By admin on January 4, 2024
When we think of Mexican food, it’s often focused on the American version. We think of refried beans and tacos made of ground beef, lettuce, cheese and a crunchy corn shell. Yet there’s far more to Mexican cuisine than that.
Mexican cuisine can be broadly divided into 7 different regions of Mexico, and each one offers something unique.
The Northern part of Mexico, including Baja, California as well as the US/Mexico border has a strong ranching culture. This shows up in the flavor of their cuisine. You can expect grilled beef and goat to be highlighted in El Norte Cuisine.
They are also well known for their cheese since dairy is also part of ranching. The El Note region has the broadest selection of Mexican Cheese in Mexico.
If you want to taste Mexican cuisine from centuries past, the Oaxaca region is the place to go. Over half the states population is indigenous, and some of them are completely off the grid. Seeds to grow the crops used in producing their food have been passed down for centuries, largely untouched by the modern way of life.
The result has drawn the eye of food critics around the world. They are particularly known for their 7 mole sauces, each unique and beautiful.
Do you love picked jalapenos? This spicy but delicious treat is often added to pizzas, nachos, and lots of different dishes. You can thank the Xalapa region for this popular food item. Even the word jalapeno can be translated to, “From Xalapa.”
Besides Jalapenos, seafood shines in this region. Xalapa is a coastal region, and that shows in the many food items.
Yucatan’s cuisine is influenced by both Mayan natives and Spanish settles. The result is a unique hybrid of flavors. This is also the area known for the Habanero pepper, an even spicier variety than the jalapeno.
Yucatan’s cuisine also tends to feature fruits, especially citrus, in their foods.
The Puebla region was the crossroads for many other important areas. Anything that came by sea through the Xalapa region made its way through Pueblo to reach the capitol in Mexico city. This also meant that any new ingredient came from afar, came through Puebla to get where it was going.
This had an impact on the food culture there. Puebla food is filled with a mix of ingredients from all over. Mole Pablano is an example of one such dish, taking regional ingredients such as chiles, as well as ingredients found elsewhere, such as sesame seeds.
If you like tequila, you’ll love the Jalisco region. Jalisco is brimming with inventions that are now popular around the world, such as chorizo. This is a fairly broad region that includes coastal areas, which means seafood is also a popular choice here.
Chiapas is the home of the tamale, and is well known for its many different types of Tamales. Although it is broadly a region, every city within Chiapas has its own take on the tamale, and they are all beautiful, delicious, and unique.
Mexico is full of a many delicious cuisines. The next time you tuck into a delicious taco or tamale, it may be worth taking a moment to think about the area of Mexico it came from.
