a guide to mexican cuisine (sample chapters) by swarupa

A GUIDE TO MEXICAN CUISINE

By Swarupa N. Ovalekar

Self-Published Edition

Copyright © Swarupa N. Ovalekar 2010

All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of

the copyright holder.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be

re-sold or distributed. If you would like to share this eBook with another person,

please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this eBook

and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please

return to https://www.facebook.com/TheEpicBookMEXICO or the author’s blog

at https://thegr8wall.wordpress.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for

respecting the hard work of this author.

Warning/Disclaimer

This eBook is designed to provide information about the subject matter covered. It

should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source for

information on Mexican cuisine. Although the author/publisher has used best

efforts in preparing this book and making it as complete and as accurate as

possible, no responsibility is assumed for errors or omissions.

This eBook is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes.

The author/publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or

entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or

indirectly by the information contained in this book.

Other titles by Swarupa N. Ovalekar:

Discovering Mexico

Mexico: The Country, Its History & The Maya World

The Blue-Eyed Prince of Natlife

To my family for their love and support

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5

1 MEXICAN CUISINE 6

2 THE NATIVE MEXICAN DIET 9

3 CORN AND BEANS 11

4 CHILE AND SALSA 15

5 THE SPANISH INFLUENCE 18

6 FRENCH & OTHER INFLUENCES 31

7 ANTOJITOS – THE TRADIIONAL APPETIZERS 35

8 REGIONAL CUISINE 38

9 MEALS AND CUSTOMS 45

10 FESTIVE DISHES 48

11 FRUIT DRINKS & BEVERAGES 60

12 TEQUILA & THE AGAVE DRINKS 63

13 DESSERTS & ICE CREAMS 68

14 SWEETS & CANDIES 70

15 RECIPES 73

GLOSSARY OF SPANISH WORDS 87

GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN SPANISH PRONUNCIATIONS 101

PHOTO SECTION I 22

PHOTO SECTION II 50

PHOTO SECTION III 78

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Swarupa got into book writing in 2008. This was four months after her return from Mexico

where she had spent nearly nine months, some of them travelling solo across the country. She

dedicated a year and a half to her labour of love – an epic book on Mexico – which she finally

completed in June 2010. Hoping to get her book ‘Mexico’ published in the traditional way, she

waited for over two years looking for a publisher who could do justice to her hard work.

Her book received warm appreciation from H.E. Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico.

While she waited for responses from publishers, she wrote a romance fiction novel ‘The

Blue-Eyed Prince Of Natlife’.

In January 2012, she created a Facebook page for her book, got her book edited and

converted it into a three book series on Mexico titled ‘Discovering Mexico’, ‘Mexico: The

Country, Its History & The Maya World’, and ‘A Guide To Mexican Cuisine’.

In mid-September, she finally decided to self-publish all her books.

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Apart from her books, Swarupa is an intrepid traveller and a polyglot. She speaks

English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Indian languages like Marathi and Hindi. She is a

passionate foodie, a huge fan of salsa and ballroom dancing and a great lover of history,

cosmology and world culture. She lives in Mumbai.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheEpicBookMEXICO

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theepicmexico

Blog: http://thegr8wall.wordpress.com

OTHER TITLES BY THE AUTHOR

Discovering Mexico is Swarupa’s chronicle which began with

her new life in the Mexican city of Guadalajara and her wide

exploration of the country she lived in for nine months in

2007-08.

Cosmopolitan Mexico City, world-class beach resorts,

charming mountain resorts, beautiful colonial cities, amazing

archaeological zones, mesmerizing Maya ruins, colourful

indigenous markets…there is never a dull moment for her as

she explores each place with immense gusto.

At each turn, new situations arise, requiring keen perception,

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quick thinking, and ingenuity. When she explores new places and meets new people, she paints each of

them with rich descriptions. Her incurable wanderlust leads her on a three-week adventurous trail

covering seven culturally-rich southern states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas,

Oaxaca and Veracruz, the first five of which fall under the region of ‘the Maya world’.

