Job Discussion Forums

ilovebdt1 · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:16 am Post subject: Food in Mexico

Hi Guys

I have been a lurker on this forum for a while and now thanks to Mr Sperling I can post Smile

I am looking to come to Mexico to teach next year. I have taught in Ecuador before and came across this lovely bean and rice dish called "MENESTRA" (sp?)

Does anyone know if there is a Mexican equivalent? Also, what sort of Mexican food do you guys enjoy?

Ilovebdt1

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

I think most "Mexican" food is very regional. I like almost all the traditional Yucatecan foods that I've tried. There are restaurants here that specialize in foods from other regions of the country, most of which I can take or leave, the exception being some of the moles from Puebla, which I really like.

thelmadatter · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:54 pm Post subject: food

Ah! a chance for Guy to come in and sing his praises of tacos Laughing

Ive not seen a "typical" bean and rice dish for central Mexico but it wouldnt surprise me that maybe the more tropical areas would have something. Here in the highlands, its a lot of meat (generally pork) grease and tortillas with some kind of salsa or mole thrown in for some flavor.

No, Im not the biggest fan of the food here... get me to Sonora (simple but tasty) or Oaxaca!(where Ive yet to eat anything there that wasnt just scrumpcious (sp?))

MELEE · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject:

There is a lot of vareity in Mexican food from region to region. Of course, my adopted state, Oaxaca, has the best food. Wink

In this part of Mexico, people do not mix rice and beans together, when I do it, Central American style, people eat it and comment that its good, but they obviously think its wierd and no one in my husband's extended family has taken up preparing it that way themselves. Laughing

I love Mexican food, but I am having a bit of an overload right now as I haven't been away for a long time. I need to go like a month without tortillas in order to enjoy them again!

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I'd sing praises but my mouth is full of scrumptious taco... Laughing

Outside of your regular taco, mole, quesadilla routine, there's a style of meat dish called adobado. The way my wife and mother-in-law make it is to use pork chops and slather it in a hevy cream/chile sauce. Good with chicken too. To DIE for.

I'm one to say that they key to good Mexican food is to be found in the salsas. Meat is meat wherever you go, but the salsa varieities - successes and failures - are endless.

The only bean and rice dish I've seen here is Cuban. Mexicans call it 'moros y cristianos' while the Cubans called it arroz creollo, or something like that. The cuban version uses a spice I can't recall...tastes like cumin.

Anyone like pozole? You can get this everywhere I think, but it's native to Guerrero (probably Oaxaca too). Tradition is to eat it on Thursdays.

MELEE · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:44 pm Post subject:

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

7 pesos a bowl? No way! Here on the coast it's 25. Pozole around here is known as the food for hangovers, so of course it's served Friday and Saturdays.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Fancy Acapulco Pozole at the Hyatt was 50 pesos, but it included a shot of tequila and a shrimp coctail looking thing.

MELEE · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject:

And I thought it had gotten expensive, it used to cost 5 pesos a bowl (the Oaxacan chocolate drinking size bowls)

ilovebdt1 · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:25 am Post subject:

What are "moles"?

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Chocolate covered critters.

Just kidding. Pronounce it like 'mo-lay'.

Chocolate and chile sauce over chicken, turnkey, pork (?). It is a delicate balance of chile and chocolate, sweet and spicy. Really easy to make badly, a culinary victory if done right.

MELEE · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject:

Here's a glossary of Oaxaca food items
http://www.oaxaca-restaurants.com/basic-list.htm
The page also has a nice overall description of Oaxacan food---DON'T READ IF HUNGRY!
Laughing

saraswati · Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 200

There's a rice and bean dish called Arroz Congr� but it's Cuban...

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Oh I forgot a Jalisco special called tortas ahogadas (drowned sandwich). This is usually chicken or beef on a sanddwich bun soaked in red hot chile sauce. If you survive the first, the second tastes even better.

too bad the picture doesn't really show how much sauce there should be.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438