墨西哥的饮食文化

墨西哥的饮食文化

墨西哥是中美洲的文明古国，除了古迹多多，其加勒比海的优美景色更令人向往，而饮食更是丰盛。因为曾被西班牙统治过，而受到古印第安文化的影响，菜式均以酸辣为主。而辣椒，成了墨西哥人不可缺少的食品。墨西哥本土出产的辣椒估计有过百款之多，颜色由火红到深褐色，各不相同；至于辛辣度方面，体形愈细，辣度愈高，选择时可以此为标准。

　　墨西哥的早餐可以用“醒神”来形容，各式食物都以辣为主，连松饼都是以辣椒来？h制，正
宗的墨西哥菜，材料多以辣椒和番茄主打，味道有甜、辣和酸等，而酱汁九成以上是辣椒和番茄调制而成。

　　墨西哥菜分前菜、汤类、主菜和甜品，其中以汤类较为清淡，用以突出主菜的酸辣特色；墨西哥菜不拘泥于餐桌礼仪，吃时可只用手，充分反映其民族爽朗豪气的特征。粟米是墨西哥人的主粮之一，也是墨西哥菜不可缺少的材料之一，而以粟米制成的副食品举不胜举，像Taco（粟米袋饼）、Nachos（粟米脆饼）等等。而一粟米为次，鲜鱼为主的菜式，沾上牛油制的酱汁的鱼柳香滑鲜美，大粒的粟米则爽甜过人。

　　墨式沙律奇特无比，其用料配备了与青瓜口感相近的仙人掌和杂菜等材料，在加橙香的酱汁，入口清爽，配以墨式鸡尾酒，更是爽在心头。

mexican cuisine is a style of food that originates in mexico. it is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration, and variety of spices and ingredients, many of which are native to the country. the cuisine of mexico has evolved through the centuries through a blending of indigenous and european elements since the 16th century. on november 2010 mexican cuisine was added by unesco to its lists of the world's "intangible cultural heritage".

elements

the staples of mexican cuisine are typically corn and beans. corn, traditionally mexico's staple grain, is eaten fresh, on the cob, and as a component of a number of dishes. most corn, however, is used to make masa, a dough for tamales, tortillas, gorditas, and many other corn-based foods. squash and peppers also play important roles in mexican cuisine.

the most important and frequently used spices in mexican cuisine are chile powder, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. chipotle, a smoke-dried jalapeño chili, is also common in mexican cuisine. many mexican dishes also contain garlic and onions.

next to corn, rice is the most common grain in mexican cuisine. according to food writer karen hursh graber, the initial introduction of rice to spain from north africa in the 4th century led to the spanish introduction of rice into mexico at the port of veracruz in the 1520s. this, graber says, created one of the earliest instances of the world's greatest fusion cuisines.

history:

when conquistadores arrived in the aztec capital tenochtitlan (now mexico city), they found that the people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chiles and herbs, usually complemented with beans and tomatoes or nopales.the diet of the indigenous peoples of pre-columbian mexico also included chocolate, vanilla, tomatillos, avocado, guava, papaya, sapote, mamey, pineapple, soursop, jicama, squash, sweet potato, peanuts, achiote, huitlacoche, turkey and fish. in the 1520s, while spanish conquistadors were invading mexico, they introduced a variety of animals, including cattle, chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs. rice, wheat, and barley were also introduced as were olive oil, wine, almonds, parsley, and many spices. the imported spanish cuisine was eventually incorporated into the indigenous cuisine.

chocolate played an important part in the history of mexican cuisine. the word "chocolate" originates in mexico's aztec cuisine, derived from the nahuatl word xocolatl. chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten. it was used as currency and for religious rituals. in the past, the maya civilization grew cacao trees and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink.the drink, called xocoatl, was often flavored with vanilla, chili pepper, and achiote (also known as annatto). chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-columbian mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency.for example, the aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one fresh avocado was worth three beans; and all of the areas that were conquered by the aztecs that grew cacao beans were ordered to pay them as a tax, or as the aztecs called it, a "tribute".today chocolate is used in a wide array of mexican foods, from savory dishes such as mole to traditional mexican style hot chocolate and champurrados, both of which are prepared with a molinillo.

regional cuisine:

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, goat and ostrich production and meat dishes, in particular the well-known arrachera cut.

the six regions of mexico differ greatly in their cuisines. in the yucatán, for instance, a unique, natural sweetness (instead of spiciness) exists in the widely used local produce along with an unusual love for achiote seasoning. in contrast, the oaxacan region is known for its savory tamales, celebratory moles, and simple tlayudas while the mountainous regions of the west (jalisco, etc.) are known for goat birria (goat in a spicy tomato-based sauce).

central mexico's cuisine is largely influenced by the rest of the country, but has unique dishes such as barbacoa, pozole, menudo and carnitas.

southeastern mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. the cuisine of southeastern mexico has a considerable caribbean influence due to its location. seafood is commonly prepared in states that border the pacific ocean or the gulf of mexico, the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes, à la veracruzana.

honey is an important ingredient in many mexican dishes, such as the rosca de miel, a bundt-like cake, and in beverages such as balché.

in pueblos or villages, there are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the aztec or mayan style (known as comida prehispánica) with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, chapulines, ant eggs, and other kinds of insects.

recently other cuisines of the world have acquired popularity in mexico, thus adopting a mexican fusion. for example, sushi in mexico is often made with a variety of sauces based on mango or tamarind, and very often served with serrano-chili-blended soy sauce, or complimented with habanero and chipotle peppers.