I’ve often remarked that the real food of Mexico is not what many of us think. In fact, we’ve been weaned onto hot chilies and tortillas and so on through the lenses of Tex-Mex appropriators who’ve created their own idea of ‘Mexican’ to suit the tastes of the non-Latin palate…
Pozole: The national soup of Mexico – the essence of the country’s entire cuisine in a bowl!
We all know about the Mexican classics that have filtered north in various erzatz forms via brands such as Taco Bell, Chipotle, Old El Paso and others. Thus have dishes such as tacos, tamales, quesadillas, tostadas, chalupas, empanadas, fajitas and even nachos entered the English culinary language. But Mexican street food is much more than that! And a much larger factor in the national diet than we may have suspected.
The main meal of the day in Mexico, comida, is usually consumed in the mid afternoon at home. But breakfast, late evening suppers and anytime snacks are often sourced from open-air vendors whose stalls line certain streets and crowd marketplaces. And it’s there, on the street, that you’ll find the real Mexico – embodied in a whole slew of traditional dishes you’ve probably never heard of before. These mainly hand-held eats and treats are collectively known as antojitos, or ‘little cravings’.
On our menu today
Elote: Named after an ancient native word for ‘tender cob’, elote is simply corn on the cob – usually served in halves or thirds of a cob – first boiled then grilled on a brazier and topped with any of a number of garnishes…
…including sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese sauce, chile powder, grated cheese, or butter. Certain vendors, dubbed eloteros, specialize in elote, and may offer a selection of hard or soft, large or small kernel cobs. Everybody eats elote.
Tlayuda: From southern Mexico, this dish is often commonly called Oxacan Pizza (see photo, top of page). It’s a big bite composed of a torated tortila base topped with any or al of a spread of refried beans, asiento (pork lard), lettuce or cabbage, avocado, meat (shredded chicken, beef tenderloin or pork), Oaxaca cheese, or salsa cruda. According to Wikipedia, Tlayudas may be left open-faced or folded over – a convenient presentation for a hand-held dish.
Cemita: This is a bread-based sandwich that usually features sliced avocado, meat, cheese, onions, the herb pápalo and chipotle adobado, or jalapeño peppers.
The bread, known as Cemita Poblano, is a simple brioche made with flour, yeast sugar, butter and eggs, with sesame seeds to top off. This roll is also used to make…
Torta: A simple sandwich served on the aforementioned Cemita Poblano or the sub bun-like Bolillos. It’s easy to make, traditionally stuffed with meat and sauce, avocado, crispy lettuce and salsa. A national favourite.
Pambazo: Another pop sandwich served on a telera bun. That’s a soft roll not unlike a common Hamburger Bun, whose crust is no harder than its fluffy interior. It’s round and fairly flat, and scored in three for easy pulling apart.
The stuffing is a tasty trio of spicy home fries, fried chorizo, and guajillo pepper sauce, topped with shredded lettuce and crema.
Empalmes: A sandwich in which two thick, soft corn tortillas are stuffed with a spicy refried bran paste featuring chiorizo and onions, then smeared with lard and fried until the sammy is heated through. A little greasy, but you’ll never taste anything else quite like it. And one of the fastest to make, once you have a day’s supply of refritos in the warming pot.
Chilaquiles: Quartered corn tortillas are lightly fried or oven-baked with a slosh of green or red sauce, until soft. Crema and queso fresco are added on top, along with sliced onions and avocados.
Refried beans, and guacamole are commonly served alongside, with a fried egg often placed on top.
Menudo: According to Wikipedia, everybody in Mexico eats this hearty soup. It’s variously called Pancita (‘Little Stomach’), or Mole de Panza (‘Stomach Sauce’). It’s tripe, simmered for hours in a rich sauce of red chili peppers, onions, hominy (jumbo white corn) and oregano in beef broth, garnished with cilantro. It’s a traditional favourite for special occasions – partly because it takes so long to tenderize the tripe.
Pzole: A soup/stew based on hominy and chunked pork (or chicken). Garlic and onions; guajillo, ancho and arbol chilles; cumin, oregano, bay leaves; and a little tomato sauce (if you like). Simmer until the pork is very tender and the hominy is al denté. It’s a meal in a bowl that everybody loves. Make a big batch! The prep is a little finicky and time consuming (particularly the chili sauce), and freeze some if you want.
Now, Señors y Señoras…
You can take a stroll through any Mexican market in the early evening and order your street food feast with confidence!
~ Maggie J.