Cuisine

The food in Mexico is absolutely fantastic. The dishes are a mix between original indiginous ingredients (aztec, zapotec, maya, etc.) and Spanish colonial dishes. Due to the history of the country, you will also find influences from Arabia, France, and Asia.
There are many different restaurants in every price range. Fondas, taquerías and torterías are only a small example of restaurants available.
Typical mexican food does not really exist, but far more regional specialities. In the north, meat has a high priority, whilst in central Mexico traditional ingredients determine the food eaten (corn, beans, chicken, and beef). In the south of Mexico you will find a lot of spicy caseroles, tropical fruits and many different varieties of vegetables, whilst on the coast, fish and seafood are very popular. The Cocina prehispánica is becoming more and more popular, and can be enjoyed in restaurants that cook in the Aztec or Mayan style: iguana, rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, ant eggs, grasshopper and so on.
It is typical to find a contrast in tastes within the menus: spicy and mild, sweet and sour, dry and delicate. Chilli and coriander are used in many dishes. Corn plays an important role in the diet of the Mexicans as well as beans, tomatoes, chilli, fruit and certain types of vegetables such as pumpkin or nopal (fig cactus).
Corn tortillas are eaten with almost every meal (in the north and for certain dishes, wheat tortillas are also used). A few dishes that include tortillas are tacos, flautas, furritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. The differences between each dish can be experienced on the spot!
A further selection of typical dishes would include Guacamole (Avocado mousse), mole poblano from Puebla (a sauce with a chocolate base), pescado a la veracruzana (a fish dish – Veracruz), cochinita pibil (a pork dish from the Yucatáns region), tamales (corn slice), and ceviche (raw fish or seafood, marinated in lemon juice, tomatoes, onions and corriander).
Typical Mexican (alcoholic) drinks include Tequila, Mezcal and Pulque (all three are made from Agaven). The most popular (nonalcoholic) drinks include horchata ( a sweet rice drink), agua de jamaica (Hibiscus flower water) and agua de tamarindo (made from the fruit of the Tamarinden tree), jugos (freshly pressed fruit juice), and licuados (Fruit juice mixed with milk). A lot of lemonade is also consumed. Lime is used to flavour certain dishes.
Did you know that Mexico was the origin of many plants that have now been distributed throughout the world? Corn, beans, onions, chilli, zucchini, tomatoes, cacao, vanilla, and advocado for instance.
Buen provecho!