South (Campeche, Yucatan, Quintana Roo)

Huevos motuleños is a breakfast food which originated in the town of Motul (Yucatán). The dish is made with eggs on tortillas with black beans and cheese, often with other ingredients such as ham, peas, plantains, and hot sauce. In addition to being served in many restaurants in Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Oaxaca, this breakfast dish is also common in Cuba and Costa Rica.

Huevos rancheros is a breakfast egg dish served in the style of the traditional large mid-morning fare on rural Mexican farms. The basic dish consists of fried eggs served on lightly fried or charred corn or flour tortillas topped with a spicy salsa made of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onion. Common accompaniments include refried beans, Mexican-style rice, and guacamole or slices of avocado, with cilantro as a garnish. As the dish spread beyond Mexico, variations using pureed chile or enchilada sauce instead of tomato-chili pico de gallo have appeared. Non-Mexican additions such as cheese, sour cream, and lettuce also have become common additions beyond the dish's native range.

A Swiss roll with manjar (dulce de leche), strawberry jam or raspberry jam filling

Deep-fried flatbread

Rolled crispy crepes or wafers filled with queso de bola (Edam cheese), toffee (cajeta), chocolate, Nutella, honey, jam

A drink made from chaya leaves, also known as tree spinach

Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage that was commonly consumed by the ancient Maya in what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today, it is still common among the Maya. The drink is made from the bark of a leguminous tree, Lonchocarpus violaceus, which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented. A closely related beverage, made from honey produced from the nectar of a species of morning glory , is called xtabentún. Ritual enemas and other psychoactive substances were also taken by those who drank balché. According to food writer Sandor Katz, the ancient Maya consumed balché in enema form to maximize its inebriating effect. After the Maya were conquered by the Spanish, the drink was banned and their orchards were destroyed.

A cocktail made with mezcal, orange juice, lime juice, jalapeño

A michelada is a Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, assorted sauces (often chili-based), spices, and chili peppers. It is served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass. There are numerous variations of this beverage throughout Mexico. In Mexico City, the most common form is prepared with beer, lime, salt, and particular hot sauces or chile slices. There are several other optional ingredients, such as Maggi sauce, soy sauce, Tajín, Worcestershire sauce, chamoy powder, serrano peppers, or clamato.

Pozol is the name of both fermented corn dough and the cocoa drink made from it, which has its origins in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The drink is consumed in the south of Mexico in the states of Campeche, Chiapas, and Tabasco. It is a thirst quencher that has also been used to fight diseases. It has also aided indigenous peoples of the Americas as sustenance on long trips across the jungles. Since ancient times, the Maya-Chontales from Belize prepared this drink with boiled cornmeal, cocoa, and grains. Initially, it was called pochotl (from Nahuatl, pozolli, meaning "sparkling"), but after the arrival of the Spanish in Tabasco in 1519, the name changed to the now-familiar "pozol". Pozol was traditionally made by women by fermenting corn dough, which, when dissolved in water, is eaten raw by various ethnic groups of southern and southeastern Mexico. In Chiapas, this drink was prepared for Mayans, Zoqueans and Chiapanecos. Pozol is drunk throughout the day, especially by the lower classes, though it is generally used throughout all classes. In pre-Hispanic times, it was drunk mixed with cocoa, unsweetened; since the twentieth century, sugar and ice are added throughout Chiapas.

Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (Los Altos de Jalisco) of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco. The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year. Agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila. Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila is recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries. It was protected through NAFTA in Canada and the United States until July 2020 and through bilateral agreements with individual countries such as Japan and Israel, and it has been a protected designation of origin product in the European Union since 1997.

Xtabentún ʃtaβenˈtun]) is an anise liqueur made in Mexico's Yucatán region from anise seed and fermented honey produced by honey bees from the nectar of xtabentún flowers. Rum is then added to the anise and honey mixture. Because of the rum content, the xtabentún liqueur is sometimes called a "distilled honey" beverage, which is misleading, because the honey alcohol is fermented, not distilled. It is, nonetheless, a spirit beverage, since rum, a distilled product, is added. Distilleries still survive today in the Yucatán that produce the liqueur. Xtabentún may have its origin in balché, a ceremonial liquor produced by the Maya. The strong flavor did not appeal to the Spanish conquistadores, so they introduced anise and took away the tree bark and corn. The word xtabentún means "vines growing on stone" in the Mayan language. It refers to the Christmas vine (Turbina corymbosa), a species of morning glory whose seeds contain ergine and have hallucinogenic properties. This has led Jonathan Ott to suggest that balché may also have had entheogenic qualities, although this remains to be demonstrated. Ancient Mayas likely would have enjoyed the inebriating effects of a similar beverage to produce visionary and trance states.