Discovering Mexico is both a celebration of the joys and revelations to be found in this inexhaustibly

interesting country. This immensely pleasurable and entertaining eBook falls into many categories…it is

about Mexico, Mexican memoirs, Mexican travel, Mexican history and culture, Mexican food and drinks

and of course – Mexicans!

With more than 100 coloured photographs, black and white political and geographical sketch maps of

Mexico, a black and white sketch map of Swarupa’s three-week trip, black and white sketch maps of the

seven southern states and two extensive glossaries – of Spanish words used in this book and their

Mexican Spanish pronunciation – this thoroughly informative eBook is a must-read for everyone.

Mexico: The Country, Its History & The Maya World is a

comprehensive guide to the diverse aspects of Mexico,

including its indigenous people, its long and colourful history

and the mysterious Maya civilization.

This excellently researched eBook offers a wide glimpse into

the rich and varied cultural heritage of contemporary Mexico,

detailing the country’s history, from the pre-Colombian

period to modern times, and providing deep knowledge of the

glorious Maya culture, including the much-famous end of

their calendar. With over 75 coloured photographs, and black

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and white political and geographical sketch maps of Mexico, this insightful eBook will appeal to every

person interested in learning about Mexico – aficionados, travellers and scholars.

A girl from Mexico City comes to Mumbai, discovers the

joys of caring and sharing in a large house with seven other

international trainees and falls in love with her suave Indian

boss.

26-year old Mexican, Sara Velasquez, is the new

international trainee at the corporate office of one of India’s

top multinational companies, Natlife. Her blonde hair and

good looks have always made most men treat her with benign

condescension, unwilling to accept her managerial abilities.

Experience has taught her not to trust men for this reason, but

her tall and handsome Indian boss, the 27-year old blue-eyed

Sid Oberoi, is different. He doesn’t question her intelligence only her impulsive nature. She finds herself

battling a deep and irresistible attraction between them only to succumb to it whole-heartedly.

A past incident has shattered Sid’s trust in women. Whenever his girlfriends get too close or serious, he

bolts. He’s not interested in commitment. So why does he harbour strong, unfamiliar feelings for the

feisty Mexican? On learning about the bitter experiences of her past, he’s determined to ensure that she

doesn’t get hurt again. Why does he feel so protective about her?

When misfortune strikes, it brings them both closer than ever. Sid offers her a job in his new business and

room in his house. But, is he ready to offer her a place in his heart?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is one of my three book series on Mexico, a labour of love and dedication that began

in 2008. The long and lonely period of this project saw me working endless hours at the

computer and I owe my eternal gratitude to my family for understanding and accepting this

without a fuss. To my father who made my ‘Mexican Experience’ possible for me, without

which the three books on Mexico would never have been born; to my mother, brother and sisters.

My particular thanks to Shri Krishna Singh for his goodwill and belief in my work.

I’m greatly indebted to H.E. Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico, and the Honourable

Gloria Guevara, Minister of Tourism for Mexico, for their warm appreciation and valuable

support to my project.

The photographs in this book have been used with the permission of their copyright

holders. Credits have been given to all the photographs, except those of my own. My special

thanks to the copyright holders for allowing me to reproduce their photographs: Elsie Mendez –

Owner/Founder of Flavorsofmexicancuisine.com, the Mexican Tourism Board (CPTM), the

State Tourism Board of Jalisco (SETUJAL), Sahid Cervantes and Paty Rodriguez.

Last but not the least, thank you to Writer’s Side for editing this book.

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A Guide To Mexican Cuisine

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MEXICAN CUISINE

Mexicans are very proud of their traditional cuisine, and they take their cooking very seriously.

Traditional Mexican Cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden and a comprehensive cultural model

comprising unique farming methods, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and

ancestral community customs and manners. It’s for this reason that the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Mexican Cuisine an

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, making it one of the first world cuisines to

receive such an honour.

