Mexico Info
Joined: 01 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:51 am Post subject: FOOD & DINING IN MEXICO / MEXICO DINING GUIDE |
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FOOD & DINING IN MEXICO
GENERAL
Thanks to pre-Hispanic and Spanish influences, Mexican cuisine, with more than 20 centuries of tradition, brings together the flavours of two continents with colourful and delicious dishes. World famous for its diversity, the government has asked UNESCO to declare Mexican cuisine a "Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity." The key to Mexican gastronomy is the vast number of ingredients used, including corn, beans, chili peppers, vegetables and domestic meats; however at times some of the food products can come from Europe as well. The wide range of flavours, colours and textures, the manner in which the dishes are presented, and the local culinary techniques used are all part of the unique experience. This culinary culture, which can be enjoyed in marketplaces, diners and gourmet restaurants, is a product of the identity, beliefs, customs and cohesion of the Mexican people.
Achiote -- Small red seed of the annatto tree.
Achiote preparado -- A Yucatecan prepared paste made of ground achiote, wheat and corn flour, cumin, cinnamon, salt, onion, garlic, and oregano.
Agua fresca -- Fruit-flavoured water, usually watermelon, cantaloupe, chia seed with lemon, hibiscus flour, rice, or ground melon-seed mixture.
Antojito -- Typical Mexican supper foods, usually made with masa or tortillas and having a filling or topping such as sausage, cheese, beans, and onions; includes such things as tacos, tostadas, sopes, and garnachas.
Atole -- A thick, lightly sweet, hot drink made with finely ground corn and usually flavoured with vanilla, pecan, strawberry, pineapple, or chocolate.
Botana -- An appetizer.
Buñuelos -- Round, thin, deep-fried crispy fritters dipped in sugar.
Carnitas -- Pork deep-cooked (not fried) in lard, and then simmered and served with corn tortillas for tacos.
Ceviche -- Fresh raw seafood marinated in fresh lime juice and garnished with chopped tomatoes, onions, chiles, and sometimes cilantro.
Chayote -- A vegetable pear or mirliton, a type of spiny squash boiled and served as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
Chiles en nogada -- Poblano peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground pork and beef, spices, fruits, raisins, and almonds. Can be served either warm -- fried in a light batter -- or cold, sans the batter. Either way it is then covered in walnut-and-cream sauce.
Chiles rellenos -- Usually poblano peppers stuffed with cheese or spicy ground meat with raisins, rolled in a batter, and fried.
Churro -- Tube-shaped, breadlike fritter, dipped in sugar and sometimes filled with cajeta (milk-based caramel) or chocolate.
Cochinita pibil -- Pork wrapped in banana leaves, pit-baked in a pibil sauce of achiote, sour orange, and spices; common in the Yucatán.
Enchilada -- A tortilla dipped in sauce, usually filled with chicken or white cheese, and sometimes topped with mole (enchiladas rojas or de mole), or with tomato sauce and sour cream (enchiladas suizas -- Swiss enchiladas), or covered in a green sauce (enchiladas verdes), or topped with onions, sour cream, and guacamole (enchiladas potosinas).
Escabeche -- A lightly pickled sauce used in Yucatecan chicken stew.
Frijoles refritos -- Pinto beans mashed and cooked with lard.
Garnachas -- A thickish small circle of fried masa with pinched sides, topped with pork or chicken, onions, and avocado, or sometimes chopped potatoes and tomatoes, typical as a botana in Veracruz and Yucatán.
Gorditas -- Thick, fried corn tortillas, slit and stuffed with choice of cheese, beans, beef, chicken, with or without lettuce, tomato, and onion garnish.
Horchata -- Refreshing drink made of ground rice or melon seeds, ground almonds, cinnamon, and lightly sweetened.
Huevos mexicanos -- Scrambled eggs with chopped onions, hot green peppers, and tomatoes.
Huitlacoche -- Sometimes spelled "cuitlacoche." A mushroom-flavoured black fungus that appears on corn in the rainy season; considered a delicacy.
Manchamantel -- Translated, means "tablecloth stainer." A stew of chicken or pork with chiles, tomatoes, pineapple, bananas, and jicama.
Masa -- Ground corn soaked in lime; the basis for tamales, corn tortillas, and soups.
Mixiote -- Rabbit, lamb, or chicken cooked in a mild chile sauce (usually chile ancho or pasilla), and then wrapped like a tamal and steamed. It is generally served with tortillas for tacos, with traditional garnishes of pickled onions, hot sauce, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Pan de muerto -- Sweet bread made around the Days of the Dead (Nov 1-2), in the form of mummies or dolls, or round with bone designs.
Pan dulce -- Lightly sweetened bread in many configurations, usually served at breakfast or bought in any bakery.
Papadzules -- Tortillas stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and seeds (pumpkin or sunflower) in a tomato sauce.
Pibil -- Pit-baked pork or chicken in a sauce of tomato, onion, mild red pepper, cilantro, and vinegar.
Pipián -- A sauce made with ground pumpkin seeds, nuts, and mild peppers.
Poc chuc -- Slices of pork with onion marinated in a tangy sour orange sauce and charcoal-broiled; a Yucatecan specialty.
Pozole -- A soup made with hominy in either chicken or pork broth.
