Editing Mexican cuisine (section)

==Food and society==
{{See also|Abuelita|Ibarra (chocolate)}}

===Home cooking===
[[File:Ela_huevos_rancheros.jpg|thumb|right|[[Huevos rancheros]]]]

In most of Mexico, especially in rural areas, much of the food is consumed in the home.<ref name="adapon3">Adapon, p. 3.</ref> Cooking for the family is usually considered to be [[women's work]], and this includes cooking for [[party|celebrations]] as well.<ref name="adapon71">Adapon, p. 71.</ref> Traditionally girls have been considered ready to [[marry]] when they can cook, and [[cooking]] is considered a main talent for [[Housewife|housewives]].<ref name="adapon75">Adapon, p. 75.</ref>

The main meal of the day in Mexico is the "comida", meaning 'meal' in Spanish. Meals eaten are as follows: the early morning meal, or breakfast, is called "desayuno", which entails coffee/atole (maize drink) and a light meal, in some areas; the "almuerzo", around 11 a.m., which includes a snack and drink;  followed by "comida", or lunch, taken between noon and 2 p.m., usually the heaviest meal of the day. It sometimes begins with [[soup]], often [[chicken broth]] with [[pasta]] or a "dry soup", which is pasta or rice flavored with [[onions]], [[garlic]] or vegetables. The main course is [[meat]] served in a cooked [[sauce]] with [[Salsa (sauce)|salsa]] on the side, accompanied with beans and tortillas and often with a fruit drink in some areas. The last meal of the day is ''cena'', or supper, which varies greatly by region, and is usually eaten between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.<ref name="adapon93">Adapon, p. 93.</ref>

In the evening, it is common to eat leftovers from the comida or sweet [[Mexican breads|bread]] accompanied by coffee or chocolate. Breakfast can consist of meat in broth (such as [[pancita]]), [[taco]]s, [[enchilada]]s or meat with eggs. This is usually served with beans, tortillas, and coffee or juice.<ref name="adapon93"/>

===Food and festivals===
[[File:Miquiztlaxcalli.JPG|thumb|right|[[Pan de muerto]] is traditionally baked in Mexico during the weeks leading up to the [[Day of the Dead]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Castella |first1=Krystina |title=Pan de Muerto Recipe |url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pan-de-muerto-361449 |access-date=7 July 2015 |publisher=[[Epicurious]] |date=October 2010}}</ref>]]
[[Image:Chile en nogada.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Chiles en nogada]]'', due to the dish's incorporation of red, white and green, is popularly consumed during the celebrations of the ''[[Grito de Dolores]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Los chiles en nogada en la cena del 15 de septiembre |url=https://www.gob.mx/profeco/articulos/los-chiles-en-nogada-en-la-cena-del-15-de-septiembre |publisher=Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Tied to the independence of the country since it is said they were prepared for the first time to entertain the future emperor [[Agustín de Iturbide]] when he came to signing of the [[Treaty of Córdoba]].<ref name=Moon>{{cite web |last=Moon |first=Freda |title=Delicious patriotism |url=http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/09/17/091711-arts-food-chiles-en-nogada-1-6/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205191247/http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/09/17/091711-arts-food-chiles-en-nogada-1-6/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2013 |publisher=The Daily Holdings, Inc. |access-date=18 September 2011 |date=17 September 2011}}</ref>]]

Mexican cuisine is elaborate and often tied to symbolism and festivals, which is one reason it was named as an example of the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO]].<ref name="UNESCO"/> Many of the foods of Mexico are complicated because of their relation to the social structure of the country. Food preparation, especially for family and social events, is considered to be an investment in order to maintain social relationships.<ref name="adapon20">Adapon, p. 20.</ref> Even the idea of flavor is considered to be social, with meals prepared for certain dinners and certain occasions when they are considered the most tasty.<ref name="adapon117">Adapon, p. 117.</ref>

The ability to cook well, called "sazón" (lit. seasoning) is considered to be a gift generally gained from experience and a sense of commitment to the diners.<ref name="abarca62">Abarca, p. 62.</ref>  For the [[Day of the Dead]] festival, foods such as tamales and mole are set out on altars and it is believed that the visiting dead relatives eat the essence of the food. If eaten afterwards by the living it is considered to be tasteless.<ref name="adapon117"/> In central Mexico, the main festival foods are mole, [[barbacoa]], [[carnitas]] and [[mixiote]]s. They are often prepared to feed hundreds of guests, requiring groups of cooks. The cooking is part of the social custom meant to bind families and communities.<ref name="adapon89">Adapon, p. 89.</ref>

[[File:Barbacoa (en Hidalgo).JPG|thumb|left|Barbacoa in [[Actopan (Hidalgo)|Actopan]], [[Estado de Hidalgo|Hidalgo]]. The barbecue in a ground oven is a typical dish from the Mezquital Valley.]]
[[File:Café_de_olla_.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fruit punch]] is popular around Christmas time during [[Las Posadas]].]]

