Mexican Cuisine

A taco is not what you know from German Tex-Mex restaurants. No hard shell, no cheddar, no sour cream. A real Mexican taco consists of a small, soft corn tortilla (12–15 cm), topped with a filling and garnished with onions, cilantro, and salsa. That's it.

The Most Important Types of Tacos

• Tacos al Pastor: THE taco of Mexico City. Pork from a spit (like döner — Lebanese immigrants brought the idea!), marinated in achiote and chilies, with pineapple. Best enjoyed at night at street stands.
• Tacos de Bistec: Thinly sliced beef, grilled. Simple and perfect.
• Tacos de Carnitas: Confit pork from Michoacán — cooked for hours in its own fat, crispy-tender. A dream.
• Tacos de Barbacoa: Lamb or beef, cooked for hours in maguey leaves underground. A Sunday morning tradition.
• Tacos de Canasta: "Basket tacos" — steamed and sold in bicycle baskets. Breakfast tacos. 10–15 MXN.
• Tacos de Suadero: From the lower part of the beef — buttery soft and fatty. Addictive potential.
• Tacos de Cochinita Pibil: Yucatán's specialty: pork marinated in achiote, cooked in banana leaves.

Price: A taco costs 15–30 MXN (0.80–1.60€) at a street stand. You order 3–5 pieces. The best meal in Mexico costs under 5€.

Mole (pronounced: "MO-le", from the Nahuatl word molli = sauce) is the most complex dish in Mexican cuisine — a thick sauce made from 20–35 ingredients, prepared over hours. Every family, every village has its own recipe. There are hundreds of moles, but the most important ones are:

• Mole Negro (Oaxaca): The "Queen of Moles". Black from burnt chilies and chocolate. 30+ ingredients, days of work. Complex, deep, slightly bitter. Served on festive occasions.
• Mole Poblano (Puebla): The most famous — chocolaty, mild, sweet-spicy. Legend has it that nuns at the Convento de Santa Rosa invented it for a bishop's visit.
• Mole Rojo: A red, spicy version with Ancho and Guajillo chilies.
• Mole Verde: Green from pumpkin seeds, pepitas, green herbs. Lighter than the dark variants.
• Mole Amarillo (Oaxaca): Yellow from Chilhuacle chilies. Often with chicken and chayote.
• Pipián: Pumpkin seed-based mole — nutty and creamy.

Mole is traditionally served over chicken (pollo en mole), with rice and tortillas. A good Mole Negro takes 2–3 days to prepare — which is why it's often made only for celebrations (weddings, baptisms, Día de los Muertos).

Both spirits are made from agaves — but that's where the similarities end:

Tequila

• Only from blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana)
• Produced only in Jalisco and a few other states
• Industrial production in autoclaves (faster)
• Categories: Blanco (unaged), Reposado (2–12 months in barrels), Añejo (1–3 years), Extra Añejo (3+ years)
• Famous brands: Don Julio, Patrón, Herradura, Clase Azul

Mezcal

• Can be made from over 30 types of agave (Espadín most common, but also Tobalá, Tepextate, Madrecuixe)
• Main production area: Oaxaca (85% of production)
• Traditional, artisanal production: Agaves are roasted in earth pits (horno) over charcoal — hence the smoky flavor
• Distilled in copper or clay stills
• Smoky, complex, often with earthy, fruity, or floral notes
• The famous worm (gusano) is a marketing gimmick and does NOT belong in good mezcal!

How to Drink Mezcal?

Never as a shot! Mezcal is drunk slowly, in small sips from a jícara (gourd cup) or a copita (clay cup). Often accompanied by an orange slice with Sal de Gusano (worm salt — ground larvae with chili and salt). In Oaxaca's mezcalerías, flights (tasting sets) are offered: 3–5 varieties for 150–300 MXN.

Besides tacos, Mexico's street food offers an almost endless variety:

The Classics

• Tamales: Corn dough with filling (chicken in mole, pork in salsa verde, rajas con queso, sweet with raisins), wrapped in corn or banana leaves and steamed. Mexico's breakfast. 15–30 MXN.
• Elote: Grilled corn on the cob, brushed with mayonnaise, sprinkled with chili powder, lime, and grated cheese. Always good, everywhere.
• Esquites: Corn kernels in a cup — the hand-friendly version of elote. Same ingredients, less mess.
• Quesadillas: Corn tortilla with melted cheese and filling (huitlacoche/corn smut, flor de calabaza/squash blossom, chorizo). Grilled on the comal.
• Tlayudas: Oaxaca's large, crispy tortillas with bean paste, quesillo, meat, and salsa. Mexico's pizza.
• Tortas: The Mexican sandwich. Telera roll with milanesa (breaded meat), avocado, beans, jalapeño. Filling!
• Gorditas: Thick corn pockets, sliced open and filled with chicharrón, beans, or picadillo.

Chapulines — Yes, Grasshoppers!

Chapulines are roasted grasshoppers, seasoned with garlic, lime, and chili — a prehispanic delicacy mainly eaten in Oaxaca. They are crispy, salty, and taste a bit like chips. Rich in protein, sustainably produced, and as common as peanuts in Oaxaca. They are eaten as a snack, in tacos, or on tlayudas. Just try them — the moment of disgust passes after the first bite.

Drinks

• Aguas Frescas: Fresh fruit drinks — horchata (rice-cinnamon), jamaica (hibiscus), tamarindo. Available at stands everywhere, 20–40 MXN.
• Michelada: Beer with lime juice, salt, salsas, and often clamato. The Mexican hangover breakfast.
• Café de Olla: Coffee with piloncillo (cane sugar) and cinnamon, cooked in clay pots. Chiapas produces excellent coffee.
• Pulque: Fermented agave juice — the drink of the Aztecs. Thick, slightly alcoholic (4–6%), milky. Try it in pulquerías in CDMX (hipster revival!).