Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Roadside snacks
Center
Chicken
tostada
Right
Tamales
Cuisine
!
Central Mexican Cuisine
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Tamales
With intense colors and
spices, Mexican cuisine blends
flavors from Aztec, Spanish,
African, and European heritage.
Corn is the cuisine's foundation
and is ground to make flour for
tamales
and
tortillas
. Other
staples include beans and chilis.
Tamales
are a staple of Mexi-
can life and are made from corn
pastry rolled around a simple
filling of meat and sauce or
chilis. Wrapped in a corn husk for
convenience, they are cooked by
steaming. Street vendors often
prepare them as a morning dish
for workers, but restaurants also
serve them as a main dish with a
spicy red or green sauce.
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Tortillas, Tacos, Tostadas,
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Antojitos
A broad category of small
dishes served as appetizers or
snacks, a typical
antojito
could
be created atop small
tortillas
or
pan fried flatbreads and might
include layers of spiced bean
paste, sautéed herbs or chopped
vegetables, cheese, and small
bits of meat. It can also include
small
tacos
,
tostadas,
or soups.
and Enchiladas
The foundation of many Mexican
dishes,
tortillas
are flat circles of
corn dough that are fried and
rolled around a filling of meat,
sauces, spices, and vegetables.
Tacos
are folded or rolled and
eaten by hand. With
tostada
s,
the filling is piled on a flat
tortilla
that is fried crispy, and
enchila-
das
are rolled and often baked
and smothered in a green (
verde
)
or red (
rojo
) sauce.
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Fruits and Cheeses
Central Mexico's year round
spring-like climate is perfect for
growing a wide range of fruits,
and the
mercados
present a
dazzling array of fresh fruits
including mangoes, papayas,
bananas, apples, and pineapples.
Cheese,
queso
, is another staple
of Mexican cuisine and each
region produces its own unique
cheeses. Favorites include
oaxaca
,
chihuahua
, creamy
panela,
and smooth, yellow
manchego
.
Chicken
enchiladas
in
mole
sauce
£
Mole
This sauce varies widely in
flavor and ingredients, but
usually is made with ground
chilis, herbs and spices,
tomatoes, and almost always a
bit of chocolate. The result is a
rich and complex sauce that
most often accompanies chicken,
turkey, or
enchiladas
.
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Chilis are a key ingredient in Mexican cooking; they are used to
add flavor, color, or texture and are not necessarily spicy