Skirt steak is the US name for a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is distinct from hanger steak , also called skirt (UK) or onglet (France), a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate. Though it is from a different part of the animal, its general characteristics and uses cause it to be confused with both flank steak, taken from the flank behind the plate, and the flap meat from the bottom sirloin behind the flank and above the rear quarter. Both the inside and outside skirt steak are the trimmed, boneless portion of the diaphragm muscle attached to the 6th through 12th ribs on the underside of the short plate. This steak is covered in a tough membrane that may be removed before cooking. By keeping the membrane it will be more tender but would require the eater to remove it which is why many remove it prior to cooking.

Arroz a la tumbada is a traditional Mexican dish prepared with white rice and seafood. In this specialty a sofrito is made with chopped tomato, onion, garlic and red pepper. Rice and fish broth or water is added, then seafood which may include shrimp, clams, crab, calamari and whitefish. The dish may be seasoned with fresh leaves of epazote, parsley, coriander and oregano. Arroz a la tumbada is traditionally cooked in a cazuela, which is a thick clay pot.

Carne a la tampiqueña is one of the most popular meat dishes in Mexico. It was created in 1939 by the restaurateur José Inés Loredo and his brother chef Fidel from San Luis Potosí, who moved to the port of Tampico, Tamaulipas. Each ingredient was given a meaning. The oval platter represents the Huasteca; the strip of roasted meat, the Rio Panuco; the green enchiladas, the huasteco field; the white cheese, the purity of the people living in the Huasteca; the guacamole, the fruits of the region; the black beans, both the fertility of the land and the oil boom in the area.

Chicken curry or curry/curried chicken is a South Asian dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is common in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and South Africa. A typical curry from the Indian subcontinent consists of chicken stewed in an onion- and tomato-based sauce, flavoured with ginger, garlic, tomato puree, chilli peppers and a variety of spices, often including turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom. Outside of South Asia, chicken curry is often made with a pre-made spice mixture known as curry powder. Indian cuisine has a large amount of regional variation, with many variations on the basic chicken curry recipe. Indian chicken curry typically starts with whole spices, heated in oil. A sauce is then made with onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, and powdered spices. Bone-in pieces of chicken are then added to the sauce, and simmered until cooked through. In south India, coconut and curry leaves are also common ingredients. Chicken curry is usually garnished with coriander leaves, and served with rice or roti. In south India, chicken curry may be thickened using coconut milk.

Seafood soup, made with fish, scallops, clams, shrimp (chilpachole de camarones), crab (chilpachole de jaiba)

The cobia (/ˈkoʊbiə/, KOH-bee-ə) is a species of marine carangiform ray-finned fish, the only extant representative of the genus Rachycentron and the family Rachycentridae. Its other common names include black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfish, crabeater, prodigal son, codfish, and black bonito. Attaining a maximum length of 2 m (78 in) and maximum weight of 78 kg (172 lb), the cobia has an elongated, fusiform (spindle-shaped) body and a broad, flattened head. The eyes are small and the lower jaw projects slightly past the upper. Fibrous villiform teeth line the jaws, the tongue, and the roof of the mouth. The body of the fish is smooth with small scales. It is dark brown in color, grading to white on the belly with two darker brown horizontal bands on the flanks. The stripes are more prominent during spawning, when they darken and the background color flashes.

Cochinita pibil is a traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Peninsula. Preparation of traditional cochinita involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, adding annatto seed, which imparts a vivid burnt orange color, and roasting the meat in a píib while it is wrapped in banana leaf. Cochinita means baby pig, so true cochinita pibil involves roasting a whole suckling pig. Alternatively, pork shoulder (butt roast) or pork loin are used in many recipes. The high acid content of the marinade and the slow cooking time tenderize the meat, allowing otherwise tough pieces of meat to be used. The Yucatecan recipes always employ the juice of Seville or bitter oranges for marinating. In areas where bitter oranges are not common, the juice of sweet oranges combined with lemons, limes, or vinegar is employed to approximate the effect of the bitter orange on the meat. Another important ingredient in all Pibil recipes is achiote (annatto), which gives the dish its characteristic color and adds flavour. It is usually eaten with side dishes such as yellow corn tortillas, red pickled onions, refried black beans, and habanero chilies. Traditionally, cochinita pibil is buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom to roast it. Cochinita pibil is a recurring element of the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico, in which it is the favorite food of a CIA agent played by Johnny Depp.