Known for its varied flavours, wide range of native spices and ingredients, and colourful

presentations, the cuisine is primarily based on pre-Colombian traditions combined with the

culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. It is a melting pot of different cuisines,

reflecting rich French, Caribbean, Asian and African influences as well as many other recent

influences absorbed through foreign immigrants and in the course of foreign trade during the

colonial period.

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The fine blend of the cuisines of different countries, their cooking techniques and an

exotic mix of native and foreign ingredients, led to the emergence of the unique Mexican cuisine

with tremendous regional variations. The food reflects a strong Spanish influence in the north,

while farther down south the ethnic cuisine still prevails. Despite the diversity of the rich

regional cuisines, some common elements have led to the formation of a distinct national cuisine.

Mexican food is spicy and colourful due to the use of wide varieties of chiles (chillies),

spices and fresh vegetables, many of which are native to the country. The staple ingredients

include corn, beans and squash; beef, pork, chicken, fish and seafood; vegetables such as

tomatoes, green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, jicama (a white-fleshed, potato-like root vegetable,

eaten raw as a salad or boiled or baked), and nopales (prickly pear cactus); a variety of lentils;

and fruits like avocado, mango, pineapple, papaya, plantains, zapote (sapodilla), mamey (a large,

avocado shaped brown fruit), guanábana (soursop) and guava. Chile, tomato, onion, avocado,

cocoa and vanilla and garlic are the popular flavourings. The most important and frequently used

spices include chile, cumin, oregano, coriander, epazote (a native herb), achiote (a natural

colorant and condiment), cinnamon, cocoa and anise seeds. Epazote is used to season a variety of

Mexican dishes, and is most commonly used in bean recipes to relieve abdominal discomfort.

Cheese, sour cream, tamarind and chocolate are also widely used in Mexican cuisine.

Mexican cheeses can be categorized into fresh cheese, melting cheese and hard cheese.

Fresh cheese has a mild flavour and a crumbly texture which becomes soft and creamy without

losing its shape when heated. Some of the fresh cheeses include the mozzarella-like queso

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blanco, the crumbly queso fresco, the salty-flavoured panela and the soft ricotta-like requesón.

Another popular fresh cheese is queso de cabra (goat milk cheese).

Melting cheese doesn’t separate or get greasy when it is heated and include the mild

queso quesadilla, the strong flavoured queso asadero, the tangy yellow-coloured queso

manchego, the famous mozzarella-like string cheese queso oaxaca and the mild cheddar-like

queso chihuahua. Hard cheese has a strong flavour with a hard texture and can be grated.

Because of its strong flavour, it makes a perfect topping for beans, salads and even grilled meats.

Hard cheeses include the parmesan-like cotija cheese and the enchilado or añejo enchilado

cheese which is coated with chilli powder.

The three essential elements in traditional Mexican kitchens are mano y metate (grinding

stone), molcajete (stone mortar and pestle) and the comal (cast-iron griddle). While mano y

metate is used to grind corn and to prepare mole (a rich chocolate-based sauce) pastes, the

molcajete is used to grind spices and to make salsas (sauces).

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2

THE NATIVE MEXICAN DIET

The pre-Hispanic native Mexican diet mainly comprised corn, beans, squash, chile, tomatoes,

amaranth, sweet potatoes, cocoa, vanilla, avocados, jicama, papaya, pineapple, lentils, plantains,

coconut, peanuts, a variety of herbs, honey, mushrooms, fish and turkey. The native people were

basically vegetarian but they occasionally hunted for wild turkey, rabbit, deer, and quails. Their

cuisine consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chiles and herbs, complemented with beans,

tomatoes and nopales.

Nopal or the prickly pear cactus is a popular ingredient in the Mexican cuisine. The

peeled pads, grilled or boiled, are often used in salads, soups and as an accompaniment to

various dishes. Diced nopales are used to prepare a dish called nopalitos.

