Mexican food is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. No matter where you go, you will find a Mexican restaurant serving tacos, quesadillas, huevos rancheros and other typical delicacies.
We love the attention Mexican cuisine is getting everywhere, and we’d love to see people in other countries adopting Mexican food and adding their own local twist. However, this also causes a lot of people to wonder how to recognize authentic Mexican food.
Below you will some of the characteristics of authentic Mexican food including, obviously, the dishes we serve at El Pollo Norteño!
It’s Spicy
Authentic Mexican food is spicy. This doesn’t mean that any Mexican dish should burn your mouth, though! In most cases, spiciness can be adjusted according to personal taste. That’s why salsas are so popular: They make your food more interesting, adding the amount of flavor or spiciness that you prefer.
Soft tortillas
Soft tortillas are another of the main characteristics of authentic Mexican food. Whether made with corn or flour, soft tortillas are essential to eat Mexican food. In many countries, tacos are synonym with Mexican food, and without soft tortillas there are no tacos! However, Mexicans use tortillas in other ways as well. For example, you can simply roll a tortilla and nibble at it while you eat, the way some people do with bread.
Salsas
Salsas are a unique aspect of Mexican food. There are as many salsas as there are regions in Mexico. We mentioned salsas earlier talking about spiciness, but there is another relevant aspect. Not all salsas are spicy; some are made with just tomato and other ingredients. This is because the acidity of tomato compensates the spiciness of chili peppers. This balance is the very essence of Mexican food!
Ingredients
Certain ingredients are basic in Mexican food. These ingredients were used in Mexico since ancient times and still are very important. Corn, chili peppers, beans, and nopales are some of the ingredients that were already consumed in Mexico before the Spanish arrived there for the first time in 1492. Corn is used to make tortillas and pozole. Beans are prepared in many ways; take, for example, frijoles refritos or frijoles charros. Nopales are less popular, but Mexicans still consume them frequently.
Learn More About Authentic Mexican Food
The best thing about authentic Mexican food is its amazing flavors. But the second-best thing is all the amazing stories around it. Every Mexican dish tells a small bit of the history of Mexico. These are some previous posts you can read to learn more about this fascinating topic:
- Mexican Carne Asada is a way of life
- 3 delicious facts about tacos
- Mesquite, a symbol of Mexican culture
- Why Are chili peppers so important in Mexican cuisine
- 3 reasons to love chilaquiles
- Let’s talk about birria
Enjoy Authentic Mexican Food at El Pollo Norteño
If what you want is Authentic Mexican food in California, El Pollo Norteño is your best option.
Visit today any of our four locations (Anaheim, Santa Ana and Garden Grove), order online, get in touch through Facebook, or call 866-MI-POLLO to enjoy our authentic Mexican dishes: amazing chicken grilled to perfection over real Mesquite charcoal, tacos, burritos, tortas, birria, and more!