The basic, traditional Mexican diet is essentially gluten free. Gluten is a type of protein commonly found in wheat, rye and barley, all of them introduced by Europeans and not included in the diet of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. Corn, the subsistence carbohydrate of Mexico, is gluten free, and so are beans, sources of protein when consumed with corn, and amaranth, an important ritual food in ancient Mexico. Of the grains cultivated here after the conquest, rice stands out as being a gluten free Mexican staple food.
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The usually bustling Mexican markets become even more so in December, when the mountains of fruit for ponche navideño (Christmas punch) compete with a wild array of tinsel-y decorations for shoppers' attention, and the excitement leading to the posadas and pastorelas builds up. The culmination of all this preparation is, of course, Noche Buena — Christmas Eve — when one of the most festive dinners of the year is served. A Mexican Christmas dinner is abundant and varied, with foods that range from tamales to turkey and tejocote.
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Many of Mexico's holiday dishes are inspired combinations of seasonally available ingredients. Just as the chiles en nogada prepared for Independence Day celebrations combine the best of the late summer harvest, ponche navideño, the traditional Christmas punch, uses the fruit of late fall. Various combinations of apples, pears, tamarind, and tejocote (hawthorne fruit) come together in a drink flavored with sugar cane and cinnamon, and made irresistibly fragrant by the presence of guavas.
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Like so many other ingredients common in Mexican cooking, lentils came to the New World with the Spaniards, and became a staple in the culinary repertoire. They are found in bulk in the mercados at the same stands that sell rice, chiles, spices and beans, and in one pound bags in the supermarkets. The most common types in Mexico are Spanish brown (pardina) lentils and large yellow ones called macachiados.
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Bricks of rich Mexican chocolate are flavored with coconut from Pacific shores. Aromatic herbs are displayed in beautifully arranged baskets, their scent alone whetting the appetite. Sweet local honey is offered for tasting on slices of waxy, pale yellow yams. No, this is not a high-end gourmet emporium or a trendy organic supermarket. This is Ocotlán, a Oaxaca town where the ingredients sold on market day present a dazzling array of color, flavor, aroma and texture.
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Recently, when a friend here in Cholula went up to Cuetzalan, in the Sierra of Puebla, I asked him to bring back some allspice, which proliferates there on evergreen trees that produce fat, fragrant berries. An indispensable ingredient in several adobos (the seasoning pastes used on meat, fish and fowl) and on many regional pipians (the seed-based sauces of Central and Southern Mexico) allspice is also a requisite ingredient in the cuisine of the Yucatan. Along with cumin and cinnamon, allspice...
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Reading the recent Mexconnect article Tears of the maguey: Is pulque really a dying tradition? brought me to the realization that here in Cholula, many of the pulquerías (pulque bars) have slowly and ...
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Whether in the oven or on the stovetop, the basic components of flan making are the same — a custard made with eggs and milk or cream is poured into a mold that has been coated with caramelized sugar. Texture can vary almost as much as flavor, and some people prefer a very smooth texture while others favor a more cheesecake-like consistency.
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One of young Mexico's favorite drinks, the michelada makes sense in all ways. Let's face it — you think of the ingredients and you know Mexico's got it right. A fresh and clear Mexican lager is always a must in this classic beverage. Mix it up with some lime juice and rough sea salt and you've got a winner.
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If pulque can create such positive results in all of our daily lives, why is it in danger of extinction? What happened to pulque? It appears to be the victim...
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