Cocoa beans were important luxury products throughout pre-Colombian Mesoamerica,

and were used as currency. They were used in the preparation of a frothy, bitter drink which the

Aztec called xocoatl (bitter water). This luxurious drink, considered to be ‘the drink of the gods’

and fit for royal consumption only, was often flavoured with vanilla, chile, achiote and other

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spices. The Aztec loved their cacao which was unsweetened. In fact, the only sweeteners

available in those days were honey and aguamiel (honey-water, extracted from agave plants). It

was not until chocolate was sent to Europe, that sugar was added which led to the birth of

modern-day chocolate. Chocolate mexicana (Mexican hot chocolate) is still a popular traditional

drink. Chocolate was also added in the preparation of some of the native Mexican meals.

The first important crops grown by the ancient Mesoamerican societies were corn, beans

and squash, with corn being the primary crop. The three staples which complement each other

nutritionally provided carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. Another major source of protein was

spirulina, the microscopic blue-green algae that grows both in sea and fresh water. The Aztec

harvested it in Lake Texcoco and sold it in the form of cakes. Today, it can be found in health

food stores as a human and animal food supplement, in the form of tablets, flakes, and powder.

Tropical fruits, vegetables, fish and wild game supplied the missing vitamins and

minerals to form a fairly well-balanced diet. Most of the food was cooked over coals, smoked in

pits, or simmered in pots with water. These stews were to be the basis for Mexico’s most famous

dish, the mole, which was developed to its present form after the Spanish Conquest. Frying was

virtually nonexistent as there was no fat to fry with. There were no cows from which to obtain

milk to produce butter or cheese, no pigs to provide lard, and game animals were extremely lean.

Sometimes oils were squeezed from plants for other purposes. These practices led to the low fat,

nearly vegetarian diet.

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3

CORN AND BEANS

Traditionally, corn has been the staple grain of Mexico and the main source of nutrition for

thousands of years. It was and still is omnipresent in the daily meals by way of the traditional

corn masa (dough). Masa is made by drying field corn and treating it in a solution of lime and

water, also called slaked lime. This loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn for

grinding it to form the fresh masa. In addition, it also changes the structure of the corn, freeing

the nutritionally valuable ‘niacin’ and adding calcium from the lime used as an alkali. This

process called nixtamalization, used only by the native Mexicans, allows the human body to

absorb essential nutrients. The fresh masa, when dried and powdered, becomes the modern-day

masa harina (corn dough flour). Like masa harina, even fresh masa is sold in markets.

It is important to avoid confusing masa harina with corn flour, which is not treated with

lime and lacks the nutritional value. In baking and cooking, while using corn flour, the result is

quite different from that obtained by using masa harina.

The most common food made from masa is the tortilla, a thin traditional daily bread

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which accompanies just about every meal. Tortillas are made either from corn or wheat flour.

Corn tortillas are prepared by pressing (by hand or by machine) small balls of masa and heating

them on a comal. These are then wrapped in a cloth and stored in a basket, or in a special plastic

container to keep them warm. In many cities and towns, there are tortilla shops called

tortillerias, which make and sell fresh machine pressed warm tortillas. In restaurants, if you run

out of tortillas, some more are served without any charge. These are accompanied by the

delicious guacamole, the traditional Mexican appetizer of mashed ripe avocados, tomatoes,

onions, lime juice, salt and fresh coriander.

Masa is also used in the preparation of tamales (‘tamal’ in singular), which are packets of

masa, usually stuffed with spicy or sweet filling, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and

then steamed. Besides crisp or soft tortillas and tamales, masa is a vital ingredient in various

everyday meals. It is the key ingredient in many pre-Hispanic drinks, throughout the country.

Masa is cooked with piloncillo (jaggery), water or milk, cinnamon, anise seeds and vanilla beans

to make a porridge-like hot beverage called atole. When it is made with chocolate, it becomes a

chocolate-based atole called champurrado, a traditional breakfast drink.

