Mexican cuisine is one of the most delicious in the world. It's right up there with French, Italian, Japanese, Indian, and more, not just in taste, but in prominence too. Surely you have had your fair share of Mexican food, right? And if you haven't, you really should! There's nothing quite like biting into a burrito for the first time and having all that well-cooked rice and meat swirl in your mouth. Or chomping on a taco and letting the flavors take you on a tailspin. Don't forget about enchiladas too! There's a reason why they're so beloved in Mexico and beyond!
Burrito
The burrito is perhaps the archetypal Mexican dish. In the same way that the croissant or the
baguette is to French cuisine, pizza or pasta to Italian cuisine, and sushi to Japanese cuisine, the burrito is almost representative of Mexican food. It's a rolled flour tortilla stuffed with all sorts of filling—mostly meat and vegetables. It's easy to eat with just your hands yet it's also rich and hearty enough to serve as an entire meal. Is it any wonder that burritos are so popular?
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Caldo Azteca
While not a lot of people outside of Mexico know of it, Caldo Azteca is actually a beloved classic in Mexican cuisine. Made with stripes of fired tortilla drenched in chicken broth and prepared with pepper, garlic, onion, sour cream, and more, it's a common stale among household dinner tables. What's great about it is that it upholds both the country's Ancient Aztec cuisine (and culture) with Spanish culinary influences. So all in all, Caldo Azteca is what Mexican food is all about!
Source: Wikimedia Commons/ Felix Wong
Camarones a la Diabla
Mexican food may be popular for its meats (especially beef!), but it has some stand-out seafood delicacies too! Take Camarones a la Diabla, for example, which in English translates to “Deviled Shrimp”. A spicy prawn dish made with lots of spices and seasoning, it's one that you'll need to wear with a tall glass of water nearby. It's also a culinary staple during the Lenten season, a time when Mexicans abstain from eating meat as a religious practice. It’s only after
Easter Sunday in Mexico will mear return to the dinner table!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Chilaquiles
Doesn't a dish made out of triangular toasted corn tortilla pieces (called “totopos”) topped with shredded chicken (or beef), egg (scrambled or sunny side up), and chorizo sound like a great start to your day? Even more so when it's drenched in red (or sometimes green) hot sauce to spice things up! Now that will really perk you up in the morning, right? So it's no surprise that Chilaquiles, another Mexican food staple, are often the breakfast choice of many in the country.
Source: Grueslayer @Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Enchilada
Surely you've heard of Enchiladas before, right? They're as much a staple in Mexican restaurants all around the world as burritos and tacos are. Made out of corn tortillas filled with a stew (either meat or vegetable stew), it's a spicy snack that will zest up your day with just one bite. You've probably already had some and you didn't know what it was. That's how popular a dish Enchiladas are. And how much of a must-try it is for those who haven't tasted one yet!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Frijoles Puercos
Admittedly, beans aren't exactly the pinnacle of the Mexican food world. Or any other cuisine, for that matter. They may be healthy, sure, but they're not the tastiest delicacies out there. That is until you've tried some Frijoles Puercos from Mexico. A pork beans dish, this popular dinner table staple also has chorizo, cheese, bacon, serrano peppers, and more mixed in, resulting in a more flavorful and ultimately, more fulfilling meal. And though you can eat it on its own, Frijoles Puercos are often used as dips for tortillas, nacho chips, and the like.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Machaca
Machaca is one of those Mexican food staples that you've definitely already had if you've eaten in a Mexican restaurant before. More a delicacy than a dish, this major culinary favorite is incorporated in many dishes, some of which are even mentioned on this list! So what is Machaca? Shredded beef! That's right! It's the same meaty ingredient you'll find stuffed inside a burrito, topping a taco, or sprinkled on a plate of nachos. With its fulfilling taste and versatility, it's almost impossible not to have eaten Mahaca before.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Quesadilla
A Quesadilla is basically just a cheese sandwich, Mexican-style. Instead of plain old bread, you use a soft flour tortilla to stuff your cheese in. Sometimes, they come with other ingredients to add more flavor or spice things up. But for the most part, a Quesadilla is just another version of a cheese sandwich. One that will captivate you at the first bite! Make no mistake, the dish is as simple as sit sounds, but its taste is not as common as it sounds either. There's a richness to a Quesadilla that you won't find in a regular old cheese sandwich. You might even end up liking it better than
French cheese too!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Taco
Surely you didn't think that this list of Mexican food staples would be complete without any mention of tacos, did you? This iconic snack is right up there with burritos as the archetypal Mexican dish. And one that practically all Mexican restaurants serve, be it a snack stall somewhere in New York or even a
Michelin-starred restaurant in London. But what is it about the taco that has Mexicans—and the rest of the world—so enamored? Well, perhaps it's the combination of the crispy tortilla chip shells and the stuffing you put inside. This powerplay for flavors and textures is just so irresistible!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Tamales
If you've watched the heartwarming
Disney film, “Coco” (2017), you'll know that tamales, just like many of the other Mexican food staples on this list, are common among household dinner tables. The movie even goes so far as to imply that it's the perfect traditional dish to enjoy with your entire family. And you know what? That's not too far from the truth! Basically a stew-filled wrap, this dish has a special sort of warmth that's just perfect to share with the ones you love.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
If you want to get into Mexican food, you need to try these popular traditional dishes at least once! They're some of the most beloved culinary staples that will let you know the true flavors of Mexico.
