Mexico is a country where food is highly respected and definitely enjoyed.
A lot of people have been out of the country, right? Even if you’re not leaving the continent, traveling north or south counts since when it comes to North America you’re bound to visit one of three countries. While it’s true that you can find a multitude of foods in the USA, actually traveling to the country where a cuisine originated is kind of fun since it gives a person the sense of where this or that dish came from and why it might be important to their culture. For instance, making your way down to Mexico, where a lot of people think tacos, burritos, chimichangas, and many other stereotypical dishes are the main fare, is worth the trip. Tacos, burritos, and so many other dishes are indeed pretty common when traveling south of the border, but they’re not the only thing to be enjoyed. Much like any other country, Mexico is pretty diverse in the types of food they serve, but there are homegrown dishes that are quite common and have been around for a long time.
The burrito is a rather simple dish, but there are so many different ways that it can be created thanks to the fact that there are so many different ingredients that can be used to make one. Hell, a person can make a dessert burrito if they’re willing to stand up to those who think that such things must be blasphemous. But one thing you can never go wrong with is the fact that a burrito is a great dish when you need something simple, or want something that can fill you up in a different way. Tacos are about the same thing, and in truth, a lot of dishes that are wrapped up in a tortilla or something similar can be packed with just about anything you’d like. There are moments when a person might go a little too far when they might step away from the idea of what real Mexican cuisine is all about, but that’s when it’s easiest to have fun with it and get a little innovative.
And the spices? Hoo boy, the spices to be found in Mexican dishes are insane when it comes to how far one can go with this type of food. Seriously, the spices used in Mexican dishes, some of them at least, are impressive enough that they’ve been referenced on TV, and in movies, and have become so widespread that many people are willing to pay a good amount of money making sure they get the right spices for each dish they make. I know, I might be rambling on a bit about next to nothing since a lot of people don’t care that much about spices. To some folks, food is just fuel, and it doesn’t matter what it tastes like or how it’s cooked, so long as it feeds a body and doesn’t make anyone sick.
But really, food is to be enjoyed, since this is how it really satisfies the body, and the soul.
Mexican street food is one of the great pleasures in life.
It’s easy to think that many people will see the term ‘street food’ and assume that it’s of lower quality and might even be kind of dangerous to consume. But the truth is that street vendors have to abide by certain rules when serving food to the public, just like anyone. Just because it’s called street food doesn’t mean that it’s going to be of lesser quality or that it will be something that will deserve the disdain that some people might have for it. In truth, street food is great since it’s something you can pick up while walking around, and can enjoy while taking a relaxing walk around town or while sitting on a bench somewhere. In other words, it’s all about comfort, and the food is usually quite good since it’s made with a great amount of care. Hey, street vendors need to know what they’re doing, and they need to be good at it to get paid.
Mexico knows a lot about fine dining.
It’s not tough to think that some folks are still of the mind that Mexico isn’t a desirable place thanks to what they see and hear on the news and in movies and on TV. But the truth is that this country is like any other place in this world, there are good areas and bad areas, and the food that can be found in the country, in every part, is bound to be just as diverse as anywhere else. Mexico knows about fine dining, be it in the resorts or in various restaurants that can be found throughout the country. Some of the might be specific to the various cultures that Mexico is home to, and some of them might be adopted from other countries that various chefs have visited during their training. It’s not difficult at all to think that chefs in Mexico are bound to pick up recipes that they’ve learned from around the world, and that some of them will put their own style into such dishes to blend their authentic culture with whatever they’ve learned.
Every country will have dishes that other people feel are kind of different, odd, or downright crazy. A blue corn tortilla with grasshoppers in it isn’t exactly par for the course in a lot of areas, but it’s something that was bound to show up at some point. For one reason or another, bugs are still a delicacy to a lot of people since they are a source of protein and they are nutritious enough apparently. But when it comes to begin seen as a regular dish, well, they’re not on the menu for a lot of people. For some reason though, there are people that would look at this and say ‘yummy’. Yeah…no offense…but that’s a hard pass.
Fine dining can be kind of, odd.
This image doesn’t bring up a lot of ideas about good taste or fine dining, does it? Okay, maybe it does, but for some reason, it looks like a brick of…well, you know, with a semi-solid spread to go with it. Sorry Mexico, but the thing is that there are plenty of dishes here in America that people could say the same thing about…it’s called fast food. All jokes aside though, it’s worth it to try something if people recommend it, or if they tell you that it’s actually a popular dish. Hey, people say that about In ‘N Out burgers up in America, and some people could take or leave them. The point is that foods from different countries are going to look awkward to some people, but it’s important to try them at least. If you don’t like it, well, just don’t wash it down with tap water. That one’s important to remember.
Mexican pizza is definitely unique.
Pizza is a dish that appears to have spread to every corner of the globe since it’s an easy dish to make, it’s versatile, and it pleases so many people that trying to find someone that doesn’t like pizza is actually kind of hard. But in Mexico, just as anywhere, pizza is a dish that is bound to be represented in a lot of different ways since the Mexicans needed to put their own spin on it, just like everyone does. It’s true, looking at this makes it tough to recognize it as a pizza, but beneath all those toppings, there is a pizza, and it looks like it might be insanely yummy.
Every country has fine dining that is kind of, um, weird.
Let’s face it, every country has fine dining that they believe in and that looks kind of odd like it might leap off the plate at any given moment and attach itself to your face, or worse. To be honest, some dishes that come out of a fine dining kitchen make a person wonder how wide the spectrum of taste can go, but considering Mexico’s geographic location it’s not hard to think about the wide range of dishes that they might be capable of producing. From street food to gourmet one can’t help but think that the Mexicans have their own flair when it comes to the kitchen and their own diverse and highly prized cooking methods that many people the world over have been able to recognize and appreciate for quite some time. It’s worth it to make the trip down south just for the various sites and pleasures that can be found, but the food is one of those that should never be discounted since the culinary experience can be bliss all on its own.
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
It’s important to experience the world in as many different ways as possible, but barring that, taking a trip down south, even if it’s just across the border, would broaden your mind in a big way. It’s possible to get authentic Mexican food in the states, but the overall experience is heightened when one goes to the place where this cuisine originated. Head on down and try it out, you won’t be sorry.
