Mexican Foods You Might Not Know

Author: Mari Ava

If you like Mexican food but you only know Americanized versions of it, then you are missing a lot. Mexican cuisine is one of the most varied and delicious types of gastronomy out there.

In 2010, Mexican cuisine was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, an honor reserved for a few gastronomies around the world.

So, no, Mexican gastronomy is not only about tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Is more. Is tradition, culture, and identity.

It feels like a warm embrace from a grandmother, is getting back to your roots and feeling proud of what you are and what you have become.

So, to give you a general idea about this particular gastronomy, let me introduce you to a few Mexican foods that you might not know but that are an important part of this culture.

Herbs and Greens:

  • Quelites: They are edible wild greens and used since ancient times for traditional Mexican cooking. You might want to look one by one separately by names like quelite cenizo, huazontle, verdolagas, romeritos (popular during Christmas), quintonil.

  • Herbs: Hoja santa, hoja de aguacate (avocado leaves), pápalo, epazote, chepiles. Fresh or dried, those herbs add particular flavors and are used only in particular recipes.

Sopes (corn cakes):

  • Garnachas: Made with corn masa, lightly fried, and topped with meat, salsas, and cheese. A popular dish from Puebla, Oaxaca, and Veracruz.

  • Tlacoyos de frijol: Pre-hispanic corn cakes stuffed with black beans and cooked on a comal (Mexican griddle), served with various toppings.

Soups and Stews:

  • Pozole: Hominy stew made with pork or chicken, vegetarian/vegan versions are also popular, like the one with mushrooms and cactus.

  • Gallina Pinta: Made with hominy, pinto beans, and beef. Typical from the northern states.

Pre-hispanic Drinks:

  • Tejuino: Fermented corn masa and piloncillo (cane sugar) drink, served with ice, lime juice, and salt.

  • Tepache: Made with pineapple peels, piloncillo sugar, and spices. Is fermented for a few days and is perfect to cool down in summer.

Now that you know those foods, let me know if you'd like to try some of them.