Mexican regional home cooking is completely different from the food served in most Mexican restaurants outside Mexico, which is usually some variety of [[Tex-Mex]].<ref name="adapon11"/> The original versions of Mexican dishes are vastly different from their Tex-Mex variation.

Some of Mexico's traditional foods involved complex or long cooking processes, including cooking underground (such as [[cochinita pibil]]). Before industrialization, traditional women spent several hours a day boiling dried corn then grinding it on a [[metate]] to make the dough for tortillas, cooking them one-by-one on a [[Comal (cookware)|comal]] griddle. In some areas, tortillas are still made this way. Sauces and salsas were also ground in a mortar called a [[molcajete]]. Today, blenders are more often used, though the texture is a bit different. Most people in Mexico would say that those made with a molcajete taste better, but few do this now.<ref name="adapon15">Adapon, p. 15.</ref>

The most important food for festivals and other special occasions is [[Mole sauce|mole]], especially mole poblano in the center of the country.<ref name="adapon89" /><ref name="adapon97">Adapon, p. 97.</ref> Mole is served at Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead and at birthdays, baptisms, weddings and funerals, and tends to be eaten only for special occasions because it is such a complex and time-consuming dish.<ref name="adapon89" /><ref name="adapon99">Adapon, p. 99.</ref> While still dominant in this way, other foods have become acceptable for these occasions, such as barbacoa, carnitas and mixiotes, especially since the 1980s. This may have been because of economic crises at that time, allowing for the substitution of these cheaper foods, or the fact that they can be bought ready-made or may already be made as part of the family business.<ref name="adapon101" /><ref name="adapon107">Adapon, p. 107.</ref>

Another important festive food is the [[tamale]], also known as ''tamal'' in Spanish. This is a filled cornmeal dumpling, steamed in a wrapping (usually a corn [[husk]] or banana leaf) and one of the basic staples in most regions of Mexico. It has its origins in the [[Pre-Columbian era|pre-Hispanic era]] and today is found in many varieties in all of Mexico. Like a mole, it is complicated to prepare and best done in large amounts.<ref name="knepp">{{Cite thesis |type=PhD |title=Tamaladas and the role of food in Mexican-immigrant and Mexican-American cultures in Texas |last=Knepp |first=Mark Dustin |year=2010 |publisher=State University of New York at Albany |docket=3412031}}</ref> Tamales are associated with certain celebrations such as [[Candlemas]].<ref name="adapon101">Adapon, p. 101.</ref> They are wrapped in corn husks in the highlands and desert areas of Mexico and in banana leaves in the tropics.<ref name="iturr8489">Iturriaga, p. 84-89.</ref>

===Street food===
{{Main|Mexican street food}}
[[File:Puesto_de_Dulces_mexicanos_-_panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|Mexican [[candy]] stand]]
Mexican street food can include tacos, [[quesadilla]]s, [[pambazo]]s, tamales, [[Huarache (food)|huaraches]], [[alambre]]s, [[al pastor]], and food not suitable to cook at home, including barbacoa, carnitas, and since many homes in Mexico do not make use of ovens, [[Roast chicken|roasted chicken]].<ref name="adapon123">Adapon, p. 123.</ref> One attraction of street food in Mexico is the satisfaction of hunger or craving without all the social and emotional connotation of eating at home, although longtime customers can have something of a friendship/familial relationship with a chosen vendor.<ref name="adapon126">Adapon, p. 126.</ref>

