Mexico Food and Drink

Traditional Mexican food can often be very spicy; if you are not used to peppers, always ask if your food includes it. (¿Esto tiene chile?).


There are many food carts on the streets of Mexican cities and towns. Travelers are advised to eat from these carts with caution, as hygienic preparation practices are not always reliable. In doing so, you may (or may not) find some of the most unique and genuinely mexican dishes you've ever had. From this vendors, you may find tacos, burgers, bread and almost any kind of food and service you would imagine (even cell phones, books, or toys).

  • Chicharron - Deep fried pork skin. Although don't be disgusted, it's quite crunchy and if well-prepared slightly oily.
  • Enchiladas - Chicken or meat stuffed soft tortillas covered with green, red or mole sauce. Some may have melted cheese.
  • Tacos - (tortillas filled with meat (asada (steak strips), pollo (shredded chicken), carnitas (fried shredded pork), lengua (tongue), cabeza (meat from cow skull), sesos (cow brains).
  • Tamales - corn dough shell with meat or vegatable fillings. Tamales Dulces contain fruit and/or nuts.
  • Tortas - Fancy mexican sandwich. Bread is fried lightly, meat fillings are same as tacos, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, beans, onion, mayonaise and avocado.
  • Quesadillas - Cheese or other ingredients grilled in between tortillas.
  • Mole - Mild to medium spice sauce with hint of peanut over meat, usually served with shredded chicken. ('Pollo en mole')
  • Pozole: Chicken or pork broth with hominy corn, spiced when served with oregano, lettuce, lemon juice, radish, chopped onion, dried ground chile and other ingredients, usually served with a side dish of tostadas, fried potato and fresh cheese tacos.
  • Gorditas: corn patty stuffed with chicharron, chicken, cheese, etc. topped with cream, cheese and hot sauce.
  • Guacamole: crushed avocado sauce with green serrano chile, chopped red tomato and onion, lemon juice and fried tortilla slices "totopos".
  • Tostadas: fried flat tortilla topped with fried beans, lettuce, cream, fresh cheese, sliced red tomato and onion, hot sauce, and chicken or other main ingredient.
  • Huaraches: a bigger version a gordita.
  • Sopes: corn patty topped with a wide variety of ingredients such as chicken, cheese, etc. and hot sauce.
  • Carnitas: deep fried pork meat.
  • Chile en nogada: A big Poblano chile covered with nut sauce. Served nationwide on September.
  • Barbacoa: Sheep meat cooked with maguey leaves in a oven made at a hole in the ground.
  • Tortas ahogadas: If you you to Guadalajara taste this pork sandwiches covered with sauce
  • Panuchos: If you go to Yucatan, try this "Sopes" with pork (called cochinita pibil)
  • Sopa de Tortilla: Tortilla chips soup
  • Chilaquiles: Tortilla chips with green tomatoes sauce, usually served with chicken or eggs.

You can measure the quality of food by popularity, do not eat on lonely places, even if they are restaurants or hotels.


Ask for the "platillo tipico" of the town, this is a local speciality not found elsewhere, a variation, or the birthplace of a recipe, also consider that most of the recipies change from place to place, like tamales, in the south are made with the banana plant leaves, and in the Huasteca region tamales are very big, one is Ok for a complete family.

Drink:

  • Absinth [[11]] is legal in Mexico.
  • Tequila, made from Agave
  • Pulque, ferment made from Maguey
  • Mezcal, destiled made from Maguey
  • Tepache, made from pineapple
  • Tuba, made from coconut plant

There are also several Mexican beers, several of which are available outside Mexico, these include:

  • Corona
  • Dos Equis (XX), dark or lager.
  • Modelo Especial
  • Negra Modelo
  • Modelo Light
  • Pacífico
  • Tecate
  • Indio
  • Bohemia
  • Carta Blanca
  • Sol
  • Superior
  • Victoria
  • Montejo
  • León
  • Estrella
  • Corona "de Barril"

In some places you will find beer served as a prepared drink called "michelada". The formula varies depending on the place, but it's usually beer mixed with lime juice. Other variation called "cubana" includes Clamato cocktail, soybean sauce, salt and a little bit of hot sauce.

The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18, but not strictly enforced. In many places, consumption of alcohol in public ("open container") is illegal and usually punishable by a day in jail. Be aware of waitresses and barmen, especially at night clubs. If you are not aware of your consumption and how much you already spent, they can add a few more drinks to your account. Some do this, not all.

Alcoholimeters are widely used in driving roads If drinking, always have a designated driver. Driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage may result in up to 3 days in jail.