Mexican cuisine is that intensely flavorful and colorful party food that most people can’t get enough of.
Corn and rice are staples of Mexican food. Corn’s the base for tortillas (the wraps for burritos, enchiladas and tacos) and rice is one of the ingredients that holds everything together, or provides a cooling break for the palate after too many jalapenos. Other common ingredients include:
Chilies — both fresh and dried. They include jalapeno, poblano, serrano, guajillo, chipotle, pasilla, habanero, ancho, mulato and cascabel.
Beans — From lentils to kidneys to favas, you’ll find them in stews, soups or refried in lard.
Tomatoes — They’re essential for salsa and sauces for meat and fish.
A variety of meats are used in Mexican dishes — beef, chicken and pork, usually ground or shredded — and fish tacos have become a popular, semi-healthy option. Meats are used very simply, as in quesadillas with just cheese and the tortilla. If the quesadilla is truly authentic, it will not use American-style or nacho cheese.
Herbs and spices popular in Mexican meals are cinnamon, clove, anise, cumin, cilantro, thyme and marjoram.
Some lesser known ingredients, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan styles which influenced early Mexican dishes, include iguana, rattlesnake, spider monkey, crickets, ant eggs and other kinds of insects.
— Karen Beaudoin