In the state of Chiapas, corn and cocoa are used in the preparation of pozol de cacao and

tascalate. Pozol is made with masa, ground cocoa, water and a pinch of salt or sugar while

tascalate is a special chocolate drink made from a mixture of roasted corn, cocoa, cinnamon,

pine nuts, vanilla, achiote and sugar. In the state of Oaxaca, a popular pre-Hispanic drink called

tejate, is prepared by mixing together the finely ground paste of roasted corn, fermented cocoa

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beans, seeds of the native mamey fruit and flor de cacao (‘cocoa flower’). In the state of Jalisco,

a popular cold beverage called tejuino is made from fermented corn and served with a scoop of

shaved ice.

Corn is also boiled to prepare pozole, a spicy pork and hominy stew topped with fresh

cabbage, radish, onion and cilantro. Elote (corn on the cob), both roasted or boiled, is a popular

street food. Boiled elotes are usually coated with condiments such as butter, mayonnaise, sour

cream, cheese, lemon juice, salt and hot chile sauce. Another variation is esquite, corn kernels

served in a cup with the above mentioned toppings. Another corn preparation commonly

available at street stalls is that of corn cooked and mixed together with chile, lemon juice and

cilantro in a bit of oil.

Corn and beans were the two main ingredients of Mexican cuisine even before the arrival

of the Spaniards. Beans are used in salads, soups and a wide variety of dishes including the

popular ancient bean paste called frijoles refritos (refried beans, which are cooked beans mashed

in lard to form a smooth, thick paste). Some of the widely used varieties of beans include black

beans, pinto beans and kidney beans.

A daily Mexican meal invariably includes corn tortillas with frijoles refritos and tamales.

An important aspect of the corn-beans combination is that both contain ‘complementary amino

acids.’ Neither beans nor corn alone is a complete food as it does not provide the full

complement of amino acids needed for protein synthesis. Beans contain all the essential amino

acids but one and that happens to be just the amino acid present in corn. Together, the corn and

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bean combination forms a complete protein. Apart from the corn-bean pair, only one other pair

provides a complete protein amino acid combination and that is beans and rice.

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4

CHILE AND SALSA

Chiles have been cultivated in Mexico for over 5000 years. The country has the greatest

botanical wealth of chiles, with more than 140 varieties ranging in size from inch-long to those

the size of large carrots, and in colours ranging from red and orange to green and black. The

potency varies. The hottest is the habanero, some 25 times hotter than the widely-known spicy

jalapeño, which is traditionally grown around the Gulf Coast city of Xalapa in Veracruz. Then,

there is the fiery chile serrano mainly used in salsas (sauces) and the large and mild chile

poblano. The latter is used in making stuffed chile dishes like chile relleno, green chile stuffed

with cheese and/or minced meat, covered in batter and deep fried; and chile en nogada, green

chile stuffed with minced meat and covered in a walnut-based white cream sauce called nogada

and garnished with a sprinkling of red pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander. Chile en nogada

is a national dish usually served during Independence Day celebrations as it represents the

colours of the Mexican flag – green for the coriander, white for the sauce and red for the

pomegranate seeds.

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Chiles lend a distinctive flavour to Mexican cuisine, which is also enhanced with herbs

such as fresh coriander and thyme, and spices like cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. They can be

used fresh, whole, smoked, dried or powdered. Among the dried chiles, the popular ones include

the flavourful ancho, which is dried poblano pepper and the smoky flavoured chipotle which is

dried jalapeño pepper. Ground chipotle chillies are combined with other spices to make a

popular meat marinade known as an adobo, a rich, smoky, dark reddish-brown sauce made from

chilli, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, laurel, oregano and salt.

Salsa is the Spanish word for a sauce which is served as an accompaniment to almost

every Mexican meal. The condiments most commonly found on restaurant tables in Mexico, are

the red or green salsas (prepared using tomatoes and green chiles), a mix of chopped tomatoes,

onions and fresh coriander, pickled shredded nopales, lemon slices and bottles of branded salsas,

the most popular among them being Valentina and Tajin.

