Mexican cuisine is one of the most popular and famous cuisines in the world. You can travel nearly anywhere on the planet and find a Mexican restaurant within walking or driving distance.
Even though so many versions of Mexican dishes are available worldwide, authentic Mexican cuisine is not as widely known as most people believe. To get the full experience of Mexican cuisine beyond nachos and tacos, you must visit the country.
Traveling through Mexico, between major cities and small towns, is the best way to get an idea about the authentic cuisines served in various parts of the country.
Below is a list of the top five foods you must try if you visit Mexico in the near future.
1. Chilaquiles
A very popular dish in Mexico, chilaquiles is a common breakfast in Mexico City and other cities in the country. Chilaquiles features corn tortillas that are lightly fried, cut up into quarters, and then topped with different salsas.
If you want the very best version of chilaquiles, make sure you get one where they serve fried eggs and chicken on top of the tortillas. There should also be some cheese or cream, and you are left with a dish that is a complete meal for breakfast.
You may often see restaurants serving their chilaquiles with a generous side of refried beans, which are delicious on their own and when eaten with the lightly fried tortillas.
2. Pozole
Pozole is one of the oldest and most scrumptious dishes that you can enjoy in Mexico. The dish is traced back to pre-Hispanic times in this part of the world when locals would eat it as part of ritual sacrifices.
There have been some upgrades to the dish over time, with pozole now consisting of chicken, pork, or a combination of vegetables. You can find this dish in most Mexican restaurants, and even some street vendors have it.
The best pozole is one that stews for several hours, with some restaurants cooking theirs overnight to get the very best flavor for customers the next day. The dish also includes hominy corn, spices, herbs, and various condiments, such as lettuce, onion, and lime.
3. Tostadas
Mexican restaurants often run into an issue where they do not use all the tortillas they made for the previous day. No one wants to eat tacos made with stale tortillas, and restaurants did not want to throw away the leftover tortillas either.
That is where tostadas originated, with home cooks and restaurants alike taking those stale tortillas, frying them up, and then serving them with various garnishes. Depending on how the tortilla is deep-fried, you can even enjoy a tostada on its own.
The dish is at its best when you see these delicious, deep-fried tortillas stacked with vegetables, salsa, meat, and other condiments. Think of the tostada as a deep-fried taco.
4. Chiles EN Nogada
If you want to experience true, patriotic Mexican cuisine, then look no further than Chiles en Nogada. The dish often boasts the three colors of the Mexican flag, red, green, and white.
Each of these elements comes from different ingredients. The white is from a delicious walnut-based cream sauce, while pomegranate seeds add a touch of red to the entire dish. Meanwhile, the green comes from poblano chilies that are filled with a mixture of meat, fruits, and spices.
This is an outstanding dish that you can find anywhere in the country. Chiles en Nogada is famous for being the dish that was first served to Don Agustin de Iturbide, the famous Emperor of Mexico who liberated the country from European rule many centuries ago.
5. Enchiladas
As one of the oldest foods in the region, enchiladas can be traced back to the times of the ancient Mayan empire. People in those days would eat corn tortillas with small fish inside them.
When you travel to Mexico in 2022, you can find both flour and corn tortilla enchiladas, depending on where you are visiting. Both are equally delicious, especially when they are full of deliciously cooked meats, vegetables, seafood, beans, and cheese.
Authentic enchiladas are often covered with chili tomato sauce, making the entire meal an even better experience. If you are tired from a long day of walking around, exploring a major Mexican city, you will devour a couple of these within minutes!
Experience Mexico To The Fullest Extent
One of the best ways to become familiar with a place and its culture is through the food. By visiting authentic Mexican restaurants and street vendors in its various cities, you can learn so much about the country and its history.
Not only will you get to taste some incredible food, but you may even meet some great people along the way. There is no better time to chat up a new friend than when you are enjoying a delicious Mexican meal along with an ice-cold drink.
The above five foods are some of the best that Mexico has to offer, and you must try at least a few of them during your next trip.
