Mexican cuisine is a style of food that originates in M It is known for its varied flavors， colourful decoration， and variety of spices and ingredients， many of which are native to the The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through the centuries through a blending of indigenous and European elements since the 16th On November 2010 Mexican cuisine was added by UNESCO to its lists of the world's "intangible cultural heritage" ELEMENTSThe staples of Mexican cuisine are typically corn and Corn， traditionally Mexico's staple grain， is eaten fresh， on the cob， and as a component of a number of Most corn， however， is used to make masa， a dough for tamales， tortillas， gorditas， and many other corn-based Squash and peppers also play important roles in Mexican The most important and frequently used spices in Mexican cuisine are Chile powder， oregano， cilantro， epazote， cinnamon， and Chipotle， a smoke-dried jalape�0�9o chili， is also common in Mexican Many Mexican dishes also contain garlic and Next to corn， rice is the most common grain in Mexican According to food writer Karen Hursh Graber， the initial introduction of rice to Spain from North Africa in the 4th century led to the Spanish introduction of rice into Mexico at the port of Veracruz in the This， Graber says， created one of the earliest instances of the world's greatest fusion HISTORY:When conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City)， they found that the people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chiles and herbs， usually complemented with beans and tomatoes or The diet of the indigenous peoples of Pre-Columbian Mexico also included chocolate， vanilla， tomatillos， avocado， guava， papaya， sapote， mamey， pineapple， soursop， jicama， squash， sweet potato， peanuts， achiote， huitlacoche， turkey and In the 1520s， while Spanish conquistadors were invading Mexico， they introduced a variety of animals， including cattle， chickens， goats， sheep， and Rice， wheat， and barley were also introduced as were olive oil， wine， almonds， parsley， and many The imported Spanish cuisine was eventually incorporated into the indigenous Chocolate played an important part in the history of Mexican The word "chocolate" originates in Mexico's Aztec cuisine， derived from the Nahuatl word Chocolate was first drunk rather than It was used as currency and for religious In the past， the Maya civilization grew cacao trees and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy， bitter The drink， called xocoatl， was often flavored with vanilla， chili pepper， and achiote (also known as annatto) Chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica， and cacao beans were often used as For example， the Aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one fresh avocado was worth three beans; and all of the areas that were conquered by the Aztecs that grew cacao beans were ordered to pay them as a tax， or as the Aztecs called it， a "tribute"Today chocolate is used in a wide array of Mexican foods， from savory dishes such as mole to traditional Mexican style hot chocolate and champurrados， both of which are prepared with a Regional cuisine:Mexican food varies by region， because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying The north of Mexico is known for its beef， goat and ostrich production and meat dishes， in particular the well-known arrachera The six regions of Mexico differ greatly in their In the Yucatán， for instance， a unique， natural sweetness (instead of spiciness) exists in the widely used local produce along with an unusual love for achiote In contrast， the Oaxacan region is known for its savory tamales， celebratory moles， and simple tlayudas while the mountainous regions of the West (Jalisco， ) are known for goat birria (goat in a spicy tomato-based sauce)Central Mexico's cuisine is largely influenced by the rest of the country， but has unique dishes such as barbacoa， pozole， menudo and Southeastern Mexico， on the other hand， is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based The cuisine of Southeastern Mexico has a considerable Caribbean influence due to its Seafood is commonly prepared in states that border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico， the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes， à la Honey is an important ingredient in many Mexican dishes， such as the rosca de miel， a bundt-like cake， and in beverages such as balchéIn Pueblos or villages， there are also more exotic dishes， cooked in the Aztec or Mayan style (known as comida prehispánica) with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake， deer， spider monkey， chapulines， ant eggs， and other kinds of Recently other cuisines of the world have acquired popularity in Mexico， thus adopting a Mexican For example， sushi in Mexico is often made with a variety of sauces based on mango or tamarind， and very often served with serrano-chili-blended soy sauce， or complimented with habanero and chipotle
