Mexican herbs and spices truly make the meal. Without these ingredients, a Mexican recipe would be no different than many others. These herbs and spices give their all to make Mexican food the culinary delight that it is. It pays to learn a bit about them.

Probably the most well known seasoning in Mexico is chile powder. This is made by mixing many different chilies that have been dried and ground. Chilies are also used fresh or roasted. Chipotle is made from jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried. Ancho is made from a chile with a sweet, fruity flavor. Many commercial chile powders that are found at the store are made of a combination of chilies, salt, oregano, garlic, coriander, and cumin.

Epazote is a green herb that grows fairly tall. Also known as, Mexican tea, this herb is used in bean dishes to add flavor and relieve digestive problems that beans may cause. Epazote is potent and should only be used in small quantities. Large quantities can be toxic. Just add a couple of leaves to your bean dish as it cooks.

When most people think of Mexican food, they do not usually include seafood. Mexico is full of seafood, however. With six thousand miles of coastline, how could they not include seafood? Mexico is located in between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Gulf of Mexico provides many miles of coastal fishing. Mexican seafood is a staple that those of us unfamiliar with the country do not often think about.

Ceviche is something you should try if you go to Mexico. This is a dish made of raw seafood that is mixed up with salt, onion, chili peppers, and cilantro. The juice of a lime or a lemon is added and allowed to marinate. The acidity of the citrus juice changes the protein in the fish just like cooking does. Of course, sometimes some ingredients are cooked first due to safety reasons. You can enjoy ceviche by itself, as a topping for crackers or as a filling for tacos.

The Veracruzana style is popular around the city of Veracruz. This term means the seafood is cooked in a tomato sauce seasoned with olives, chilies, and capers. The dish is spicy with a nice tangy quality. It is most frequently served with shrimp or red snapper. This is only one popular way to prepare seafood in this region of Mexico.

Most of us in the US have not had much, if any exposure to Mexican cheeses. When we see cheese in Mexican dishes, it is usually familiar types like cheddar or Monterey Jack rather than a queso fresco or cotija. While these common cheeses may indeed pair well with some dishes, they are by no means the only options out there for cooks looking to add a little something to their Mexican recipes.

However, Mexico has many cheeses to try for yourself and thankfully; many of these products are becoming increasingly available here as well. Ever since Mexican farmers began making cheese, it has been an important part of the country’s culinary heritage, just as it is in the US; but of course, with its own unique spin.

Cheese (or queso as it is known in Spanish) came to the New World along with the conquistadors. The European colonists brought cows and goats before long, dairy products began being produced in the country, which were uniquely Mexican. There are now a wide variety of different Mexican cheeses, each with its own character and flavor. You will find these cheeses used in many different authentic Mexican recipes, which showcase them with ingredients, which complement their flavors and textures perfectly.

What do you think of when you think of salsa? If you are like most Americans, the first thing, which comes to mind, is probably the very mild sauces which are available in a jar at any grocery store or convenience store. This tomato-based, mild flavored salsa is indeed a type which you may see in Mexico, but there is a lot more to Mexican salsas than the Americanized variety you can find just about anywhere.

Salsa is actually the best-selling condiment in the United States; while the type discussed above is the one you will tend to see the most often, salsa is something in which there is nearly endless variety available. If you have a low tolerance for spice and heat, do not worry Mexican salsa recipes run the gamut from the mild and flavorful to the fiery, so there is at least one out there, which is certain to become a new favorite.

Food is an essential component in Mexican holidays and no self-respecting Mexican would celebrate one of his national holidays without enjoying the very best Mexican cuisine and Mexican drinks. One holiday that you might have heard about is Day of the Dead, which is on November 1 and 2. This holiday is when families get together to remember their dead loved ones.

Day of the Dead traditions include honoring the deceased by building altars and visiting graves with gifts such as the favorite Mexican foods and favorite Mexican drinks of the deceased.

Cinco de Mayo is another famous holiday in Mexico. This is a regional holiday and especially close to the hearts of Mexicans living in Puebla because, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in 1862, at the Battle of Puebla.

