In the many lists of the best street foods that you will find online, you will see that the one that often appears on those lists is Mexican street food. The popularity of Mexican street food isn’t really created by accident, as the different kinds of dishes and snacks that this street in Mexico has is truly delicious and actually look quite amazing compared to other types of street food.
However, despite the popularity of street food in Mexico City and other parts of Mexico, there are actually a lot of people that don’t know much about them except the dishes’ flavor. So, what is Mexican street food? And what are the dishes and delicacies that belong to it?
What is Mexican Street Food?
Mexican street food is a traditional type of street food that is often prepared or cooked by street vendors in Mexican markets. The street vendors would sell and prepare the dishes in market stalls that are called “antojitos,” which means “little cravings.” In addition to markets, Mexican street food stalls are also found at transportation stops like bus stops and train stations.
The stalls that serve Mexican street food are usually active during the mornings and evenings, and they are commonly closed during the afternoons. Most of the street foods in Mexico are primarily based on corn, which is one of the top producers in the country. The corn-based products are evident in the tortillas and the elotes (Mexican street corn).
This type of street food is considered to be one of the most extensive food cultures not only in countries of Latin America but in the entire world, mainly because it has a vast number of dishes, snacks, and delicacies. Furthermore, Mexican food was also named an intangible cultural heritage of mankind by UNESCO because of its importance in the history and culture of Mexico, as well as the impact that it brought on the international cuisine.
Because of the amazing flavor of Mexican street food, it became widely popular in many countries around the world, including the United States. In fact, there is even a cuisine called “Tex-Mex” that mixes the cooking styles of Mexico and the US state of Texas. While Mexican street food is traditionally inexpensive, there have been numerous chefs and restaurants that have tried to make gourmet Mexican food, although many people would say that the cheaper Mexican street foods are still better since they are prepared in the traditional way.
What are the Most Popular Mexican Street Foods?
As mentioned earlier, Mexican street food is one of the most extensive street foods in the world, so you will probably find dozens of different street foods and their variants in Mexico. However, there are some Mexican street foods that are more popular than the others, and here are a few of them.
Taco
The most popular Mexican street food is arguably the taco, which is prepared by having a circular corn tortilla and topping it with chicken, pork, or beef, and then adding cheese, beans, and rice before folding the tortilla at the center to form a sandwich-like snack. In addition to those ingredients, the taco may also have salsa, which is made using tomatoes and chili peppers as the primary ingredients. In Mexico, you will usually find red and green salsa, although there are some that sell avocado-based salsa that has a different flavor profile.
Because of how popular tacos are, you will probably find more taco stalls in Mexico compared to other street foods. In addition, you may also find many taco shops and stalls in the United States. According to historians, the name taco is derived from the words or phrases used by the silver miners in the 18th century, and these miners would call the paper-wrapped gunpowder they used to excavate ores “taco.” These gunpowder tacos are similar in appearance to the edible tacos we know today. Interestingly, the first recorded mention of the edible taco comes from a document that calls the food “tacos de minero,” which means “miner’s taco.” So, it is also possible that the miners have also invented the edible taco.
Elote
The elote is a Mexican street food that is basically corn on the cob that is smeared with butter and mayonnaise and then sprinkled with cheese, chili powder, salt, and lemon juice. However, there are also variants of the elote that can be found in different countries in Central America and South America. In Mexico, there is a variant of the elote called “elotes locos” or “crazy corn” that gas mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and a sweet and sour sauce. Much like most Mexican street foods, the elotes are often sold in stalls and food carts.
Tamale
The tamale is arguably the most popular breakfast street food in Mexico, and one of the reasons why it is incredibly popular is because of its unique flavor and texture compared to other Mexican street foods, and you also get them piping hot, which is great if you really want to stay awake in the morning and shake off the coldness of your body from sleeping. The outer layer of the tamale is called tamal, which is primarily made from corn masa that is also utilized to make tortillas. Then, a sweet or savory filling would then be filled or placed inside the tamal, and the tamal would be wrapped inside a corn husk and steamed.
It is unclear when and where the tamale was invented, but historians have found ancient artworks of the Toltecs and the Olmecs that show people making tamales. Because of how portable the tamale was, it is believed that soldiers or warriors of those civilizations would carry tamales with them and eat those before going to battle or after they went hunting.
Those are just a few things that you need to know about Mexican street food. Of course, you can easily cook various Mexican street foods yourself while at home, but for the authentic experience, we highly recommend that you visit Mexico and try some of the delicacies sold at food stalls or carts.
