The Most Important Mexican Spices
Posted on November 4, 2009
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When people think of traditional Mexican food, they think of spice; hot peppers and cumin are usually the first flavors, which come to mind in connection with the cuisine of Mexico. Some of the spices which are now an important part of Mexican cooking are in fact relatively recent arrivals, having come to the new world with the Spanish conquistadores and other colonists. Others have been a part of Mexico’s culinary tradition for millennia, long before any Europeans set foot in the Americas.
Chilies are the Mexican spices with the longest history, having been used by the Aztecs for many centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Like tomatoes and potatoes, peppers are new world natives and remain one of the most important ingredients in Mexican recipes just as they always have been.
Jalapenos are the most familiar of these peppers to people in the US. They are commonly used in salsas and pickled for use as a condiment as well as diced for use fresh. The Serrano pepper, a smaller, slightly hotter pepper is also seen relatively often in the US. Many Mexican food recipe are nearly unthinkable without these fiery vegetables. Other peppers such as pasillas and anchos are commonly dried and then ground; others are smoked, such as chipotle peppers (which are actually smoked jalapenos).
Culantro, Mexican oregano and epazote are three common herbs used in Mexican cooking which are native to the Americas. Culantro is used widely in Central America and the Caribbean, but is largely unknown outside of the region. Like many other Mexican spices, it is easier to find in the US than it once was, but it has a flavor which is similar enough to cilantro that cilantro can safely be substituted if cilantro is unavailable.
Mexican oregano is another herb which is unrelated to its old world counterpart (it is actually related to lemon verbena, but has a flavor which is similar to oregano). Just as with culantro and cilantro, regular oregano may be substituted if Mexican oregano is unavailable.
Epazote, however, has no real substitute. It tastes a little like tarragon, but its flavor is uniquely its own. This herb is commonly used when cooking Mexican bean recipes, especially black beans. However, you can safely omit this herb in your Mexican recipes if it is not available. Look for epazote in the produce aisle of Mexican groceries; if you cannot find fresh epazote, you may be able to find it dried in the spice section.
Cumin is one of the spices, which we think of the most in connection to Mexican food. This spice is also a staple of Turkish and other Mediterranean cuisines; introduced to Mexico by the Spanish (who themselves were introduced to it by Arabs during the Moorish period in Spain), this ingredient was adopted by Mexican cooks with enthusiasm. This newcomer quickly became an important ingredient in a great many Mexican dishes.
Mexican food is really one of the first examples of successful fusion cuisine in the world. The culinary tradition of Mexico is a blend of flavors, ingredients, and cooking methods from the new and old worlds, with foods and spices native to both the Americas and Europe. It has been a very successful pairing and Mexican spices new and old have made this country’s cuisine a favorite all over the world.
Mexican food is flavorful, colorful and fresh. The rich heritage of the Mayan and Aztec cultures shines through as well as the Spanish influence. If you would like to make your own delicious Mexican recipes, you will find plenty of inspiration on MexicanFoodRecipes.org, as well as cooking tips and articles.
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