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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Güero chilli: what it is, taste, heat and substitutes
The güero chilli is the fresh yellow chilli of Mexican cuisine, used in broths, pickles and Veracruz-style fish. Discover its flavour, heat and varieties.
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Guerrero cuisine: what it is and typical dishes to try
Discover Guerrero cuisine: green pumpkin-seed pozole, chilate, Acapulco-style ceviche and the Nahua and Afro-mestizo tradition of the southern Pacific state.
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Habanero chilli: what it is, heat, taste and substitutes
The Yucatecan habanero chilli is one of the hottest chillies in the world. Discover its fruity flavour, denomination of origin, heat and uses in Mexican cuisine.
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Hanal Pixán: what it is and what is eaten in the offering
Hanal Pixán is the Yucatecan Maya Day of the Dead: three days of offerings with mucbipollo, new atole, beans with pork and traditional sweets. Cultural heritage.
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Hibiscus flower (jamaica): what it is, uses and benefits
Discover the hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa), the red calyx of Mexican agua fresca. Uses in waters, jams, vegetarian tacos and benefits.
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Hidalgo cuisine: what it is and typical dishes to try
Get to know Hidalgo cuisine: lamb barbacoa, Real del Monte pastes, mixiotes and pulques with Mining, Otomí and Welsh heritage.
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Hierba mora: what it is, taste and how to cook it
Black nightshade (Solanum americanum) is a wild quelite of central and southern Mexico with edible leaves and berries, used in broths, stews and traditional medicine.
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Hierbabuena: what it is, uses and how it differs from mint
Hierbabuena (Mentha spicata) is a Mediterranean aromatic herb naturalised in Mexico, essential in meatballs, hierbabuena water and traditional tea.
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Hoja santa: what it is, taste, uses and substitutes
Hoja santa (Piper auritum), also called acuyo or hierbasanta, is a large leaf with an aniseed flavour, key to moles, tamales and fish dishes of Veracruz and Oaxaca.
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Huauzontles: what they are, taste and how to cook them
Huauzontles (Chenopodium berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae) are green flower heads related to amaranth, the base of battered fritters in tomato broth.
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Huaya: what it is, taste and benefits of the fruit
Huaya (Talisia olivaeformis) is a Yucatecan tropical fruit with a hard yellow-green skin and juicy orange pulp of a sweet-and-sour flavour, emblematic of Merida.
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Huitlacoche: what is it, history and why it is called Mexican truffle
Huitlacoche is an edible corn fungus considered a pre-Hispanic delicacy. Discover what it is, its Aztec origin and how it is prepared.
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Independence Day pozole: what it is and why it's eaten
Pozole is the centrepiece of Mexico's Independence Cry on 15 September: a cacahuazintle maize broth with meat, chilli and fresh garnishes.
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Iron comal: what it is and how it is used in the kitchen
Discover the iron or steel comal: a versatile surface for tortillas, quesadillas, roasted chillies and antojitos in modern Mexican kitchens.
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Itacates: what they are, how they are made and what to eat them with
Discover itacates: thick triangles of nixtamalised maize dough typical of Morelos and Tlaxcala. A market antojito to accompany stews.
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Izote flower: what it is and how to cook it
Discover the izote flower (Yucca elephantipes), an edible white flower of south-eastern Mexico. Bitter-sweet flavour, gathered in Lent and used in stews.
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Jalapeño chilli: what it is, heat and uses vs serrano
The jalapeño chilli is the most famous Mexican fresh chilli in the world. Discover its history, varieties, heat and uses in escabeche, nachos and stuffed dishes.
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Jalisco cuisine: what it is, typical dishes and drinks
Explore Jalisco cuisine: goat birria, tortas ahogadas, pozole and tequila, the culinary heart of western Mexico and Guadalajaran culture.
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Jamoncillo: what it is, how it's made and where it's from
Jamoncillo: a Mexican sweet of milk, sugar and cinnamon cooked until caramelised. A colonial convent tradition of Puebla, Toluca and central Mexico.
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Jicama: what it is, taste, benefits and how to eat it
The jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) is a round, crunchy tuber, refreshing for its water content. Eaten raw with lime and chilli as a Mexican street snack.
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Jícara: what it is, what it is made from and what it is used for
Discover the jícara: a natural vessel made from the calabash fruit, used in Mexico to serve chocolate, tejate, pozol and aguas frescas.
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Jocoque: what it is, what it tastes like and what to substitute for it
Jocoque is a tangy, creamy Mexican fermented dairy product. Discover what it is, its types (dry and sour), what it tastes like and what to use instead.
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Jumiles: what they are and why they're eaten alive in Taxco
Discover jumiles, edible stink bugs from Taxco eaten alive in salsas and tacos. Origin, cinnamon-iodine flavour and festival in Guerrero.
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Leche quemada: what it is and how the Oaxacan sweet is made
Leche quemada is a traditional Mexican sweet of milk with sugar caramelised until thick and dark, the base of cajetas, glorias and desserts of central Mexico.
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Lengua de vaca: what this quelite is, taste and uses
Lengua de vaca (Rumex crispus) is a wild Mexican quelite with elongated leaves and a slightly tart flavour, used in stews and fritters of the high plateau.
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Macarrones de leche: what they are and how to make them
Macarrones de leche are little rolls of caramelised milk sweet wrapped in coloured cellophane, a traditional sweet of Mexican markets.
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Mafafa: what it is, which parts are eaten and how to cook it
The mafafa (Xanthosoma robustum) is a large Mexican tropical plant whose leaves and tuber are eaten in Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca.
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Maguey mushroom: what it is, season and how to cook it
The hongo de maguey or gachupín (Pleurotus opuntiae) is a species tied to the agave in Hidalgo and Tlaxcala, a traditional ingredient of central Mexican highland cooking.
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Mamey: what it is, taste, benefits and how to eat it
The mamey (Pouteria sapota) is a Mexican tropical fruit with orange-red pulp and a sweet flavour. Used in ice creams, mameyate, antes and shakes. Harvested March to July.
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Mamoncillo: what it is, taste and how to eat it
Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a tropical fruit with a green skin and orange pulp eaten in Veracruz, Tabasco and Yucatan.