Cuisines- Mexican Cuisine

Mexican Cuisine
Mexico is a semi-tropical region in North America. The Aztecs ruled Mexico and they had a wide variety in their cuisine in which  corn, chillies and tomatoes were the most prominent. When the Spanish  conquered Mexico more than 400 years ago , they found the cuisine of the Aztec and Mayan Indians sophisticated and exciting. Then the Spanish introduced wheat and domesticated animals, which were unknown in America. So they revolutionized the cuisine by introducing beef, cream and cheese. They also planted olive trees for olive oil and walnut trees and many vegetables of Europe. It was due to the fusion of old and new world that the cuisine of Mexico developed.

The Mexican Meal

• Breakfast-They have coffe with milk and sweet bread.
• Almuerzo- A light meal often bridges the gap between brakfast an lunch.
• Lunch (Comida)- This is the main meal of the day. It is a heavy meal consisting of a soup, a bean dish served after the main course and before the dessert , often followed by SIesta (evening sleep). Desserts are often fresh fruit.
• Dinner- It is not as heavy as lunch. They have a light super called Merienda late at night that consists of a light corn based dish, sweet bread and jam.

Main Ingredients Of Mexican Cuisine

• Grain- corn and wheat.
• Vegetables-Tomatillos(Mexican green tomatoes) avocado, chayote(squash), etc.
• Herbs- mint, cilantro, parsley, oregano, bay leaf
• Chillies and Peppers- Serrano, poblano, jalapeno, habaner- all fresh green chillies, and ancho, chipotle, mulatto, pasilla- all dried chilies
• Bean
• Fruits- Peaches, paw paws(papaya), pineapple, coconut,.
• Sausage- Chorizo.
• Flavoring and thickening agents- Achiote, pepitas(dried pumpkin seeds).
• Mexican sugar- Piloncillo.

Traditional Cooking

The ancient art of cooking in earth oven still flourishes in mexico. For barbecoa in the plateau, a pit is lined with leaves of agave plant. Heated stones are placed in the pit, the food (a whole lamb , vegetables and so on ) is arranged on top and pit  pit is then sealed and the food left to cook. The agave gives the subtle taste of tequila to the food.

Basic Sauces (salsa)

No Mexican meal is complete without at least one or two salsas on the table. They are spooned over meats, tacos, eggs and beans and served as dips with tortilla chips or corn immediately ; others are cooked to be kept  on hand for many meals to come. Some popular salsas are

• Salsa Roja (Red chilli sauce).
• Salsa Cruda (Fresh red tomato and chilli sauce).
• Salsa de Guacamole (Avocadosauce).
• Salsa de Questo (Cheese sauce for Nachos).