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Mexico is a country known for its vibrant culture and rich history, and one of its most distinctive aspects is its cuisine. Mexican food is famous worldwide for its bold and spicy flavors, and is considered by many to be among the best in the world.
Mexican cuisine makes extensive use of fresh ingredients, such as avocados, tomatoes/tomatillos, cilantro and limes, which give many dishes a bright and flavorful dimension. The basic ingredient is corn, which appears in various forms in almost every dish. In addition, Mexican cuisine often uses indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques, reflecting the country's diverse cultural heritage.
Mexican cuisine is a delicious and colorful representation of the country's culture, history and traditions. Whether you enjoy a simple taco or a complex mole sauce, Mexican cuisine is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more!
Mexican cuisine is often confused with Tex-Mex cuisine, which is well known here in the Netherlands. Yet there is definitely a difference between these two cuisines.
Tex-Mex cuisine is a fusion of Mexican and American cuisine that originated in Texas, while Mexican cuisine refers to the traditional cuisine of Mexico. Although the two cuisines have some similarities, there are also some important differences.
One of the main differences is the use of ingredients. Tex-Mex cuisine often uses ingredients not found in traditional Mexican cuisine, such as Cheddar cheese, minced meat and wheat flour tortillas. In contrast, Mexican cuisine usually uses ingredients such as fresh vegetables, tomatillos, beans, corn tortillas and different types of cheese.
Another difference is spiciness. Tex-Mex cuisine is generally spicier than traditional Mexican cuisine, with the use of chili powder, cumin and other spices. Mexican cuisine, on the other hand, often uses fresh or dried chili peppers and other spices to add flavor.
In terms of dishes, Tex-Mex cuisine includes dishes such as chili con carne, fajitas, burritos and nachos, which are not typical of Mexican cuisine. In contrast, Mexican cuisine includes dishes such as tacos, tamales, mole and chiles rellenos, which are less common in Tex-Mex cuisine.
While Tex-Mex cuisine certainly has similarities to Mexican cuisine, it has its own unique flavors and dishes that set it apart from traditional Mexican cuisine.
Chili peppers are an essential ingredient of Mexican cuisine, and are used in a variety of dishes to add heat and flavor. Many different types of chili peppers are used in Mexican cuisine, each with its own unique flavor and degree of spiciness. Fresh and dried chili peppers have different flavors and uses in Mexican cuisine.
Fresh chilies, such as jalapeños, anaheim, serranos and habaneros, have a bright and vibrant flavor with a crunchy texture. They are often used in salsas, guacamole and other raw or lightly cooked dishes. Fresh chilies can also be grilled or roasted to give dishes a smoky flavor.
Dried chilies, on the other hand, have a deeper and more complex flavor profile than fresh chilies. They are often used to make sauces, such as mole, enchilada sauce and adobo, which require a deeper and more concentrated flavor. Some of the most commonly used dried chili peppers in Mexican cuisine are chipotle, ancho, guajillo, pasilla, arbol, and cascabel.
Dried peppers often have different names than their fresh counterparts because the drying process changes their flavor and texture, and they are often used in different ways in cooking. For example, the fresh Jalapeño becomes the smoky, dried Chipotle pepper. And the Poblano is the fresh version of the Ancho & Mulato. And whereas the Poblano is often roasted and stuffed with cheese or meat to make chiles rellenos, the dried version is again used to make sauces such as mole.
A taco is the most classic and famous dish of Mexican cuisine. It is small folded tortillas filled with various ingredients. And by tortilla, Mexicans do not mean the wheat tortillas you can buy in the supermarket. A real Mexican tortilla is made of corn, not to be confused with corn flour. Corn tortillas are made from nixtamalized corn. This is a process in which raw corn kernels are soaked and boiled in slaked lime and water, then ground with volcanic stones to make a fresh dough.
Tacos come in all shapes and sizes and are prepared differently from region to region. The holy trinity of the taco is: corn tortilla, filling and salsa. Well-known tacos include Al Pastor, Barbacao, Birria, Carnitas & Chicken Mole, but really, the possibilities are endless. Experiment with different fillings and salsas.
The word Mole comes from "mulli" in Nahuatl (Indigenous language in Mexico), which means sauce. This is the common name for Mexican sauces, but outside of Mexico people almost always mean Mole Poblano. This is a complex sauce that can consist of as many as 40 different ingredients, including onion, chili peppers and a host of different spices. The most surprising ingredients are cinnamon and chocolate. Mole is often considered the national dish of Mexico.
Tamales are steamed dough packets made from corn flour wrapped in corn (or banana) leaves. The corn leaves are also known as corn husks. It is a traditional dish with a filling of meat, vegetables, cheese or (dried) fruit, often flavored with chilies. There are about 500 different tamales in Mexico. The word tamalli in Nahuatl (Indigenous language in Mexico) means something like wrapped.
One of the most iconic Mexican drinks is tequila, made from the blue agave plant and usually served pure or in cocktails such as the margarita and paloma. Another popular alcoholic beverage is mezcal, which is also made from the agave plant, but has a smokier taste and is usually drunk pure.
Non-alcoholic drinks are also an important part of Mexican cuisine. Horchata is a refreshing drink based on rice milk, cinnamon and sugar. It is widely drunk in Mexico, but is actually Spanish. Aguas frescas, or fresh water, is another popular non-alcoholic drink based on fresh fruit and water, often sweetened with sugar.
Xocolatl
What we know here as chocolate milk originated in Mexico, where it is called Xocolatl (Aztec chocolate). Xocolatl is a spicy, bitter chocolate drink. It is flavored with chili, vanilla and cinnamon. This refreshing drink can be enjoyed hot or cold.
The history of xocolatl goes way back. In the heart of the tropical rainforests, the ancient civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs discovered the cacao tree, from which magical beans were harvested. These beans were carefully fermented, roasted and ground into a paste, which is the basis of xocolatl. The Maya believed that the cacao tree itself had a divine origin and that its fruits bestowed tremendous wisdom on those who consumed them. With the arrival of European explorers in the 15th century, xocolatl encountered new insights. They added sugar and milk, turning the bitter drink into the chocomel we know here in Holland.
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Today we are closed until Thursday due to staff illness! If you order, your order will be processed on Thursday or Friday. Please keep this in mind when placing an order. Sorry for the inconvenience.