A lot of people are under the impression than Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day but that is another holiday altogether and it is on September 16. Mexicans would say that Independence Day is their most important national holiday.

Favorite Mexican Holiday Foods

Mexican food is vast and varied. Mexico is actually said to have the second most varied foods in the world, after Chinese cuisine. Each part of Mexico has its own Mexican food recipes. The Yucatan area of the country is especially fascinating because the food there is a wonderful combination of Mayan, Mexican, Lebanese, and Caribbean influences.

Not all Mexican foods are spicy but some are and chili peppers are widely used in Mexican dishes. There are many kinds of chili peppers including jalapeo, pasilla, habanero, poblano, serrano and more. Mexicans eat a varied diet of fresh fish, meat, seafood, poultry, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Sauces, stews, and soups are common fare and Mexican cooking methods include slow roasting, deep-frying, and baking.

Mexicans like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and anything older than two days is not considered fresh. Costly pesticides and herbicides are hardly used and produce is picked when ripe or very nearly ripe. Imported food is usually shunned in favor of locally grown produce and everything is grown nearby. The exception would be Mexico City, where produce that is not likely to be sold is exported.

What is a Mexican Typical Meal?

Mexican culture is a unique combination of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and postcolonial Mexico. The Mexican people are rightly proud of their history, ethnicity, and culture.

Mexican city life is not all that different from life in Europe or in the United States, although some Mexican villages still have more traditional ways. Most Mexicans live in large cities and there are more Spanish speaking people in Mexico than in any other country. The Mexican government recognizes over sixty other languages as indigenous Mexican languages.

Mexico is the second largest catholic country in the world, after Brazil. Spanish colonists introduced Catholicism and ninety five percent of present day, Mexicans are catholic.

Mexican Holidays and Celebrations

Every town, village, and city in Mexico has its own patron saint and there is a party held once a year in each place to celebrate the saint days. Independence Day in Mexico is celebrated on September 16. Parties, fireworks, dance contests, and parades are popular during celebrations and you might see cockfighting, bullfighting, or football too. The people burn candles and decorate the churches with colorful utensils and flower arrangements.

Mexico has a unique cuisine that is both healthy and colorful. Mexico was home to the Aztec, Zapotec, and Mayan civilizations, and as such, had a well developed agricultural society. They ate staples like corn, beans, peppers, avocados, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and squashes. Meat sources included turkey, venison, and small animals like rabbit and quail. Chocolate is also native to this area, and was originally prepared as a bitter beverage served to the Aztec royalty.

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they brought their favorite foods with them. Pork, beef, cheese, and cream were added and combined with the native foods. The Spanish brought sheep, chickens, wheat, and sugar. Three hundred years later when Spain finally gave up control of Mexico, their influence on Mexican food was well established.

A major component of the typical Mexican meal is corn. Masa, or cornmeal, is made into dough that is then used for empanadas, tamales, and tortillas. Corn is also used in stews, soups, and other traditional foods. In northern Mexico, tortillas are usually made of flour instead of corn. Chili peppers also are an important staple in the Mexican diet. They frequently choose jalapeno, Serrano and poblano chilies.

You might have been lucky enough to try real authentic Mexican food and, if so, perhaps some traditional Mexican pots or utensils were used in its preparation. Mexicans use different cooking methods, such as baking, deep-frying and slow roasting and they have pots and pans for these purposes. They also use a lot of fresh produce, including herbs and spices, so any Mexican kitchen will have plenty of sharp knives and a mortar and pestle.

Authentic Mexican Cooking Pots

Ollas, also known as Barros, are deep clay cooking pots. They are perfect for simmering beans, stew or soup and clay is a great medium for cookware because it distributes the heat evenly to avoid burnt spots. Barro means clay or mud and olla means pot. These cooking pots are fine to put over a direct flame all day long.

You do need to warm clay before using it else; it might crack if you suddenly expose it to a high heat. If you are baking, you can let the pot warm up as the oven does. Your Mexican food will have a subtle earthy taste if you cook it in a clay pot.