Mexican cuisine is very spicy taste: almost all the dishes added pepper, and it's not a delicate sweet paprika and chili varieties sharp and Tabasco. In addition to the national cuisine favorite ingredients include corn, beans, tomatoes and, of course, natural meat, poultry, fish and seafood.

Distinctive features

Mexico is famous not only tequila and a ball of fire, but also interesting culinary traditions, which are partially developed before the discovery of America by Europeans, and were partly taken in the Spanish and French cuisine. As a result of this union was born and Mexican cuisine - original and unforgettable, intricately combines American ingredients with European ones.

If you try to characterize Mexican cuisine in a word, that word would be "severe." It is difficult to find at least one national dish where the chef did not add chili pepper generously. This variety of hot peppers may be referred to the national spice - is grown in Mexico, about a hundred varieties of chili.

Pepper is added to various dishes of pork, beef or chicken. Meat in Mexico love and prepare it in many different ways, for example, fried or stewed in different sauces. Meat dishes certainly offers a variety of side dishes: fried potatoes, rice, beans, vegetables, and fried plantains.

Many in Mexican cuisine and fish dishes as well as seafood that is marinated in lime juice and pepper. Huge baked shrimp or small crabs with tender meat in a tomato sauce with onions, herbs and lemon usually also seasoned with pepper.

In Mexican cuisine an important place is given to vegetables and fruits, including the exotic. Thus, the national dish of guacamole is made from the pulp of avocado, bananas fried in oil or used to prepare the dough, replace the Jerusalem artichoke tubers are sometimes potatoes.

Basic principles

Gives the dish a national Mexican flavor quite easy if you know the basic principles of the Mexican cuisine. For example, the meat is taken to cook a large piece, and then disassemble the fiber by hand or with a knife. Dishes for cooking prefer earthenware. For roasting meat is generally used vegetable oil or lard, and if need pieces breaded Breading: the secrets of delicious fried foods Then it requires cornmeal. Braising meat takes several hours, the dish was tender and melting in the mouth.

In almost all savory dishes added hot peppers. Another frequent ingredient - tomatoes. As a rule, before cooking to remove them peel and remove the seeds. Onions and garlic are also very popular in Mexican cuisine, before adding to dishes stew until soft. Spicy greens fried in oil to enhance its flavor.

Favourite ingredients

The most popular product in Mexico is, of course, corn. There are many varieties of maize with yellow, white and even purple beans. Corn roast, boil, bake, eat raw, and make flour from it, which, in turn, is part of many dishes, from it is cooked and added to meat or fish. For example, the famous Mexican tortillas tortillas prepared from maize flour it. These Burrito often act as a separate dish, and also served as an accompaniment to meat, poultry or fish. If wrapped in fresh tortillas stuffed with beans, peppers and vegetables or meat, you get tacos. A fried tortillas stuffed with meat, sausages or pumpkin flowers called kesadilyas.

Also, corn flour used to make a refreshing drink, tasty and nutritious. In addition, corn oil make, even starch and sugar.

Pepper varieties in Mexico, a great multitude, for the most part they are different burning taste. For example, a grade of Ancho chile has a mild taste, similar to the taste of green peppers Bulgarian. A small, 3-4 cm long pods serrano chili peppers have more acute. More chipotle chili pepper, which is usually used for marinades. A fragrant chili tabasco used for cooking sauce of the same name with the burning taste.

In addition to pepper, Mexican cooks often use herbs: cilantro, parsley, oregano. Popular as onion, garlic, coriander, thyme, pepper, anise, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and vanilla Vanilla: sweet tenderness . Lots of eating tomatoes, not only red, but green. Green tomatoes and canned. Love Mexico beans and beans, and carrots, cauliflower Cauliflower: Queen vegetable table , Spinach and green beans. In addition to vegetables, known all over the world use as local exotic species, such as chayote - vegetable pear. This vegetable has a harsh pulp and neutral taste, most often it is cooked or in salads.

Popular flour (vegetable) bananas. They are slightly larger than the sweet varieties (up to 50 cm in length) and are used for frying, cooking cereals and dough. From fruits like cherimoya - sugar apple. This fruit is very sweet grainy pulp tastes like mango and pear. They are popular as papaya, mango and guava. From fruit salad dessert prepared with a refreshing flavor and use them to prepare other desserts.

Mexican drinks

Contrary to popular belief, in Mexico, tequila is drunk not only, but also a variety of other alcoholic and soft drinks. There are very popular fruit juices (including exotic), pulque, rum, beer, coffee and, of course, hot chocolate, which is known in Mexico since time immemorial.

Drink atoll is made from young corn juice with added sugar, fruits and spices. From soft drinks are particularly popular coffee and mate - sealed dry palm leaves.

Pulque - a national low-alcohol beverage Mexicans. It should be drunk immediately after preparation, so outside of the Mexican pulque is not very well known. Preparing this drink from the fermented juice of the agave. It has a light taste of sour milk and quenches thirst.

Maria Bykov