Ask any Mexican to name his or her favorite fruit, and chances are the answer will be el mango. From very early spring until late summer, mangos are everywhere: stacked into symmetrical montones ("mountains") in the markets, sold in the street on sticks, with the flesh cut to resemble flower petals, or in large glass jars in a spicy vinaigrette read more

Nestled along the southernmost coast of the Gulf of Mexico is the state of Tabasco, birthplace of the Olmecs, called the "mother culture of Mesoamerica", and the Chontal Maya, famous as seafaring trade... read more

If Michoacan is "the soul of Mexico," as it has often been called, then its food is Mexico's soul food, for few other places in the country can claim such a profound and long-lasting indigenous influence on their regional cuisine. This western state, part of the Bajio region located north and west of Mexico City, has retained its culinary roots for over a millennium.

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Since pre-Hispanic tmes, beans have been a staple in the Mexican kitchen. They appear in a world of traditional recipes, from frijoles refritos or refried beans to frijoles charros (cowbooy beans) and ... read more

Although the mention of Chiapas frequently brings to mind images of masked revolutionaries and steamy jungles, Mexico's southernmost state is a beautiful combination of mountains, plains and seacoast w... read more

Although many of the recipes I try come from friends, market salespeople, food stand cooks and restaurant chefs in many parts of Mexico, there is nothing like a good cookbook for inspiration, especiall... read more

Just as corn was called "the gift of the gods" in ancient Mesoamerica, the same phrase was used for rice in what is now Southeast Asia. In several Asian languages, the word for rice and food is the sam... read more

Picture a small tropical city nestled up against sparkling coastal waters, surrounded by fortress walls, complete with drawbridges and moats to keep out invading buccaneers. Where, in the twenty-first ... read more

Although Cinco de Mayo, the national May 5th holiday commemorating the 1862 Battle of Puebla, is celebrated with much more fervor by Mexicans living in the United States than in Mexico, one exce... read more

Perhaps the quintessential symbol of autumn, the pumpkin is a Mexican native and an ancient staple food. The oldest pumpkin seed found dates back as far as 7000 BC, according to archeologists excavatin... read more

Although the season for outdoor grilling has just begun north of the border, here in Mexico grilling is done nearly year-round. Whenever our family and next-door neighbors in Cholula had a Sunday free ... read more

Oliver Sacks is obviously too seasoned a traveller and too astute an observer to confine himself to ferns. One encounters a host of pleasures as he ruminates on a variety of topics. He muses about the New World's contributions to civilization -cocoa, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, gourds, pepper, maize, chewing gum, cochineal and exotic hallucinogens. In Monte Alban he considers the production of rubber which the Zapotec people used to make balls. read more

As Mother Nature assaults the Northern climates with chill winds, sleet and snow, northerners can take comfort from the fact that she has thoughtfully provided the season's bounty of citrus fruit from ... read more

The longer one lives and travels in Mexico, the more meaningless the term "Mexican food" seems to become, for the true cuisine of Mexico contains such distinct regional differences that some people cla... read more

We are traveling to Mazatlan for Christmas this year and would love to sample some good Mexican wines. Can anyone supply us with the names of some good reds and whites? read more

"Like Water for Chocolate" is a sort of combined novel and cookbook. Food plays a very prominent part in the narrative. The heroine, Tita, is a wonderful cook and we are even provided with her recipes along with the action. The story is set at the time of the Mexican Revolution - 1910-1920 - in Piedras Negras in Northern Mexico. And, like so many Mexican stories, it concerns a family. The story mainly concerns Tita, the youngest daughter, the remarkable cook and originator of all those recipes. read more

Last month's column (Part I) presented a guide to Mexico's many cheeses, along with suggestions for substitutions when certain cheeses are not available. However, with the enormous variety of internati... read more

Mexican markets, especially the open-air variety, still bear an uncanny resemblance to their pre-Hispanic predecessors. The colors and aromas of carefully arranged piles of fruit and vegetables, bundle... read more

What food was considered so important to the diet of Mexico's pre-Hispanic population that it was fashioned into images of the gods and eaten as communion? What food was outlawed during the conquest of... read more

Last month's column discussed buying and storing summer fruit, as well as the versatile fruit salsas which are perfect for outdoor dining. This month some ideas for using fruit as part of the main cour... read more

Enticing colors, graceful shapes and heady fragrances are all part of the appeal of summer fruit. Fruit salsas, which combine Mexican flavors and techniques with a Southwest influence, are perfect for the warm weather which finds many readers gearing up for grilling, chip-and-dipping, and outdoor entertaining.

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Mention vanilla, and people are apt to think of the ice-cream flavor they select when confronted with a mind-boggling choice involving everything from chirimoya to cheesecake: "just plain vanilla." Wha... read more

Last month the history, distillation process, and some culinary uses of tequila were discussed in this column. A trip to the Mexican town of Tequila inspired further investigation of the beverage's rol... read more

Mexico's Sea of Cortez, also known by the less lyrical name Gulf of California, supports more marine life than any other body of water on earth. It is no surprise, therefore, that divers, fishermen, an... read more

Translations and conversions of weights, measurements and ingredients for the kitchen. read more