Editing Mexican cuisine (section)

==Basic elements==
[[File:Hermenegildo Bustos - Still life with fruit (with scorpion and frog) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''Still-life with Fruit, Scorpion and Frog'' (1874) by [[Hermenegildo Bustos]]]]
[[File:Still-life_by_José_Agustín_Arrieta,_San_Diego_Museum_of_Art.JPG|thumb|right|[[Still-life]], oil on canvas painting by [[Agustín Arrieta|José Agustín Arrieta]] (Mexican), c. 1870, San Diego Museum of Art]]

Mexican cuisine<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bestrecipeslist.com/best-mexican-recipes/|title=Mexican Recipes|date=11 June 2023}}</ref> is a complex and ancient cuisine, with techniques and skills developed over thousands of years of history.<ref name="fife">{{cite journal |last=MacNeil-Fife |first=Karen |date=September 2000 |title=Beyond beer: Wine with Mexican food |journal=Sunset |volume=205 |issue=3 |page=194}}</ref> It is created mostly with ingredients native to Mexico, as well as those [[Columbian Exchange|brought over]] by the [[Spanish cuisine|Spanish]] [[conquistador]]s, with some new influences since then.<ref name="malat88">Malat, p. 88.</ref>

In addition to staples such as corn and chili peppers, native ingredients include [[Squash (plant)|squashes]], [[avocado]]s, [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]] and vanilla,<ref name="UNESCO" /> as well as ingredients not generally used in other cuisines, such as [[edible flowers]], vegetables like [[huauzontle]] and [[Porophyllum ruderale|papaloquelite]], or small [[avocado#history|criollo]] avocados, whose skin is edible.<ref name="adapon11">Adapon, p. 11.</ref> Chocolate originated in Mexico and was prized by the Aztecs. It remains an important ingredient in Mexican cookery.

Vegetables play an important role in Mexican cuisine. Common vegetables include [[zucchini]], [[cauliflower]], corn, potatoes, [[spinach]], [[Swiss chard]], mushrooms, jitomate (red tomato), and green tomato. Other traditional vegetable ingredients include [[chili pepper]], huitlacoche (corn fungus), huauzontle, and [[nopal]] (cactus pads).

European contributions include pork, chicken, beef, cheese, herbs and spices, as well as some fruits.

Tropical fruits, many of which are indigenous to the Americas, such as [[guava]], [[Opuntia|prickly pear]], [[sapote]], [[mango]]es, bananas, pineapple and [[cherimoya]] (custard apple) are popular, especially in the center and south of the country.<ref name="malat89">Malat, p. 89.</ref>

Edible insects have been enjoyed in Mexico for millennia. [[Entomophagy|Entemophagy]] or insect-eating is becoming increasingly popular outside of poor and rural areas for its unique flavors, sustainability, and connection to pre-Hispanic heritage. Popular species include [[chapulines]] (grasshoppers or crickets), [[escamol]]es (ant larvae), cumiles ([[Brown marmorated stink bug|stink bugs]]) and {{Transliteration|nah|italic=no|ahuatle}} (water bug eggs).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/23/mexico-insect-cuisine-sustainable-food |title=Mexico gets a taste for eating insects as chefs put bugs back on the menu |first=Nick |last=Miroff |newspaper=The Guardian |date=23 July 2013 |via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

===Maize===
[[File:Museo_Nacional_de_Antropología_-_MAÍZ.jpg|thumb|right|Ancient [[Mesoamerican]] [[engraving]] of [[maize]], [[National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico)|National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico]]]]

Despite the introduction of wheat and rice to Mexico, [[maize]] is the most commonly consumed grain in almost all areas of the country and serves as the [[Staple food|main ingredient]] in many local recipes (such as maize [[tortilla]]s, [[atole]], [[pozole]], [[Menudo (soup)|menudo]], and [[tamal]]). While also eaten fresh, most maize is dried, [[Nixtamalization|nixtamalized]] and ground into a dough called ''[[masa]]''.<ref name="iturr43">Iturriaga, p. 43.</ref><ref name="othergods">{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2093-rice-the-gift-of-the-other-gods |title=Rice: The Gift Of The Other Gods |first=Karen Hursh |last=Graber |date=1 January 2003 |publisher=Mexconnect newsletter |issn=1028-9089 |access-date=24 October 2012}}</ref> This dough is used both fresh and fermented to make a wide variety of dishes, from drinks (such as atole and pozole) to tamales, [[Sope (food)|sope]]s, and many other foods. However, the most common way to eat maize in Mexico is in the form of tortillas, which accompany almost every dish. Tortillas are made of maize in most of the country, but other regional versions exist, such as wheat in the north or [[Cooking banana|plantain]], [[yuca]] and wild greens in [[Oaxaca]].<ref name="UNESCO"/><ref name="iturr43"/>

===Chile peppers===
[[File:Chile Rellenos.jpg|thumb|left|[[Chile relleno|Chiles rellenos]], stuffed chile peppers]]

The other basic ingredient in all parts of Mexico is the [[Chili pepper|chile pepper]].<ref name="adapon7">Adapon, p. 7.</ref> Mexican food has a reputation for being very spicy, but it has a wide range of flavors and while many spices are used for cooking, not all are spicy. Many dishes also have subtle flavors.<ref name="fife"/><ref name="adapon11"/> Chiles are indigenous to Mexico and their use dates back thousands of years. They are used for their flavors and not just their heat, with Mexico using the widest variety. If a savory dish or snack does not contain chile pepper, hot sauce is usually added, and chile pepper is often added to fresh fruit and sweets.<ref name="adapon7"/>

