Cooking Ideas for Making Tasty Traditional Mexican Food
It might surprise you to know that Mexican food is considered to be the most varied in the world after Chinese food. Every region of the country has its own food style and Mexican cuisine in vast. The Mexican food eaten in the Yucatan is especially exciting, since it is a unique mixture of Mexican, Mayan, Caribbean and Lebanese 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.
Traditional Mexican Food
Tortillas are so much a Mexican food staple that the price in controlled
by the government and kept at five pesos a kilo! A tortilla is a ball
of masa, or corn dough, which is flattened into a thin disc. They are
traditionally made of corn and supermarkets make them fresh all day.
Tortillas are used to make traditional Mexican tacos. Authentic tacos
are soft, not like the rigid U-shaped Taco Bell variety.
Tamales, tortillas, and tacos are traditionally made from corn. A lot of
soups and stews include fava beans, kidney beans, and lentils. Tomatoes
are used in various Mexican food recipes and especially in salsa
recipes.
Fruit is enjoyed fresh or used to make desserts and sauces. Mango,
papaya, pineapple, and coconut are all popular with Mexicans and
nopales, prickly pear cactus paddles, are sauted and eaten like
vegetables. Alternatively, they can be sweetened and used in Mexican
dessert recipes.
Salsas and Condiments
A lot of people favor the addition of salsa, lime, or sour cream to
their food. In a traditional Mexican restaurant, you will also get small
bowls of condiments. These are likely to include chopped onion,
cilantro, a mild chili salsa, a hot chili salsa, salsa Mexicana and
lime. Salsa Mexicana is made from chopped onion, chopped fresh tomato,
cilantro and habanero chili. You might also get guacamole, which is an
avocado and lime sauce. Charred green onion mixed with salsa ingles
(Worcestershire sauce) and limejuice is another well-liked Mexican
condiment.
Mexican food is rich in color and flavor and fresh produce is very important. There are probably more myths about Mexican food than any other cuisine, with people confusing Tex Mex and Mexican style fast food for the real thing but real Mexican cuisine is a real joy.
Article source : by KC Kudra on http://goarticles.com/article/Cooking-Ideas-for-Making-Tasty-Traditional-Mexican-Food/1425074/