Culture of Mexican Antojitos: A Taste of the Mexican Popular Kitchen

The Mexican antojitos are the most faithful exponent of the Mexican popular kitchen. They are a mirror of the pre-Hispanic gastronomy and its three-hundred-year-old colonial mestizaje. We talk about the culture of antojito because it is a way of being Mexican, a traditional and ancestral food custom that includes practically all social classes.

A common denominator of most antojitos, especially the tacos, tamales, and tortas: to eat them you do not need plates or cutlery. Another aspect is the geographical area within which they are produced. That of the torta is the cities and has to do, of course, with its mestizo character. The consumption of tacos and tamales does not distinguish that frontier: both in the countryside and the cities, the Mexicans are affected by them.

There is nothing more distant in its conceptual and gastronomic essence than the antojitos and the well-called fast food. Both names fully reflect what they are. In Mexico, you can see groups of people eating on a sidewalk or in a market, standing around a stove, enjoying a snack; however, it is very rare to find someone walking and eating at the same time, a common scene in some industrialized countries. In a country or Sunday meeting, you can eat snacks with calm, friendly conversation, over the hours.

Popular Mexican Antojitos

Tlalpeño broth

Broth prepared with chicken cooked in water, garlic, and onion, seasoned with chopped or ground tomato and whole or ground chipotle chile; green beans, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, and epazote can also be added. It is served in deep plates or large bowls and accompanied by corn tortillas.

Trompo de pastor

Corn tortilla stuffed with pork meat seasoned with a spice sauce and dried chiles. The meat is skewered on a sword or pastor that is rotated by hand while cooking.

Quesadillas

Mexican snack consisting of corn dough or wheat flour tortilla folded in half in a half-moon shape, filled with fresh cheese to melt or some other stew (tinga, potato, mushrooms, picadillo, cuitlacoche, rajas, etc.) and cooked on a comal or fried.

Enchiladas

Mexican specialty is prepared with corn tortillas spread with chili sauce and rolled or folded; they are usually filled with some kind of food. There are many types of enchiladas throughout the country; it is one of the most popular dishes in Mexico, the recipes vary from one region to another and are complemented with onion, cream, cheese, or other ingredients. It is common to serve three per person. In terms of sauces and colors, the most common are mole, green and red enchiladas.

Chicken broth

The broth is prepared with chicken, onion, garlic, and some herbs. In almost all cases the diner adds lemon and sometimes onion, cilantro, and some chopped chili, which can be serrano, piquín, or puya. This dish is very important in several regions of Mexico because it is one of those authentic village stews. Chicken broth is constantly being prepared for various types of soup, but chicken broth is usually considered to have a better flavor and therefore superior to it.

Tacos

Mexican snack prepared with a corn or wheat flour tortilla, filled with some kind of food, and folded or rolled. It is eaten alone or accompanied by a sauce. It is the most consumed snack in Mexico. In general, its name is related to its filling, its texture, or the way it is prepared or presented for sale.

Gorditas de chicharrón

They can be served with white, blue, and even green corn, cilantro and onion, and of course, green sauce or red sauce.

Tlacoyos

A snack made with a thick corn dough tortilla in an oblong, rhomboid, or triangular shape filled with bean paste, green peas, pork rinds, or beans. It is cooked on a comal and seasoned with salsa, cooked nopales, chopped cilantro, and onion.

Tortas

Bolillo, telera, or some other white bread is opened in half, spread with mayonnaise, cream, or beans, and filled with some animal product and vegetables or other ingredients; its preparation resembles that of a sandwich. It is made in different parts of the country, and some regions have very famous styles of tortas. For example, in Puebla they prepare cemitas compuestas, in Guanajuato guacamayas and in Jalisco tortas ahogadas.

Tamale

Preparation of pre-Hispanic origin elaborated with beaten corn dough: it is filled with sauce, some type of meat, or alone; it is generally wrapped in corn or banana leaves and steamed. Sweet tamales are also prepared. The corn dough is beaten with lard, water or broth, tequesquite water, tomato peel water, or baking powder. The meats most commonly used as fillings are pork, chicken, beef, turkey, or duck.

Esquites

Prepared corn kernels, which are eaten as a snack or treat and are sold in street stalls and/or street vendors. The most common is to cook the tender corn kernels with water, salt and epazote; lemon juice, chile piquín powder, and, occasionally, grated fresh cheese and mayonnaise are added to taste. They are sold on the streets in the cities of the center of the country, especially in the Federal District; the stalls that sell them almost always sell cooked corn.