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. read more

This hearty stew gets its flavor from pork and a medley of vegetables. The best choice for the pork stew meat is shoulder. In Mexico, ask the butcher for espaldilla. Substitute güero chile for the xca... read more

This recipe, adapted from Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, contains the characteristically Mexican ingredients nopales, fresh green chiles and cilantro. Ingredients ½ cup brow... read more

When using lentils in a salad, it is important not to overcook them. The brown lentils typically available in Mexico retain their shape better than other varieties. Ingredients 1 cup lentils ... read more

This was the first lentil soup I tasted in Mexico many years ago, and it seems to be the most popular version in the central region, where chorizo is used in everything from eggs to tacos. The addition... read more

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. read more

The bottle gourd, cucurbita Ficifolia, a rather bland member of the squash family, is common in Oaxacan cuisine, either cooked in stews, used to make a dulce something like candied pumpkin, or in this ... read more

The potato tortitas, or "patties" sold inside some of Oaxaca's markets are superb — light on the inside, with a crunchy golden crust. This variation is typical of the region from Ocotlan south to the... read more

Called simply (and fondly) "amarillo," this Oaxacan mole dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys region of this southern Mexico state. Although usually made with chicken, it is one of the few mol... read more

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... read more

The complimentary flavors of pumpkin and allspice come together in this easy, satisfying dessert. It is important to use genuine vanilla extract and not the artificially flavored ones. Ingredients ... read more

This colorful alabrije rabbit by Jacobo Angeles races across the Mexican mountain meadows. © Alvin Starkman, 2008 I taught this in a cooking class I gave last summer in Cuetzalan, Puebla, where I ... read more

A specialty of the Puebla mountain town of Zacapoaxtla, this Mexican dish uses allspice leaves as well as berries in a savory chicken stew. If you can't get allspice leaves, fresh bay leaves work well.... read more

Present in the popular margarita, tequila can stand alone as a fine liquor. The popular traditional drink boasts an appellation or denomination of origin. Distilled from the nectar of the Weber blue agave the tequila dates from the 16th century. It may have originated in the Mexican town of Amatitan, Jalisco, where a pre-Hispanic distillery has been discovered in El Tecuane Canyon. MexConnect invites you to celebrate by getting to know this quintessentially Mexican drink — Mexico's gift to the world.

read more

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 ... read more

Pork and citrus are a good combination, and the miel de maguey adds a dimension of sweetness without overwhelming the bright flavor of the orange. Smoked pork chops are popular in Mexico, but unsmoked ... read more

These are sweet potato fries without the grease, with a taste reminiscent of Thanksgiving candied yams. In Mexico, sweet potatoes, or camotes, come in white, purple and orange. The orange-fleshed varie... read more

In Mexico, the cheesecake is more like pie, baked in a pie pan with a crust of crackers called galletas marías. In the U.S., the sweet tea crackers called Social Teas are a good substitute. Ingredien... read more

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. read more

Perhaps the classic Mexican dessert, flan is found all over the country, and in Mexican restaurants the world over. This variation, Mexican chocolate flan, is a festive change from the usual egg custar... read more

Mexican coffee flan comes from the Coatepec region of Veracruz. Instant espresso powder is a boon to the dessert maker, since it dissolves easily and has an intense flavor. Ingredients For the carame... read more

This is a quick, easy and delicious dessert. Like any flan, it needs to be prepared in advance and refrigerated. There are many instant flan mixes in Mexico that are now widely used by housewives-in-a-... read more

Considered one of the classic Mexican desserts, flan takes on a far more distinctive character when prepared using fragrant vanilla beans. Mexican vanilla flan should be made one day ahead of time and ... read more

Guavas, being so plentiful in Aguascalientes, are used in several desserts. A common combination in Mexico is ate, a paste made with guava, quince, pears or other fruit, and cream cheese, served toge... read more

This classic Mexican flan is adapted from Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy, who based it on a recipe by Josefina Velazquez de Leon, who collected recipes from all over Mexico and wrote sev... read more