Conch is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point on both ends). Conches that are sometimes referred to as "true conches" are marine gastropods in the family Strombidae, specifically in the genus Strombus and other closely related genera. For example, Lobatus gigas, the queen conch, is a true conch. True conch are identified by their long spire.

Many species of fish are caught by humans and consumed as food in virtually all regions around the world. Fish has been an important dietary source of protein and other nutrients. The English language does not have a special culinary name for food prepared from fish like with other animals , or as in other languages (such as Spanish pez vs. pescado). In culinary and fishery contexts, fish may include so-called shellfish such as molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms; more expansively, seafood covers both fish and other marine life used as food. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global apparent food fish consumption (3.2 percent) has outpaced population growth (1.6 percent) and exceeded consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals, combined (2.8 percent) and individually (bovine, ovine, porcine, etc.), except poultry (4.9 percent). In per capita terms, food fish consumption has grown from 9.0 kg (19.8 lb) in 1961 to 20.2 kg (45 lb) in 2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 percent per year. The expansion in consumption has been driven not only by increased production, but also by a combination of many other factors, including reduced wastage, better utilization, improved distribution channels and growing consumer demand, linked with population growth, rising disposable incomes and urbanization.

Garnaches are a traditional dish composed of fried corn tortillas topped with refried beans, shredded cabbage, cheese, and other garnishes. Garnaches are especially popular in Oaxaca, Mexico, where they are available in most restaurants as an appetizer and are traditionally made with fried corn masa, refried or blended beans, and Dutch cheese. They are also popular in Belize. Some people prefer replacing cabbage with onions and adding ketchup.[citation needed]

Gringas are a variety of quesadillas which consist of flour tortillas filled with cheese, al pastor meat, and pineapple. They are then grilled in the same manner as a quesadilla. Some attribute the name to the use of white flour tortillas.

A large tamale made with tomatoes, onions, epazote, espelon seeds and meat such as chicken, turkey, beef, pork and cooked in banana leaves, common during Day of the Dead celebrations

Papadzules is a traditional dish from the Yucatán Peninsula resembling enchiladas. In its simplest form it consists of corn tortillas dipped in a sauce of pepita (pumpkin seeds) filled with hard-boiled eggs, and garnished with a cooked tomato-pepper sauce. Two theories exist about the origin of the name. Diana Kennedy says it derives from a phrase meaning "food of the lords" because this dish was reportedly fed to the Spaniards. Variations of this etymology appear elsewhere. The second theory posits that it derives from Mayan papakʼ, to anoint or smear, and sul, to soak or drench, making the meaning something along the lines of "smeared and drenched". Papadzules are said to be a very ancient dish, the forerunner of modern enchiladas, even. However, it is not clear that this dish was actually made in pre-Hispanic times, at least in the way it is made today. First, there is a lack of comals in the archaeological record of the Yucatán, implying that the Mayans did not make the thin tortillas required for filling. Second, the historical record seems to indicate that the Mayans preferred making thicker tortillas cooked in ashes. These thicker tortillas, depending on how thick they were, would have been harder to fill. The modern pim (Mayan thick tortilla) can range in thickness from the height of three tortillas up to approximately half an inch.

Poc chuc is a Mayan dish of meat, commonly pork, that is prepared in citrus marinade and cooked over a grill. Poc chuc is often served with a side of rice, pickled onion, refried beans, and avocado. Poc chuc is one of the signature dishes of the Yucatán. The term poc chuc is made up of two Mayan words: poc, which means to toast, especially on hot embers, and chuc, which is charcoal.

Chicken in a tomatillo and chili pepper sauce

Chicken marinated with achiote sauce and steamed in a banana leaves

Puchero is a type of stew originally from Spain, prepared in Yucatán, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Perú, south of Brazil, the Philippines, and Spain, specifically the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Canary Islands. The Spanish word "puchero" originally meant an earthenware pot, before being extended to mean any vessel, and then the dish cooked in it. The dish is essentially equivalent to the cocido of Spain but lacks colorants and uses local ingredients which vary from one region to another. In Spain, chickpeas are widely used. Puchero, cocido, and the sancocho eaten in Colombia, Ecuador, República Dominicana, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico are essentially similar dishes. In Andalusia, puchero was originally a peasant soup. The basic ingredients of the broth are meat (beef, veal, pork or chicken), bacon, cured bones (such as those of the jamón serrano), and vegetables (potatoes, celery, chard, leek, carrots, and turnips). It can be drunk straight in mugs as a consommé known as caldo de puchero, which can be seasoned with fresh spearmint leaves or sherry. Alternatively, it can be prepared as a soup after adding chickpeas, cured ham, boiled egg, and rice, noodles or bread. The meats, called pringá, are usually served separately as a main dish, and the remnants used for subsequent dishes as croquettes or ropa vieja.

