Mexican
Cuisine brings up images of beans, tortilla chips and spices, predominantly chilies in our mind. However,
there is more to the story. ? Today, Mexican cuisine is not just limited to the Latin and North America, but
has gained popularity across the globe, albeit in different flavors depending on the region. Staple ingredients of Mexican cuisine
include corn and chili peppers, while significant ingredients are influenced by Spanish diet such as meat and cheese. A noticeable
aspect with Mexican cuisine is that UNESCO has added it to the list of world’s intangible cultural heritage.
Street food is a major contribution from the Mexican cuisine, as across the world we see hawkers selling tacos, nachos and quesadillas
these days. In fact, it is estimated that within Mexico, about 50-60% of the population consume street food at least once a month. It is
common to find street food vendors in the morning and evening time, and also till late in the night, but not during afternoon hours as
that is considered the time to have a normal meal in Mexico. Sauces, known as “Mole” are used commonplace in Mexican cuisine.
Moles are available in multiple flavors, with chili pepper as the basic ingredient. As a matter of fact, many dishes in the traditional
Mexican cuisine are named by their sauces.
Tacos are the simplest food items in the Mexican cuisine that has crossed borders globally. Taco refers to a folded tortilla (flatbread)
with a fair amount of fillings. The tortillas can be made from wheat or corn flour, but corn flour tortillas are more popular. Different
ingredients are used in a variety of combinations to fill up tacos, including beans, cheese, meat, vegetables, onions and salsas.