The food of the Central American country, Mexico, is bursting with history, taste, contract, texture and colour. Mexicans in particular the well to do ones eat a varied diet of fresh meats, fish, seafood, fowl, vegetables and fruits. because of necessity, most foods are field fresh and never older than a couple days. Additionally due to cost considerations, pesticides and herbicides are used minimally and both fruits and vegetables are picked ripe or very close to ripeness. Mexicans only consume seasonal fruits and vegetables, never looking for anything out of season which would more than likely have to be imported from thousands of miles away. relatively all food consumed locally, except in Mexico City, the capital, is produced in Mexico
Authentic Mexican recipes should not be confused with North American Mexican-style fast food. While meals sold at places like Taco Bell mimic Mexican cuisine it is not to be considered authentic Mexican cuisine.
Authentic Mexican Appetisers
- Empanadas. Empanada is one of the most popularly known Mexican or South American snack food. It is a pastry crust or meat pie with a filling of beef and vegetables, ham and cheese. Other foods usually prepared in an oven, or sometimes fried can also be used as filling.
- Quesadilla. This is a Mexican snack food prepared with cheese on a folded corn or wheat tortilla and cooked until the cheese is melted. Other ingredients like chicken, beef, ham or vegetables can be included in quesadillas as well. The word quesadilla comes from the Spanish word literally translating to mean either cheese tortilla or cheese cake.
Authentic Mexican Entrées
- Carnitas. This is a very popular Mexican dish that is made up of braised pork and can be eaten by itself or accompanied by tortillas, guacamole and salsa. Carnitas are used as a filling in tacos, taquitos and burritos. The pork is first simmered in boiling oil for a long time to make it very soft and then braised in the oven to make it crispy.
- Tamales. Tamale or Tamales are made from masa dough filled with meat, vegetables and spices, or fruit and wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and steamed until hot.
Authentic Mexican Dessert
- Tres Leches Cake. Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake is a butter cake flavoured with vanilla. It is soaked in a mixture of three different milk products, hence Tres Leches. The three milks, when combined, create the right sweetness, density and texture of a rich cake, making it moist but not mushy.