Edam cheese stuffed with seasoned pork and topped with a sauce made with chickpeas, raisins, onion, olives, tomatoes, chili peppers

A salbut or salbute is a puffed deep fried tortilla that is topped with lettuce, sliced avocado, pulled chicken or turkey, tomato and pickled red onion. Salbutes originate from the Yucatán peninsula and are a staple in Belize. Salbutes are mostly sold in the evenings when parties of friends or family go out to eat. Salbutes are served at fast food restaurants called panucherias which also serve panuchos, tostadas, tortas, and caldos. Salbutes are fried and topped to order and often served with soda drinks. Bayless, Rick. Mexican Kitchen. (1996). ISBN 9780684800066.

Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs , crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, crabs, and lobster), and echinoderms (e.g. sea cucumbers and sea urchins). Historically, marine mammals such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins) as well as seals have been eaten as food, though that happens to a lesser extent in modern times. Edible sea plants such as some seaweeds and microalgae are widely eaten as sea vegetables around the world, especially in Asia. Seafood is an important source of (animal) protein in many diets around the world, especially in coastal areas. Semi-vegetarians who consume seafood as the only source of meat are said to adhere to pescetarianism.

A shrimp or shrimps (UK)) is a crustacean (a form of shellfish) with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – typically belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchiata of the order Decapoda, although some crustaceans outside of this order are also referred to as "shrimp". More narrow definitions may be restricted to Caridea, to smaller species of either group or to only the marine species. Under a broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long, narrow muscular tails (abdomens), long whiskers (antennae), and slender legs. Any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to be called one. They swim forward by paddling with swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens, although their escape response is typically repeated flicks with the tail driving them backwards very quickly. Crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas shrimp have thin, fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.

Snails are eaten by humans in many areas such as Africa, Southeast Asia and Mediterranean Europe, while in other cultures, snails are seen as a taboo food. In English, edible land snails are commonly called escargot, from the French word for 'snail'. Snails as a food date back to ancient times, with numerous cultures worldwide having traditions and practices that attest to their consumption. In the modern era snails are farmed, an industry known as heliciculture. The snails are collected after the rains and are put to "purge" . In the past, the consumption of snails had a marked seasonality, from April to June. Now, snail-breeding techniques make them available all year. Heliciculture occurs mainly in Spain, France, and Italy, which are also the countries with the greatest culinary tradition of the snail. Although throughout history the snail has had little value in the kitchen because it is considered "poverty food", in recent times it can be classified as a delicacy thanks to the appreciation given to it by haute cuisine chefs. Escargot, French pronunciation: [ɛskaʁɡo] ⓘ, comes from the French term for snail. Usage of the French word "escargot" dates back to 1892. The French word, first recorded in the 14th century, derives from escaragol (Provençal) and then escargol (Old French). It ultimately traces back through Vulgar Latin coculium and Classical Latin conchylium to the Ancient Greek konchylion (κογχύλιον), which meant "edible shellfish, oyster". The Online Etymological Dictionary notes that the form of the word in Provençal and French seems to have been influenced by words related to the scarab.

Marinated shawarma meat, typically pork, that is cooked on a spit and eaten in a pita with, for example, chipotle salsa (Arab taco salsa), chili peppers, crema

