14 recipes
A vibrant, colourful cuisine built on corn, beans and chillies, blending thousands of years of Indigenous heritage with Spanish influences.
Read its storyA fresh, creamy Mexican dip of ripe avocado, lime, onion, tomato and coriander.
Flour tortillas stuffed with spiced chicken, peppers and melting cheese, toasted golden in a pan.
A hearty Mexican breakfast of fried eggs on crisp corn tortillas, smothered in a spicy tomato salsa.
A beloved Mexican taco filling of poached, shredded chicken simmered in a smoky, gently spicy tomato and chipotle sauce.
A classic Mexican dish of tortillas dipped in a red chile sauce, rolled around shredded chicken and finished with crumbled fresh cheese.
A fresh, crunchy, uncooked Mexican salsa of tomato, onion, chile, cilantro and lime.
A staple Mexican side of tender pinto beans mashed in onion-scented fat until thick, creamy and savory.
A beloved Mexican street snack of charred corn on the cob coated in creamy mayo, crumbled cheese, chile and lime.
Mexico's classic red rice, toasted in oil and simmered with a purée of tomato, onion and garlic until fluffy and separate.
A hearty Mexican soup turned brick-red by dried chiles, simmered with hominy and shredded chicken and finished at the table with crisp fresh toppings.
A classic Mexican breakfast of crisp tortilla pieces tossed in a red tomato-chile sauce and topped with cheese, crema and a fried egg.
A light chicken soup from the Yucatán, brightened with citrus and warm spices and finished with crisp fried tortilla strips.
A Tex-Mex classic of lime-and-spice-marinated chicken strips seared with colorful peppers and onions, wrapped at the table in warm tortillas.
A light sponge cake soaked through with a blend of three milks, topped with whipped cream and served chilled.
Mexican cuisine began thousands of years ago with the domestication of corn in Mesoamerica. Civilisations such as the Maya and the Aztecs grew corn, beans, squash and chillies together, creating a balanced diet. Tomatoes, avocados, cacao and vanilla are among the precious gifts that spread from these lands to the world.
One of the cuisine's most important discoveries is nixtamalisation: dried corn kernels are cooked and soaked in water with slaked lime. This softens the hulls, improves the corn's nutritional value and produces a dough (masa) suitable for tortillas. Tortillas, tamales and countless street foods depend on this ancient technique.
With the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century came pork, beef, chicken, dairy, wheat, rice, onions and garlic. The meeting of Indigenous and European ingredients created the Mexican cuisine we know today. Mole poblano, made with dozens of ingredients, is said to have been born in a convent in Puebla, though the story cannot be confirmed. Traditional Mexican cuisine was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010.
Northern Mexico favours beef and wheat flour tortillas. Oaxaca is celebrated for its seven moles and is often called the "land of moles". The Yucatán Peninsula stands out with Maya-rooted dishes such as cochinita pibil, pork marinated in achiote and traditionally cooked in an earth oven. Coastal regions love ceviche and fish tacos.
Corn, beans, tomatoes, avocados, limes, coriander and fresh or dried chillies form the core of the cuisine. Toasting dried chillies and tomatoes in a dry pan, then grinding them into a salsa, is one of its most characteristic techniques. Raw, roasted or cooked salsas add a different layer of flavour to every meal.
Guacamole and pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa) are perfect no-cook starters. Then try chicken tacos or quesadillas. If fresh jalapeños are hard to find, mild green peppers work, and Turkish isot or pul biber can stand in for dried Mexican chillies; the taste is not identical but it keeps the spirit of the dish.