Every country has popular dishes among the residents and Mexico has some of the best.
The Mexican gastronomy is one of the richest and most well known in the world; besides tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and nachos, Mexico has many other popular dishes in which the locals never get tired of eating. Here is our list of the top 10 most popular dishes in Mexico
Gorditas – Corn cakes made entirely by hand and cooked on a flat grill, then opened and stuffed with a variety of filling options, such as potato, beans, cheese, pork, beef, chicken.
Menudo – Soup made out of beef tripe and hoofs. The broth is very rich in spices and includes dried red peppers like ancho and guajillo chilies. Some people add whole corn to the soup and it’s served with tortillas. Menudo is traditionally consumed on Sunday mornings.
Carnitas – Pulled pork cooked with it’s own lard in a big copper pot until the meat is tender and the skin is crispy; no part of the pig goes to waste. Carnitas are usually served in tortas (Mexican sandwiches) or tacos.
Pozole – Red soup made with pork, whole corn, dried peppers and spices. It is the most popular in the winter season and is served with tortillas or tostadas, fresh lime and slaw. A variation of this soup can be found as “pozole verde”, made with chicken and tomatillos.
Tamales – Corn dough stuffed with pork cooked with spices & salsa, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed. In order to get the proper consistency, the raw corn dough is mixed with lard; pork lard is usually used but vegetable lard can be substituted. Other fillings can be cheese or chicken. Sweet tamales with sugar, cinnamon and fruit are also popular.
Mole – A traditional thick sauce made with a large variety of peppers, nuts & spices. Mole is usually served on top of chicken or pork and accompanied by rice, beans and a side of tortillas.
Coctel de Camarón (Shrimp Cocktail) – Cold tomato juice and spices with fresh shrimp, avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro. Other options include octopus, oysters, mussels or a combination, often called “campechana”.
Barbacoa – There are a few variations of barbacoa. The most popular is made from lamb, slowly steamed for hours until moist and tender; the juices from the meat are collected and transformed into a very flavorful soup called consome. Birria is a similar dish with the difference being goat instead of lamb and usually served with a mild red sauce called adobo.
Ceviche – Just like other countries in Latin America, ceviche is very popular in Mexico. Ceviche is raw fish fillet chopped and marinated in lime juice; it is usually mixed with onions, cilantro & tomatoes, and served with or on top of tostadas or saltine crackers. Ceviches can also be made with shrimp and other shellfish.
Chiles Rellenos – Poblano peppers covered with an egg batter, deep fried and stuffed with a variety of filling options, most commonly cheese. Some cooks top them with a tomato salsa. Chiles rellenos are usually served with Mexican rice, beans and tortillas on the side. This is a very good vegetarian option when the filling is cheese.