Octopus tacos topped with chile aioli and crispy potato strings

A taquito , taco dorado, rolled taco, or flauta ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈflawta], Spanish for "flute") is a Mexican dish that typically consists of a small rolled-up tortilla that contains filling, including beef, cheese or chicken. The filled tortilla is then shallow-fried or deep-fried. The dish is often topped with condiments such as sour cream and guacamole. Corn tortillas are generally used to make taquitos. The dish is more commonly known as flautas when they are larger than their taquito counterparts, and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas. The taquito or little taco was referred to in the 1917 Preliminary Glossary of New Mexico Spanish, with the word noted as a "Mexicanism" used in New Mexico. The modern definition of a taquito as a rolled-tortilla dish was given in 1929 in a book of stories of Mexican people in the United States aimed at a youth audience, where the dish was noted as a particularly popular offering of railroad station vendors. Taquitos were referred to, without definition, in a 1932 issue of the Los Angeles School Journal. Two Southern Californian restaurants are often given credit for their roles in the early development of the taquito. Cielito Lindo was founded by Aurora Guerrero in 1934 and located on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. Guerrero's daughter used her taquito recipe in opening chain restaurants in Los Angeles, and soon competitors were selling similar dishes. In San Diego, what would become El Indio Mexican Restaurant began selling taquitos during World War II, when tortilla factory owner Ralph Pesqueria Sr. was asked by workers at the Consolidated Aircraft Company factory across the street for a portable lunch item. Pesqueria, who used a recipe developed by his Mexican grandmother, has claimed credit for introducing the word "taquito" for the dish.

Fish is coated with a spice paste made with achiote seeds and bitter orange, then cooked in banana leaves

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, commonly known as chaya, tree spinach, or spinach tree, is a large, fast-growing and leafy perennial shrub that is believed to have originated in the Yucatán Peninsula of southeastern Mexico. The specific epithet, aconitifolius, refers to the plant’s "Aconitum-like leaves"—coincidentally, another well-known dangerous, even deadly, genus of plants. As with most euphorbias, the entire plant contains a caustic, viscous and potentially dangerous white sap which flows readily when any part of the plant is broken, cut or damaged. The plant can grow to be 6 metres tall, but usually is pruned to approximately 2 metres (6.6 ft) for easier leaf harvest. It is a popular leaf vegetable in some regional Mexican and other Central American cuisines, used similarly to cooked Swiss chard or spinach. White, typically unremarkable flowers are borne of a terminal panicle held high above the foliage, superficially resembling the small flowering bracts of similar plants like poinsettia or crown-of-thorns.

A large fried rectangular flour tortilla made to look like fried pork skin, topped with, for example, lettuce, avocado, hot sauce, crema

Caprese salad is an Italian salad prepared with sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil and seasoned with salt and olive oil. It is usually arranged on a plate in restaurant practice. Like pizza Margherita, it features the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red. In Italy, it is usually served as an appetiser (antipasto), not a side dish (contorno), and it may be eaten any time of day. Caprese salad is one form of a caprese dish; it may also be served as a pizza caprese, pasta or sandwich.[citation needed] The salad is named after the island of Capri, where it is believed to have originated. Two common stories about its origin include it being an homage to the Italian flag or "in the 20th century to appease the palates of vacationing royalty and important politicos".

Avocados, bitter oranges, mamey, plums, tamarind

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisine as a dip, condiment, and salad ingredient. The name comes from Classical Nahuatl āhuacamōlli [aːwakaˈmoːlːi], which literally translates to 'avocado sauce', from āhuacatl [aːˈwakat͡ɬ] 'avocado' + mōlli [ˈmoːlːi] 'sauce' or 'mole'. In Mexican Spanish, it is pronounced [wakaˈmole]. In American English, it tends to be pronounced /ˌɡwɑːkəˈmoʊliː/. British English also uses this pronunciation, but /ˌɡwɑːkəˈmoʊleɪ/ is more common. Avocado seeds were first found in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico around 9,000–10,000 years ago (7000–8000 BCE) and had been domesticated by various Mesoamerican groups by 5000 BCE. They were likely cultivated in the Supe Valley in Peru as early as 3100 BCE. In the early 1900s, avocados frequently went by the name alligator pear. In the 1697 book, A New Voyage Round the World, the first known description of a guacamole recipe (though not known by that name) was by English privateer and naturalist William Dampier, who in his visit to Central America during one of his circumnavigations, noted a native preparation made of grinding together avocados, sugar, and lime juice.

Recado rojo or achiote paste is a popular blend of spices. It is now strongly associated with Mexican and Belizean cuisines, especially of Yucatán and Oaxaca. The spice mixture usually includes annatto, oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt. The annatto seeds dye the mixture red, and impart a distinctive red-orange color to the food. The paste is dissolved in either lemon juice, water, oil, or vinegar, used as a marinade for meat, or rubbed directly upon it. The meat is then grilled, baked, barbecued, or broiled. Sometimes, it is added to corn dough to create a zesty flavor and color in empanadas and red tamales. It may also be an ingredient when making tacos al pastor or chorizo. Recado negro [es] is made in Maya regions: Yucatan Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.