What foods am I to expect?

Question

I am going to Mexico next April as part of a cruise holiday with my mum and dad. What I want to know is what sorts of cuisine do they have and will any of it be spicy because I am allergic to spices.

Answer 1

Mexican cuisine
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Mexican food is a style of food that originated in Mexico.

Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and its variety of spices. Mexican gastronomy, in terms of diversity of appealing tastes and textures, is one of the richest in the world in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, though it is characterized by some as excessively spicy.

When Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (the ancient city where Mexico City was built on), they found that the common people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chilis and herbs, usually complemented with beans and squash. Later on, the conquistadores added to their original diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic, and onions that they brought with them from Spain to the indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico (including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey_(bird)). The totopo (cooked in a fire oven corn tortilla) may have been created as part of this cuisine.

Most of today's Mexican cuisine is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. Quesadillas, for example, are a flour or corn tortilla with cheese (often a Mexican-style soft farmer's cheese such as Queso Fresco), beef, chicken, pork, and so on. The indigenous part of this and many other traditional foods is the chile pepper. Foods like these tend to be very colorful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chili peppers, green peppers, chilies, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes) and meats in Mexican food. There is also a sprinkling of Caribbean influence in Mexican cuisine, particularly in some regional dishes from the states of Veracruz and Yucatán. The French occupation of Mexico also yielded some influences as well: the bolillo (pronounced bo-lee-yo, with the "o" as in "bore"), a Mexican take on the French roll, certainly seems to reflect this.

Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef production and meat dishes; southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. Veracruz-style is a common method of preparing seafood.

There are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Maya style, with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, and even some kinds of insects. This is usually known as comida prehispanica (or prehispanic food), and although not very common, is relatively well known.

A distinction must be made between truly authentic Mexican food, and the Cal-Mex (Californian-Mexican) and "Tex Mex" (Texan-Mexican) cuisine. Mexican cuisine combines with the cuisine of the southwest United States (which itself has a number of Mexican influences) to form Cal-Mex and Tex-Mex cuisine. Another style of cuisine that is commonly mistaken for Mexican food is New Mexican cuisine, which can be found in, of course, New Mexico, USA.


[edit] Traditional dishes

Enchilada with mole sauce
Salsa verde, salsa roja
Pico de gallo ("salsa mexicana")
Assorted tacos
Guacamole
Ensalada de nopalesFoods that are part of the Mexican culinary tradition include:

aguas frescas
albóndigas
arroz amarillo
arroz con camarones
arroz con lima
arroz con pollo
arroz Español (Spanish rice)
arroz verde
ate
atole or champurrado
bacanora
barbacoa
birria
bistec picado
bolillos
burrito
cajeta
calabasa (squash)
calabaza
camote
capirotada
carne asada
carnitas
cecina
cemitas sandwiches
chapulines and escamoles
charales, small fish, basically a type of smelt
chicharrón and chicharrones
chilaquiles
chiles en nogada
chiles rellenos
chilorio
chilli con carne
chimichangas
chocolate
choriqueso
chorizo
churipo
cochinita pibil
cocido
cóctel de camarón and other seafood cocktails
caldo de queso
caldo de pollo (chicken soup), other caldos are made from beef, seafood, etc.
coyotas
empanadas
enchilada (red or green)
ensalada de fruta
fideo
flan
flautas
frijoles pintos
frijoles ******
frijoles charros
Refried beans (frijoles refritos)
fritadas de camaron
gorditas
glorias
gringas
guacamole
horchata
huevos divorciados
huevos motuleños
huevos rancheros
jamoncillos
jicama
lengua
lentejas
longaniza
machaca
mancha manteles
mariscos
menudo
mezcal
michelada
milanesa
mixiotes
mole
molletes
moronga
nopalitos
pambazos
papas (potatoes)
parilladas
picadillo
pico de gallo
platano
pollo asado
pollo picado
pollo rostizado
polvorones
pozole
pulpo(From the Sinaloa Fish Recepies)
quesadillas
rajas con crema
romeritos
salsa
sopes
sopa azteca
sopa de pollo
sopa tarasca
tacos
tamales
taquitos
tepache
tequila
tortillas
tortas (sandwiches)
"Tortas de...." Small omelettes similar to egg foo yung patties.
tostadas
tlacoyos
tlayudas
venado, particularly in the Yucatan.
yuca
Some candy are also eaten traditionally in Mexico:

Alegrías
Dulce de leche
Jarritos (spicy tamarindo candy in a tiny pot)
Pepitorias
Obleas
Glorias
Ate

[edit] External links
Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on
Mexican cuisineIntroduction to Mexican Food
Mexican Menu Ideas
Cooking Methods of Mexico
The Flavors of Mexico- Spices and Seasonings
About Ingredients in Mexican Food
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine"
Category: Mexican cuisine

Answer 2

First, what part of mexico?
Second...which spices are you allergic to? (do you know you are really "allergic" to them...you break out in hives and can't breathe because your throat swells up?), or do you just not like hot food?

Third: Are you referring to spices like cinnamon and cumin? Or are you referring to seasonings like chile pepper that burns?

Okay, that said, I can tell you that they eat a lot of meat in chile sauce. They eat a lot of dishes with corn. If you told me where you were going, it would help.

I see it is a cruise. That means all coastal towns. That means FISH, SHELLFISH, fresh fruits, rice, corn, ices and ice creams, and lots of fruit juices and "waters". Did I mention FISH? They put lime juice on just about everything there.

I think you will do okay. Usually the coastal stops for cruises offer american food. Believe it or not, not all mexicans eat spicy food.

If you go to veracruz, their food is pretty spicy. My husband is from Jalisco (near puerto vallarta), and their food is very bland....they eat hot peppers on the side only.

Answer 3

Mexican food is some of the best! My sister-in-law has a British mother & while growing up she said that her mother never used any spices at all in her cooking (how bland!) and so, now she cannot tolerate spicy, mexican food. How sad. Enchiladas & chimmichungas aren't too spicy-ask before you order!!

Answer 4

ok femme fatal...creamy mexican meals what the hell are you talkin about... and kat 46. chimichangas are not mexican food...its tex mex...
to answer ur question most mexican foods to have a lot of spices so ur prety much screwed..haha jk
youl be able to get food but ur choices are goin to be very limited. steak tacos, quesadillas, burritos without hot sauce, u know simple stuff just stay away from the menudo n pozole and birria thats like nothin but spices...

Answer 5

All foods in Mexico have spices, but their natural. Their very tasty, and great. You'll fall in love with the culture, music and food. Have fun and enjoy your trip.

Answer 6

Even though some dishes are heavily spiced, you can look forward to braised meats, fresh salads, grilled fish, rice and bean dishes. Every region had a unque cooking style but almost every restaurant is willing to make things to your liking.

Answer 7

wow you must have to eat some really bland food if you are allergic to spices! are you sure you're not allergic to spices but allergic to pepper? almost all foods contain a spice.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

Most likely that will be a big part of it spice, but they have alot of sauces lots of soft creamy meals,

Answer 10

You can tell them you are allergic to spice.

Answer 11

Not all mexican food is spicy
Chimichungas are yummy!