If you’ve ever savored a well-prepared Mexican meal, you’ll never forget the symphony of aromatic herbs, savory meats, and vibrant vegetables that can satisfy even the most particular of tastes. It isn’t easy to find someone who doesn’t appreciate a delicious Mexican dish. Yet, despite our collective appreciation for this culinary tradition, our knowledge about it often falls short. Things like its origins, its history, and even its preparation techniques often remain a mystery to many Mexican food aficionados. It’s about time we change this! In this article, we’ll uncover the true origins of Mexican food, shed light on the traditional ways to cook your favorite Mexican dishes, and even introduce you to some lesser-known Mexican ingredients you might not be mindful of. If you’re eager to learn about the marvels of Mexican cuisine, check out our list: 25 Things you may not know about Mexican food. And if you’re a chili-head seeking to learn more about the hottest dishes you’ve ever tasted, check out our compilation: 25 of the world’s spiciest foods. Be warned, though, this list isn’t meant for those who can’t handle a serious kick.
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Mexican cuisine is more ancient than you might think; many of Mexico’s more traditional recipes hail straight from the Aztecs and Mayans.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 24
However, it is the Spaniards who influenced Mexican food as we know it today. The traditional Mexican foods (inherited from Mayan and Aztec recipes) were changed as the Spanish colonized Mexico, bringing their own cooking ideas, methods, and ingredients.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 23
In the 1520s, the Spaniards imported to Mexico plants and animals that no Mexican had ever seen. These included horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Among the condiments that were introduced were olive oil, cinnamon, parsley, coriander, oregano, and black pepper. The Spaniards also introduced nuts and grains such as almonds, rice, wheat, and barley; and fruit and vegetables including apples, oranges, grapes, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes (brought from Peru), and sugarcane (from whence comes sugar).
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 22
Traditional Mexican food uses all parts of the cow including the udder, stomach, tongue, even the uterus and testicles.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 21
Mexican cuisine is also famous for its variety of fresh juices. The abundance of tropical and exotic fruits provides the base for ice-cold drinks sold at roadside stands.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 20
Tortillas are the staple food of Mexico. They are made of corn or flour, and the preferred variety differs from one part of the country to another. Tortillas are used in many dishes and can be soft or crunchy.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 19
Tequila is Mexico’s most famous drink by far. It is made from the agave plant and much of it is produced in the Mexican city of the same name.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 18
Between 1864 and 1867, Mexico was ruled by the former Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who was kept in power by French troops. Though Maximilian’s reign was brief and tragic, French cooking left its mark on many Mexican-style dishes. French-inspired Mexican dishes include chiles en nogada (stuffed chilies in walnut sauce) and conejo en mostaza (rabbit in mustard sauce).
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 17
During colonial times, experimentally minded Spanish women and members of Spanish religious orders invented much of today’s more sophisticated Mexican gastronomy. Nuns pioneered such traditional Mexican fare as the candy called cajeta, fritter-like buñuelos, and the egg-based liqueur rompope.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 16
In 1519 when the first Spanish conquistadors entered the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán (where Mexico City stands today), they found the Aztec emperor Montezuma quite fond of a drink concocted from vanilla and chocolate and sweetened with honey. This was a native Mexican-Indian dish probably invented by the Maya, which would later find worldwide acceptance in various forms including the milk shake.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 15
Also from the colonial period comes such fare as lomo en adobo (pork loin in a spicy sauce), chiles rellenos (chilies stuffed with cheese, beef, or pork), guacamole (avocado, tomato, onion, chili, and coriander), and escabeche (marinades).
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 14
Vanilla is a substance derived from the fruit pod of a certain species of Mexican orchid, and chocolate comes from the fruit of the Mexican cacao tree.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 13
Some Mexican dishes, especially those originating from the Yucatán and Vera Cruz, also have a Caribbean influence. Other Mexican dishes, such as bolillo, have a French influence. Bolillo is a popular Mexican bread.
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Fajitas were actually brought to prominence by Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo, who named her restaurant after herself—Ninfa’s. The dish was so simple in its appeal that other restaurants tried to steal her special recipe by sending spies to her restaurant.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 11
In some parts of Mexico, exotic foods include grasshoppers and caterpillars. Tacos in some parts of the country also come with different fillings, from cow’s brains to cow’s testicles.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 10
Calaveras de Azukar (sugar skull candy), one of Mexico’s most famous candies, are made on the Day of the Dead.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 9
Mexican food found in the US is usually called “Tex Mex.” The name came from the fusion of flavor from Texan, Mexican, and American cuisine. Burritos, fajitas, and quesadillas are some of the most popular examples of Tex Mex.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 8
It is estimated that an average family in Mexico can consume up to two pounds of tortillas a day.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 7
The chili pepper is the most-used ingredient in traditional Mexican food.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 6
Even traditional Mexican desserts have chilies in them. The chilies help create a nice melding of hot and sweet.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 5
Northern Mexico likes its dishes with meat, while Mexico’s southern states prefer chicken and vegetables as the main ingredients. Both regions, however, tend to use the meat as a relish, instead of the main ingredient.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 4
According to tacotimecanada.com tortillas once came in cans and were popular in this packaging from the 1940s to the early 1980s.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org 3
Quesadillas are one of the mainstays of Mexico’s street stands, and are considered quintessentially Mexican. It turns out that they, like Mexicans themselves, are hybrid creations, half indigenous and half Spanish. The corn tortilla, with which quesadillas are put together, is Native American; the cheese, as well as the pork and/or beef that may accompany the cheese, is Spanish; in terms of the garnish, the hot sauce made with chili pepper is indigenous, but the shredded lettuce is Spanish.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: pt.wikipedia.org 2
Even though Mexican food is mainly known for being spicy and heavy it’s actually quite healthy; it’s high in vitamins and minerals and low in fat. Some dietitians consider it the perfect blend of the important food groups: meat, dairy, grains, and vegetables.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 1
Last but not least, if you thought that only Asians specialize in using some of the grossest animals in their cuisines you will find it interesting to know that some traditional Mexican food recipes include ingredients such as iguana and rattlesnake.
Source: facts-about-mexico.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org 