Pulque -- A drink made of fermented juice of the maguey plant; best in the state of Hidalgo and around Mexico City.
Quesadilla -- Corn or flour tortillas stuffed with melted white cheese and lightly fried.
Queso relleno -- "Stuffed cheese," a mild yellow cheese stuffed with minced meat and spices; a Yucatecan specialty.
Rompope -- Delicious Mexican eggnog, invented in Puebla, made with eggs, vanilla, sugar, and rum.
Salsa verde -- An uncooked sauce using the green tomatillo and puréed with spicy or mild hot peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro; on tables countrywide.
Sopa de flor de calabaza -- A soup made of chopped squash or pumpkin blossoms.
Sopa de lima -- A tangy soup made with chicken broth and accented with fresh lime; popular in Yucatán.
Sopa de tortilla -- A traditional chicken broth-based soup, seasoned with chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic, served with crispy fried strips of corn tortillas.
Sopa tlalpeña (or caldo tlalpeño) -- A hearty soup made with chunks of chicken, chopped carrots, zucchini, corn, onions, garlic, and cilantro.
Sopa tlaxcalteca -- A hearty tomato-based soup filled with cooked nopal cactus, cheese, cream, and avocado, with crispy tortilla strips floating on top.
Sope -- Pronounced "soh-peh." An antojito similar to a garnacha, except spread with refried beans and topped with crumbled cheese and onions.
Tacos al pastor -- Thin slices of flavoured pork roasted on a revolving cylinder dripping with onion slices and juice of fresh pineapple slices. Served in small corn tortillas, topped with chopped onion and cilantro.
Tamal -- Incorrectly called a tamale (tamal singular, tamales plural). A meat or sweet filling rolled with fresh masa, wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, and steamed.
Tikin xic -- Also seen on menus as "tik-n-xic" and "tikik chick." Charbroiled fish brushed with achiote sauce.
Torta -- A sandwich, usually on bolillo bread, typically with sliced avocado, onions, tomatoes, with a choice of meat and often cheese.
Xtabentun -- Pronounced "shtah-behn-toon." A Yucatecan liquor made of fermented honey and flavored with anise. It comes seco (dry) or crema (sweet).
Zacahuil -- Pork leg tamal, packed in thick masa, wrapped in banana leaves, and pit-baked, sometimes pot-made with tomato and masa; a specialty of mid- to upper Veracruz.
PLACES TO DINE IN MEXICO CITY
As in most of the world's major cities, dining in Mexico City is sophisticated, with cuisine that spans the globe. From high chic to the Mexican standard of comida corrida (food on the go), the capital offers something for every taste and budget. The Polanco area in particular has become a place of exquisite dining options, with new restaurants rediscovering and modernizing classic Mexican dishes. The Centro Histórico led a resurgence of ultra-hip restaurants and clubs open for late-night dining and nightlife, which has spread to the Condesa and Roma neighbourhoods -- now known as the SoHo of Mexico City. Cantinas, until not so very long ago the privilege of men only, offer some of the best food and colourful local atmosphere.
Everybody eats out in Mexico City, regardless of social class. Consequently, you can find restaurants of every type, size, and price range scattered across the city. Mexicans take their food and dining seriously, so if you see a full house, that's generally recommendation enough. But those same places may be entirely empty if you arrive early -- remember, here, lunch is generally eaten at 3pm, with dinner not seriously considered before 9pm.
Zona Rosa & Surrounding Areas--If you're up for a culinary adventure, dine at the student-staffed Restaurante Escuela Monte Servino at the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía, Sonora 189, Condesa (tel. 55/5584-3800), the training ground for Mexico's up-and-coming chefs. It's in a lovely room overlooking the Parque México. The menu varies, and there are a few misses among the hits, but this is a great way to sample the latest culinary trends. The ever-changing five-course fixed-price lunch costs just $18. Wines by the glass are available. It's open weekdays, and reservations are a must.
¡Café, Por Favor!--If you think espresso bars are a new phenomenon, or coffee drinks a development of recent years, you may be intrigued to learn that in Mexico, drinking good coffee has been considered an art form for generations. Some of the best coffee can be found in small cafes that have a crowd of regulars who congregate to catch up on the local chisme (gossip).
Café La Habana, downtown at Bucareli and Morelos, is one of the most famous, a longstanding cafe with a rich history -- and a reputation for strong coffee, all roasted and ground in-house. Ask the waiter and he'll tell you how Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara planned the Cuban revolution while sipping an espresso cortao. It's open Monday through Saturday from 7:30am to 10pm.
More European-style coffeehouses are in the Zona Rosa, frequented by businesspeople and trendy urban residents. Some of the most popular are Salón de Té Auseba and Duca d'Este, both on Hamburgo near Florencia. They serve excellent coffee and scrumptious cakes, as well as a variety of herbal teas. The sidewalk cafe Konditori, Genova 61, is another good option, on a pedestrian-only street. Open daily 7am to midnight.
The Condesa neighbourhood, east of Chapultepec Park, is another top cafe zone. El Péndulo, Nuevo León 115, close to Insurgentes, is a favourite. It combines its cafe setting with a book and music store, and so tends to draw intellectuals, writers, and students. It frequently hosts live music and poetry readings. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 11pm and weekends from 10am to 11pm. |
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