[[File:Molcajete y tejolote.jpg|thumb|A [[molcajete]] and tejolote, the traditional [[mortar and pestle]] of Mexico]]

The importance of the chile goes back to the [[Mesoamerican]] period, where it was considered to be as much of a staple as corn and beans. In the 16th century, [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] wrote that, without chiles, the [[indigenous people]] did not think they were eating. Even today, most [[Mexicans]] believe that their national identity would be at a loss without chiles and the many varieties of sauces and salsas created using chiles as their base.<ref name="adapon8">Adapon, p. 8.</ref>

Many dishes in Mexico are defined by their sauces and the chiles those sauces contain (which are usually very spicy), rather than the meat or vegetable that the sauce covers. These dishes include [[entomatada]] (in tomato sauce), [[adobo]] or adobados, pipians and [[Mole sauce|moles]]. A hominy soup called [[pozole]] is defined as white, green or red depending on the chile sauce used or omitted. Tamales are differentiated by the filling which is again defined by the sauce (red or green chile pepper or mole). Dishes without a sauce are rarely eaten without salsa or without fresh or pickled chiles. This includes street foods, such as [[taco]]s, [[torta]]s, [[Chicken soup#Mexico|soup]], [[Sope (food)|sope]]s, [[tlacoyo]]s, [[tlayuda]]s, [[gordita]]s and [[sincronizada]]s.<ref name="adapon114">Adapon, p. 114.</ref> For most dishes, it is the type of chile used that gives it its main flavor.<ref name="adapon8"/> [[Chipotle]],  smoked-dried jalapeño pepper, is very common in Mexican cuisine.

=== Beans ===
In addition to corn, common beans (''[[Phaseolus vulgaris]]'') are a historical component of the Mexican diet. Genetic evidence indicates domestication occurred in Mesoamerica as well as South America <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bitocchi |first1=Elena |last2=Nanni |first2=Laura |last3=Bellucci |first3=Elisa |last4=Rossi |first4=Monica |last5=Giardini |first5=Alessandro |last6=Zeuli |first6=Pierluigi Spagnoletti |last7=Logozzo |first7=Giuseppina |last8=Stougaard |first8=Jens |last9=McClean |first9=Phillip |last10=Attene |first10=Giovanna |last11=Papa |first11=Roberto |date=3 April 2012 |title=Mesoamerican origin of the common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is revealed by sequence data |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=109 |issue=14 |pages=E788-96 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1108973109 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=3325731 |pmid=22393017|doi-access=free }}</ref> Common bean varieties and cultivars used in Mexican cuisine include the [[pinto bean]] and the [[black turtle bean]]. Beans and corn are deficient in different essential amino acids but complement each other. When eaten in combination, they provide a complete protein source.

===Spanish contributions===
{{See also|Spanish cuisine}}
[[File:Pechuga Adobada.jpg|thumb|''Pechuga [[adobada]]'', chicken breast in [[adobo]] with a side of [[chayote]], mushrooms, corn and [[Poblano|poblano rajas]]. Adobo, including a key item, vinegar, arrived with the Spanish. A common characteristic of Mexican adobo is its incorporation of [[chile ancho]].]]

Together with Mesoamerica, Spain is the second basis of Mexican cuisine, contributing in two fundamental ways: Firstly, they brought with them old world staples and ingredients which did not exist in the Americas such as sugar, wheat, rice, onions, garlic, limes, cooking oil, dairy products, pork, beef and many others. Secondly, they brought various culinary traditions from the Iberian peninsula which have become prevalent in Mexico. Equally, the discovery of the incorporation of New World ingredients to Spanish cuisine has led to the shared naming of foods such as chorizo, which uses paprika.

Spanish cuisine was in turn heavily influenced by its Moorish heritage and this created one of the earliest instances of [[fusion cuisine]]. The Spanish also introduced the technique of frying in [[Lard|pork fat]]. Today, the main meats found in Mexico are pork, chicken, beef, goat, and sheep. [[Fish as food|Fish]] and other seafood are also popular, especially along the coasts, and the cooking method commonly has a Spanish origin such as with Huachinango a la vizcaina.<ref name="malat8889">Malat, pp. 88-89.</ref>

[[Cheeses of Mexico|Cheesemaking in Mexico]] has evolved its specialties, although Spanish-style cheese such as Manchego is also produced in Mexico. It is an important economic activity, especially in the north, and is frequently done at home. The main cheese-making areas are [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Oaxaca]], [[Querétaro]], and [[Chiapas]]. Goat cheese is still made, but it is not as popular and is harder to find in stores.<ref name="losquesos">{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2155-a-guide-to-mexican-cheese-queso-mexicano |title=A guide to Mexican cheese: Los quesos mexicanos |first=Karen Hursh |last=Graber |date=1 October 2000 |publisher=Mexconnect newsletter |issn=1028-9089 |access-date=24 October 2012}}</ref>

[[Churro]]s are a common snack originating in Spain and because [[Sugarcane|sugar cane]] was brought to the Americas through [[Spanish Empire|Spanish colonization]], all of Mexico's sweets have a Hispanic origin, often with a Muslim heritage such as [[Alfeñique]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/18/churros-the-hidden-history_n_930791.html |title=Churros: The Hidden History |date= 2011-08-18 |access-date=2011-10-16 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>