Mexican cuisine boasts of numerous types of fresh salsa preparations which come in

various forms – smooth, semi-chunky, or uniformly chopped. The basic amongst them is the

salsa mexicana (Mexican sauce), also called salsa fresca (fresh sauce) or pico de gallo (Spanish

for ‘beak of the rooster’). This fresh uncooked salsa is made from chopped tomato, onion, chiles

(usually serranos or jalapeños) and fresh coriander. When the basic salsa is cooked with other

ingredients it becomes salsa ranchero (ranch-style salsa). There are many types of salsas, some

made using exotic ingredients like huitlacoche (or cuitlacoche), a corn fungus popular among the

Nahuatl Indians. Pumpkin seeds are used to prepare the popular salsa de pipián.

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The preparation of a salsa by combining chiles, tomatoes and other ingredients like

pumpkin or squash seeds and even beans has been documented way back to the Aztec culture.

Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish Franciscan missionary who chronicled Aztec life following

the Conquest, wrote extensively on the culinary history of the Aztec which included details on

every food common to the culture. In one of his writings he described the salsas sold by food

vendors in the large, well-ordered and crowded Aztec markets which included salsas of various

kinds of chiles (including the chipotle, a staple in the Aztec diet) avocados, mushrooms, squash,

red tomatoes, green tomatoes and different herbs and even hot salsas.

Mexican cuisine also boasts of a popular savoury salsa called chamoy which is made

from pickled fruit like mango, apricot or plum with chile, vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Due to

its delicious sweet, salty and spicy flavour, this fruit and chile sauce is popularly used in

preparing snacks, desserts and drinks. It is poured over fruits for a delicious treat. Chamoy-

coated apples, chamoy-flavoured frozen desserts, popsicles, sweets, and even drinks (including

beer) spiced with chamoy are extremely popular in Mexico.

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A traditional Mexican market

Tamarind Dried red chillies


Fruits on display in the marketPhoto credit: © Flavorsofmexicancuisine.com

Nopal cactus leaves MangoesPhoto credit: © Flavorsofmexicancuisine.com


The traditional corn masa (dough) Tacos, the widely popular corn tortilla-based snack

A street-side taqueria


Camarones al coco, coconut coated prawnsPhoto credit: © CPTM: Foto / Ricardo Espinosa-reo

Red enchiladas TostadasPhoto credit: © Flavorsofmexicancuisine.com


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RECIPES

GUACAMOLE (AVOCADO DIP)

This dip has a rich and wonderful texture and is perfect as a salad or an appetizer with nachos.

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped

1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped

Salt to taste

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Directions

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and peel them. Chop and then mash them in a bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with nachos.

PICO DE GALLO (MEXICAN SALSA)

This delicious salsa is one of the simplest of Mexican salsas. It is served as a salad or with tortilla

chips, and also as a topping for tortilla-based dishes like tacos and tostadas.

Ingredients

1 large ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 of large red onion, finely chopped

2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

Freshly squeezed juice of one lime

Salt to taste

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

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SWARUPA’S CHOCOLATE-FILLED CHURROS

This fried-dough pastry is a popular Mexican dessert snack, originating in Spain.

Ingredients

1 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

Oil for frying

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A bar of cooking chocolate

2 skewers

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2

tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms

a ball. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

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Mix 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon together and set aside.

Make the chocolate sauce. Break the chocolate bar in small pieces and put in a microwave bowl.

Keep an eye on it while it’s melting or else it might burn. Alternatively, melt the chocolate using

a double boiler.

Make small balls out of the dough and wrap each of them around the two skewers in the shape of

sausages. This will make a narrow hole inside for the chocolate filling. Gently slide off the

skewers and close the holes on both ends.

Fill a large, heavy bottomed saucepan with oil for frying (it should be about one-third full). Heat

the oil. Place the rolls of dough into the hot oil. Be careful not to cook more than three at any one

time, or they will all stick together. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes until crispy and golden. Do not

mess with them until they are ready to be turned. Drain on kitchen paper.

