Made up of a few common ingredients, traditional Mexican cuisine has a distinct taste. Due to flavors like Chili powders, onions, garlic, herbs, spices, and a few other ingredients that are specific to this style of food, a delicious spicy flavor is born. Today, we at Eddie’s Mexican Restaurant would like to share a few of the more common ingredients found in Mexican dishes.
Onion & Garlic in Mexican Food
In Mexican food, garlic is among the most common flavors you will find. Garlic comes in many forms, from fresh, in a jar, or powdered. Garlic is fund in many recipes to create Mexican cuisine such as salsa, taco seasoning, Spanish rice, and other dishes and sides that rely heavily on garlic. Commonly in tandem with garlic, onions are found in many Mexican recipes. Though you’ll find that onion powder has its place, it is typically used fresh.
Oregano & Cumin Spices in Mexican Dishes
Signature Mexican flavor can stem from oregano and cumin, and these two spices are the main herbs used to spice up dishes. A rich, earthy flavor in dishes is a result of Mexican oregano. Mediterranean varieties that are popular in Italian cuisine among other types of oregano differ from Mexican oregano. Mexican oregano has a more delicate flavor than the oregano you may be used to, though it is not a true oregano as it grows as a shrub. Lending an interesting flavor to other recipes, it pairs well with tomato-based dishes. Since the beginning of history, cumin has been around. Though it has expanded in popularity because it is grown easily all over the world, its origin lies somewhere in the Mediterranean. Cumin gives Mexican dishes a certain flavor that cannot be replaced with its toasty yet somewhat bitter taste.
Mexican Chile Powder
A blend of dried, powdered chilies, cumin, and oregano is a standard Chile powder. These are the prime ingredients although other spices are sometimes included in the blend. It is primarily used to season meats and vegetables for Mexican dishes but has other uses as well. Another wonderful Mexican flavor is Ancho Chile powder. This Chili is almost sweet and has rich dried fruit flavors. This ingredient is commonly found in Mexican hot chocolate, in which it adds a unique spice to the rich, sweet drink. Chipotle is another Chile powder commonly used and gaining popularity outside of Mexico. A jalapeño that has been dried and smoked is what chipotle is ultimately. Going well in many sauces and salsas, chipotle has a distinctive flavor. Used as both a rub and a marinade, it is the primary flavor in adobo.
Unusual Flavors in Mexican Food
One of the lesser-known spices is Epazote. To calm any intestinal discomfort beans may cause, this is used to flavor beans. Epazote is also known as “Mexican tea.” Though poisonous in large quantities, too much is also very pungent. To add a very rich, warm flavor, cocoa is used in several dishes. To make mole, spices combined with small amounts of cocoa and peanut butter are used, which is a thick sauce that is often served over chicken. To add unique dimensions of flavor to Mexican dishes, cinnamon, cloves, and anise are also used.
Traditional Mexican Cuisine in Las Vegas, Nevada (Just Minutes from Summerlin, North LV & Henderson, NV
Eddie’s Mexican Restaurant looks forward to serving these delicious spices and flavors in our authentic Mexican dishes!