MORE THAN JUST FOOD: A WAY OF LIFE
Food is related with culture, with Mexican nationality and pride of belonging. We are proud of our food and traditions. Food is the strongest tie to family and friends. We celebrate with food, food and eating is a social act, society moves with food, we love eating. The family and mother’s love is related to food, the way moms celebrate is with food. On your birthday, your mom prepares the food you like the most. Food is always with celebration. But food is also related with death, sharing the special and favorite food for the people who have died. The way family appreciates your visit is by offering a meal that we all share together.
WHAT’S CURRENTLY HOT IN MEXICO
In Mexico, all of the traditional dishes using authentic ingredients are on trend. The regional foods of Oaxaca, Puebla, Yucatán, and Veracruz are the strongest. Chefs are preparing menus inspired by these “back-to-basics” traditions. Remember that in Mexico, there are between 6-8 different regions that each have their own unique ingredients and specialties, but what they all have in common is their desire for authenticity and local production. There are also lots of urban gardens and local restaurant gardens.
MEXICAN SUPERFOODS
Mexican superfood ingredients such as amaranth are also at the top of the list. There is also huauzontle, which can be eaten fresh or dried, and looks similar to baby broccoli. In its dried form, it commonly makes huauzontle pancakes stuffed with cheese. Local and regional dried chiles are of course very common. And from Oaxaca, there are beans, wild native greens called quelites which are mild and slightly sweet, sprouts and baby vegetables.
Complementing these trends are techniques like grilling, roasting, and frying with pork fat or vegetable oils to release the flavors of those ingredients and their traditional preparations.
WHAT’S MAKING ITS WAY TO THE US
The most popular is the cuisine of Baja because of the strong connections we have. The rest of the Mexican states are not pushing and therefore are moving more slowly towards the spotlight. The other most relevant regions include Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Yucatán. The US can draw inspiration on the traditional ingredients and traditional techniques with truly authentic flavor from all of the regions.
See how you can adapt the flavors of Baja to your own menu with the series World Cuisines: Baja.
ELOTE AND HUITLACOCHE ON THE TREND SCALE
Elote is a popular street food of roasted or grilled corn on the cob that’s coated in mayonnaise and then topped with grated cotija cheese, chile powder, and fresh lime.
Huitlacoche is actually a fungus that grows on the corn — the earthy flavor is considered a delicacy and it can be added to many dishes, including quesadillas. There is also a lot of buzz around octopus, marrow, and local herbs as trending ingredients.
EASILY ADD MEXICAN FLAIR TO YOUR DISHES
By including traditional or authentic ingredients, you can add the flavor of Mexico to your dishes without needing to serve “Mexican” food. Chiles are the best way to distinguish the flavor of the dish and relate it with Mexican flavors. Traditional or Mexican herbs like epazote, hoja santa (which has a complex peppery flavor somewhere between eucalyptus and licorice), and cilantro will also give a Mexican influence.
CHILES: FRESH VS. DRIED
There are fresh chiles that are great for spiciness. Habanero, the hottest one (fresh), adds spiciness but flavor too. Chile de arbol or serrano are fresh green, but spicy too. The dried ones are used as a base that gives color, flavor and in some cases the spicy touch. Dried chile de árbol and chile piquín are a couple of the hottest, and depending on the region, chiles can be more for flavor and less spiciness.
It all depends on the uses.