Tacos are the top-rated and most well-known street Mexican food. It is made up of meat or other fillings wrapped in a tortilla often served with cheese added. Vegetarian fillings include mushrooms, potatoes, rice, or beans.<ref name="Barbezat">{{cite web |last1=Barbezat |first1=Suzanne |title=The Top 8 Mexican Street Foods You Need to Try |url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-best-street-food-to-try-in-mexico-4158324 |website=TripSavvy |access-date=27 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Popcorn_(pipoca).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Remnants of [[popcorn]] have been found in Mexico that date to circa 3600 BC.]]
The origin of tacos is based on the pre-Hispanic custom of picking up other foods with tortillas as utensils were not used.<ref name="iturr43"/> The origin of the word is in dispute, with some saying it is derived from [[Nahuatl]] and others from various Spanish phrases.<ref name="iturr4344">Iturriaga, p. 43-44.</ref> It possible that the term taco comes from the term tlaco or tlacatl, which means middle or half in nahuatl. Tacos are not eaten as the main meal; they are generally eaten before midday or late in the evening. Just about any other foodstuff can be wrapped in a tortilla, and, in Mexico, it varies from rice, to meat (plain or in sauce), to cream, to vegetables, to cheese, or simply to plain chile peppers or fresh salsa. Preferred fillings vary from region to region with pork generally found more often in the center and south, beef in the north, seafood along the coasts, and chicken and [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] in most of the country.<ref name="iturr44">Iturriaga, p. 44.</ref>

Another popular street food, especially in [[Mexico City]] and the surrounding area is the [[Torta#Mexico|torta]]. It consists of a roll of some type, stuffed with several ingredients. This has its origins in the 19th century, when the French introduced a number of new kinds of bread. The torta began by splitting the roll and adding beans. Today, [[refried beans]] can still be found on many kinds of tortas. In Mexico City, the most common roll used for tortas is called ''[[Telera (Mexican bread)|telera]]'', a relatively flat roll with two splits on the upper surface. In Puebla, the preferred bread is called a [[cemita]], as is the sandwich. In both areas, the bread is stuffed with various fillings, especially if it is a hot sandwich, with beans, cream (mayonnaise is rare), and some kind of hot chile pepper.<ref name="iturr130133">Iturriaga, p. 130-133.</ref>

The influence of American fast food on Mexican street food grew during the late 20th century. One example of this is the invention of the [[Sonoran hot dog]] in the late 1980s. The [[Hot dog|frankfurters]] are usually boiled then wrapped in bacon and fried. They are served in a [[bolillo]]-style bun, typically topped by a combination of [[pinto bean]]s, diced tomatoes, onions and [[jalapeño]] peppers, and other condiments.<ref name="iturr130133"/>

Along the US-Mexican border, specifically dense areas like Tijuana, Mexican vendors sell food such as [[Fruit salad|fruit melanged]] with [[Tajín (seasoning)|Tajin]] spice to people crossing the border via carts. In recent years, these [[food carts]] have been threatened by tightened border security at the port of entry. Both the US and the Mexican governments have proposed a project that would widen the streets at the border, allowing for more people to pass through the border, although widening them would decimate neighboring [[Marketplace|mercados]] that rely on the business of travelers.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/10/20/498285701/food-merchants-at-tijuana-border-fight-for-their-right-to-feed |title=Tijuana Border Plan Could Oust A Rich Food Culture And Its Cooks |website=NPR.org |date=20 October 2016 |language=en |access-date=3 May 2019 |last1=Zaragoza |first1=Alex}}</ref>

Besides food, street vendors also sell various kinds of drinks (including {{lang|es|italic=no|[[aguas frescas]]}}, {{lang|es|italic=no|[[tejuino]]}}, and {{lang|es|italic=no|[[tepache]]}}) and treats (such as {{lang|es|italic=no|[[bionico]]s}}, {{lang|es|italic=no|[[tostilocos]]}}, and {{lang|es|italic=no|[[raspados]]}}). Most tamale stands sell {{lang|es|italic=no|[[atole]]}} as a standard accompaniment.

<gallery class="center">
File:001_Tacos_de_carnitas,_carne_asada_y_al_pastor.jpg|[[Tacos]] of [[carnitas]], [[carne asada]] and [[al pastor]]
File:Tostadas_shrimp_cooking_food_dinner_salsa.jpg|[[Tostada (tortilla)|Tostada]]
File:tortamex.jpg|alt=Typical Mexican Torta|Mexican-style torta with typical accompaniments
File:ElBajio02.JPG|Bean mini-[[gordita]] flavored with avocado leaf Veracruz-style
File:Elote_recipe.jpg|[[Corn]]
</gallery>