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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Manchamanteles: what it is and what's in the fruity mole
Learn about manchamanteles, a Mexican fruity mole with pineapple, plantain, apple and ancho chilli, a baroque dish of Puebla and Oaxaca for celebrations.
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Manzano chilli: what it is, heat, taste and uses
The manzano chilli is a highland fresh chilli with black seeds and an intense heat. Discover its flavour, habitat and how it is used in Mexican salsas and pickles.
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Marquesitas: what they are and how to make them
The marquesita is a crisp rolled wafer with grated Edam ball cheese and Nutella or cajeta, a typical street snack of Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula.
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Max chilli: what it is, heat and uses of the Maya chilli
The max chilli is the wild chiltepin of the Yucatán Peninsula, the base of xnipec and Maya salsas. Discover its origin, extreme heat and uses.
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Menudo: what it is, how to make it and when it's eaten
Northern menudo is a thick beef tripe broth with hominy and guajillo chilli. Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa serve it on Sundays as a hangover cure.
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Meocuil: what it is, taste and how the maguey worm is eaten
Discover the meocuil or white maguey worm, a buttery larva from Hidalgo and Tlaxcala. Its flavour, artisanal gathering and use in tacos and mixiotes.
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Metate grinding: what it is, how it's done and its uses
Discover grinding on a metate: a pre-Hispanic stone for grinding maize, cacao, chillies and spices. An ancient technique that gives texture and flavour to moles and…
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Metate: what it is, what it is for and how it is used
Discover the metate: a rectangular stone for grinding maize, cacao, chillies and spices. A millennia-old symbol of traditional Mexican cooking.
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Mexican buñuelos: what they are, types and recipe
Mexican bunuelos are crisp discs of fried dough bathed in piloncillo syrup, a symbol of the Christmas and New Year festivities throughout Mexico.
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Mexican caldo de pollo: what's in it and how to make it
Mexican caldo de pollo is a golden broth with bone-in pieces, carrot, courgette, chayote, potato and rice. A comforting dish and a classic home remedy.
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Mexican Christmas ponche: what's in it and how to make it
Mexican Christmas ponche: traditional posada recipe with tejocotes, sugar cane, guava, apple and piloncillo. A hot December drink.
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Mexican Christmas pork loin: what it is and how to make it
The Mexican Christmas pork loin is pork loin baked in a sweet-savoury sauce of prunes, red wine and spices. An emblematic dish of the Christmas Eve dinner.
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Mexican Christmas turkey: what it is, stuffing and marinade
The Mexican Christmas turkey is stuffed with a meat, fruit and nut picadillo, and roasted with a marinade of chillies, spices and citrus. The star dish of 24 December.
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Mexican churros: what they are, how to make them and types
Mexican churros are strips of fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar, served with hot chocolate. Learn their history, variants and typical fillings.
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Mexican Lenten food: what is eaten and why
Mexican Lenten cuisine includes prawn fritters, romeritos in mole, capirotada, Veracruz-style fish and fasting without red meat. A 40-day religious tradition.
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Mexican meringues: what they are and how to make them
Mexican meringues are airy sweets of egg white and sugar, sold in markets and squares, white or coloured, a symbol of the national street snack.
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Mexican oregano: what it is, taste and uses
Discover Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens), a herb endemic to the semi-desert. Citrus-menthol aroma, uses in pozole, beans and birria.
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Mexican pickles: what they are and how to make them
Discover Mexican pickles: the technique of preserving in vinegar and spices for red onions, pickled chillies and Yucatecan carrots.
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Mexican plum (jocote): what it is, taste and how to eat it
The Mexican plum, or jocote (Spondias purpurea), is a bittersweet tropical fruit of the Mexican Pacific. Green as a snack with salt and chilli, ripe in jams and drinks.
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Mexican smoking: what it is, techniques and woods
Discover traditional Mexican smoking: chipotle, pejelagarto, smoked cheese and meats. Techniques with fruit woods and mesquite of the Mexican south-east.
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Mexican table chocolate: what it is, types and how to make it
Mexican table chocolate: an artisanal tablet with cacao, cinnamon and sugar from Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas. Brands, history and traditional uses.
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Mexican tostadas: what they are, toppings and how to eat them
Mexican tostadas are fried or toasted maize tortillas, a crisp base for tinga, chicken, beans and seafood. A national antojito with regional variations.
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Mexican vanilla: what it is, how it's grown and its uses
Discover the vanilla of Papantla (Vanilla planifolia), an orchid endemic to Veracruz with a designation of origin. Totonac history, process and use.
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Mexico City cuisine: typical dishes and what to eat
Discover Mexico City cuisine: tacos al pastor, tortas, tlacoyos, pulques, the cuisines of Mexico converging in the country's capital.
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Mezcal: what it is, history and how it differs from tequila
What mezcal is, its pre-Hispanic origin, the types of agave, denomination of origin and the differences with Mexican tequila.
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Michelada: what's in it, recipe and variations
Michelada: Mexican beer prepared with lime juice, sauces, salt and chilli on the rim. Classic recipe, variants and San Luis Potosí origin.
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Michoacán cuisine: what it is and why it's world heritage
Discover Michoacán cuisine: carnitas, corundas, uchepos and the Purépecha tradition that UNESCO recognised as a paradigm of world heritage.
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Mirasol chilli: what it is, taste and link to the guajillo
The mirasol chilli is the fresh chilli that becomes the guajillo when dried. Discover its origin, fruity flavour, heat and uses in Bajío cuisine.
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Mixiotes: what they are, how they're made and their origin
Mixiotes are stews of meat marinated with chillies, steamed wrapped in the cuticle of the maguey or in banana leaves. A pre-Hispanic dish of Hidalgo and Tlaxcala.
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Molcajete: what it is, what it is for and how to season it
Discover the molcajete: a volcanic stone mortar from the pre-Hispanic world for salsas, guacamole and pastes. How to season and use it properly.