Roll drained churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Gently slice off one end of the churros. Use a skewer to carefully pierce and widen the narrow

hole. Pour the chocolate sauce slowly inside each churro. Make sure it reaches till the bottom.

Spread the excess sauce around the top of the churros.

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Horchata, a popular refreshing drink of rice, sugar and cinnamon

Dried calyces of the flor de Jamaica (Hibiscus flower) sold in markets


Assorted Mexican sweets on display in a traditional Mexican sweet shop

Palanquetas of peanuts and pumpkin seeds (left) and alegrias, the amaranth candy studded withdried fruits and nuts (right)

GLOSSARY OF SPANISH WORDS

A

Achiote: The seed of annatto tree commonly used as flavouring and orange-red colouring agent in

Mexican food. It is used in making achiote paste, a seasoning mixture from the Yucatán region

Adobo: Spicy marinade

Agave: A succulent plant from which drinks like tequila and mezcal are produced

Agave azul: Blue agave

Agua de Jamaica: A popular refreshing drink made from the dried calyces of the hibiscus flower

Agua de tamarindo: Tamarind water

Aguas frescas: ‘Fresh water,’ healthy non-carbonated drinks of fresh fruit water

Aguacate: Avocado

Aguachile de camarón: Fresh prawns served raw in a blend of limes and hot green serrano chillies

Aguamiel: ‘Honey water’ extracted from the bulbs of the agave plant

Alegrias: ‘Happy,’ traditional sweets made from amaranth grain

Alfajores: White cocada sweets with pink-coloured tops

Almuerzo: A light 11 am lunch consisting of tortilla-based dish

Amarillo: Yellow

Ancho: The dried form of poblano chilli

Antojitos: Traditional corn dough-based appetizers or snacks

Añejo: Aged or vintage

Añejo enchilada: A type of cheese coated in chilli powder

Arroz: Rice

Arroz amarillo: Yellow rice

Arroz blanco: White rice

Arroz con camarones: Prawn rice

Arroz con leche: Rice pudding

Arroz con lima: Lemon rice

Arroz con pollo: Rice with chicken

Arroz español: Spanish rice

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GLOSSARY Of MEXICAN SPANISH PRONUNCIATIONS

A

A la Tampiqueña: ah lah tam-pee-keh-nyah

A la Veracruzana: ah lah veh-rah-croo-sah-nah

Achiote: ah-chee-oh-teh

Adobo: ah-doh-boh

Agave: ah-gah-veh

Agave azul: ah-gah-veh ah-suhl

Agua de Jamaica: ah-gwah deh ha-mai-kah

Agua de tamarindo: ah-gwah deh tah-mah-reen-doh

Aguas frescas: ah-gwahs frehs-kahs

Aguacate: ah-gwah-kah-teh

Aguachile de camarón: ah-gwah-chee-leh deh kah-mah-rohn

Aguamiel: ah-gwah-myel

Aguascalientes: ah-gwahs-kah-lyehn-tehs

Alegrias: ah-leh-greeh-yahs

Alfajores: ahl-fah-ho-rehs

Almuerzo: ahl-mwehr-zoh

Amarillo: ah-mah-ree-yoh

Ancho: ahn-choh

Antojitos: ahn-toh-hee-tohs

Añejo: ah-nyeh-ho

Añejo enchilada: ah-nyeh-ho ehn-chee-lah-dah

Arroz: ah-rrohs

Arroz amarillo: ah-rrohs ah-mah-ree-yoh

Arroz blanco: ah-rrohs blahn-coh

Arroz con camarones: ah-rrohs kohn kah-mah-roh-nehs

Arroz con leche: ah-rrohs kohn leh-cheh

Arroz con lima: ah-rrohs kohn leeh-mah

Arroz con pollo: ah-rrohs kohn poh-yoh

101

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