.
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Chocolate with chilli: what it is, origin and how to make it
Chocolate with chilli is the original Mesoamerican pre-Hispanic drink: ground cacao with chilli, cinnamon and water or milk. A Maya and Mexica heritage of Oaxaca, Chiapas…
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Christmas adobo pork leg: what it is and how to roast it
The Mexican Christmas marinated pork leg is pork leg marinated in guajillo and ancho chillies and spices, slowly baked. A central dish of the Christmas Eve dinner.
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Christmas Eve salad: what it is and how to make it
The Mexican Christmas Eve salad combines beetroot, apple, orange, jicama, lettuce, peanut and pomegranate with a cream dressing. An emblematic dish of 24 December.
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Cilantro criollo: what it is, taste and uses
Cilantro criollo or cimarrón (Eryngium foetidum) is an aromatic herb of south-east Mexico with a flavour similar to coriander but more intense and longer-lasting.
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Cinnamon: what it is, uses in Mexico and vs cassia
Discover the role of Ceylon cinnamon in Mexican cooking. History from the Manila Galleon, mole, atoles, sweets and the difference with cassia.
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Clavito: what it is and uses of the Mexican wild mushroom
The clavito (Lyophyllum decastes) is a Mexican wild edible mushroom of the temperate forests, prized in the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Hidalgo.
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Clay cazuela: what it is, what it is for and how to use it
Meet the Mexican clay cazuela: a wide, shallow vessel for moles, rice dishes, pipianes and slow braises. A millennia-old Mesoamerican tradition.
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Clay chocolatera: what it is and what it is used for
Discover the clay chocolatera: a tall jug with a handle for whisking hot chocolate with a molinillo. A tradition of Oaxaca, Tabasco and central Mexico.
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Clay comal: what it is, its uses and tradition
Discover the Mexican clay comal: a ceramic disc for tortillas and for toasting chillies, tomatoes and spices. A tradition of Oaxaca and central Mexico.
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Clay pots: the types, how to season them and what they are for
Discover Mexican clay pots: pre-Hispanic vessels for beans, moles, atoles and rice. Regional types, seasoning and safe, lead-free use.
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Coahuila cuisine: typical dishes and what to eat
Discover Coahuila cuisine: cabrito al pastor, pulque bread, northern asado de puerco and the wine-making legacy of Parras in the Coahuila desert.
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Cocada: what it is, recipe and origin of the coconut sweet
Mexican cocada: a traditional sweet of grated coconut with milk, sugar and egg. A recipe from Guerrero, Colima and the tropical coasts.
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Cochinita pibil: what it is, history and the Yucatecan earth-oven recipe
What cochinita pibil is, its Maya origin, ingredients (achiote, bitter orange, banana leaf) and how it was originally cooked in a pib.
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Colorín flower: what it is, how to cook it and its season
Discover the colorín or gualumbo flower, an edible red flower of the tree Erythrina americana. Lenten gathering and traditional stews.
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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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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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Comiteco: what it is and how it differs from mezcal and tequila
Discover comiteco, the Chiapas spirit from maguey aguamiel and panela. Colonial history, the La Bolsa factory and differences from mezcal and tequila.
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Corundas: what they are, how they're made and how to eat them
Discover corundas, triangular Michoacán tamales wrapped in green milpa leaf, an emblematic dish of traditional Purépecha cuisine.
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Cuchamas: what they are, taste and how they're prepared
Discover cuchamas, edible worms of the huizache in the Tehuacán Valley and Oaxaca. Gathering in June, herbal flavour and use in tacos and salsas.