What are typical Mexican habits, food customs, recipes and philosophies in Mexico?

What are the customs in Mexico regarding food?

  • Mexican cuisine is very diverse. Originally a combination of Indian and Spanish traditions. Supplemented in the last century by Asian dishes and American fast food. Traditional Mexican food includes: tortillas, tacos, chili peppers, fresh fruit (mango, banana, pineapple, guava and papaya), chocolate, jumiles (beetles) and chapulines (grasshoppers).
  • Characteristic are the many kinds of salsas that you eat together with almost anything. The salsas are hardly ever called spicy, just try for yourself.

What are the best recipes in Mexico?

  • Picadillo is a dish from Latin American (and Filipino) cuisine. The dish is made from minced meat and sliced tomatoes or tomato sauce. It is often served with rice, tacos, potatoes or even croquettes.
  • Guacamole (Literally it means avocado mousse) is a well-known (dip) sauce, originating in southern Mexico. Besides avocado, the ingredients often include tomato, onion and/or garlic, juice of a lime or lemon, chili pepper (especially jalapeño peppers), coriander leaf and various other spices. It is usually eaten with corn chips, but can be added to almost any Mexican dish.
  • Quesadillas are to Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine what "toasts" are to Dutch. Literally, the word means "cheese thingy. They are made from corn or flour tortillas and are popular when combined with spicy salsas, chili sauce or with guacamole. The filling contains at least cheese, sometimes also strips of cooked chicken, chorizo, mushroom or ham, for example.
  • Try the real Mexican chili con carne; a stew that traditionally consists of chili pepper, garlic, onion, cumin and minced meat. Usually beans (brown beans, kidney beans, black beans or others) and tomatoes are also added. There are all kinds of variations in which other types of meat or different ingredients are chosen.
  • A burrito is a Mexican dish that comes from northern Mexico or southwestern United States of America A burrito consists of a tortilla, usually filled with beans and meat (usually minced meat or chicken, sometimes cheese), and rolled up so that the filling is inside the tortilla. The name "burrito" comes from the Spanish burro, which means donkey. So a burrito is a donkey.

What are the best drinks in Mexico?

  • Well-known Mexican drinks/brands are Tia Maria, Kahlua, pina colada, Mezcal and the beer brands Corona and Sol.
  • Mexican wine is not yet at a level of quality that it can be exported. Currently, there are nine major wine regions. Baja California is the most well-known. True quality wines are very pricey in Mexico.
  • Xocoatl - Chocolate: Centuries before the discovery of the Americas in 1492, cacao (the cacao bean) was being grown in Mexico and Central America. Theobroma cacao means "food of the gods" and that is how it has been used ceremonially for centuries by the Incas and Mayans. The cacao bean comes from a small tree that grows in the tropical jungles of Mexico and Central America. The Mexican Indians were the first people to ever make chocolate from the cacao bean, which was also used as currency to buy and sell things with. Instead of coffee, many Mexicans today still drink chocolate milk or use the Mexican cacao for cacao ceremonies. 
  • Drink a Tequila, the famous Mexican alcoholic drink made from the Agave tequilana, a particular Mexican species of agave.

What are notable holidays and festivals in Mexico?

  • On average, there are four holidays per month in Mexico. Each day on the calendar is actually a holiday in Mexico. Calendar days are dedicated to saints with names. Also called "name days." It's similar to a birthday. If you as a Mexican have the same name as the saint the day is named after, you are congratulated and receive gifts. For example, June 24 is the name day of San Juan.
  • In Mexico, they celebrate the "Day of the Dead" (El Dia de los Muertos). Also called All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. This national holiday is on November 1 and 2, and Mexicans celebrate on this day that the dead come back to earth to visit the living. The dead are then the guests of the living on that day. Cemeteries are crowded, picnics are held at gravesites and skulls are used as decorations. Bakers sell the bread of death on this festive day.
  • December 12 is the most important feast in Mexico. Mexicans then celebrate the national feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This patron saint of Mexico is said to have been beheld as a Marian apparition in 1531 by Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. Pilgrims in Mexico walk with torches and wear tunic referring to Juan Diego's clothing. Tens of thousands of Mexicans climb the mountain that day to the basilica "Iglesia de Guadalupe" in Mexico City. Throughout the day, Mexico celebrates with music and fireworks.
  • Constitution Day is a national holiday in Mexico. Originally, Feb. 5 was the fixed date for this. In 1857 and 1917, Mexican constitutions were adopted on this date. In 2006, it was decided to celebrate it on the first Tuesday of the year.
  • On May 5, Mexicans celebrate the day Mexico defeated a French army in the Battle of Puebla.
  • The discovery of America by Columbus used to be celebrated grandly in Mexico. However, after 300 years of misery by Europeans, it was decided to celebrate something else on Oct. 12. Today, Mexico celebrates Race Day. This refers to the new race that emerged from Europeans and Indians.

What are the remarkable habits in Mexico?

  • Food is important, taking time to share meals together. By preference with the whole family around big tables on sundays with all family included extended family around.
  • Politeness, table manners and formalities are normal. It is commont to always greet a person, when you meet. Mexican workplaces tend to be hierarchical, with clear lines of authority. Respect for superiors is crucial.
  • Festivities and celebrations are definitely celebrated by Mexicans.
  • Sombreros provides shade from the hot Mexican sun, protecting the face and neck. It also holds a significant cultural meaning. The sombrero represents pride in Mexican heritage and traditions. It is also a fashion item.
  • Pinatas is more than a fun party decoration. The act of breaking the piñata symbolized triumph over evil or temptation.
  • Mariachi is a group of musicians, playing ranchera music. This genre has roots in 18th-century western Mexico.
  • Machismo is still very common. The core of the macho culture is of masculinity and dominance by men. Traits like strength, virility, and being the head of the household. 
  • Indirect communication is part of the Mexican culture. Don't take "no" at face value, and pay attention to non-verbal cues.
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