Mexican food conjures up images of burritos and tacos and quesadillas, guacamole and salsa, and if you’re into Tex-Mex, queso. But as it turns out, almost everything I thought I knew about Mexican food is wrong.
Tacos, tamales and tortas may rule the international perception of Mexican cuisine, but there are so many more weird, wonderful, and authentic Mexican dishes that most people haven’t heard of, like poisoned tacos or sweetcorn cake.
Mexican cuisine is incredibly diverse and varies from region to region – even two cities in the same part of Mexico may have different cuisines! This goes way, way back, as Mexican cuisine was first influenced and developed by the diverse Indigenous peoples that have lived in the Mesoamerican region for thousands of years, where corn, beans, tomatoes, and chilis served as staples.
After the Spanish invaded and colonized Mexico in 1521, Spanish ingredients like dairy products, garlic, wheat, and meats became more prominent in local cuisine and Mexican dishes. Over the next several hundred years, Caribbean, French, South American, West African, and even Portuguese influences made their way into regional cuisines.
The pure spread and breadth of flavors in dishes across different regions is a good reason to spend LOTS of time eating your way through Mexico. If you can’t get to Mexico, head to your nearest authentic Mexican restaurant and try something different from the Mexican dishes that you already know! In this post you’l find 15 suggestions for Mexican foods that you might never have heard of before.
- Editor’s Note: This post was originally written by Lauren, the Mexico City based Brit blogger behind Northern Lauren, and has since been updated with a few contributions from our research team. We at Practical Wanderlust do our best to vet information before publishing, but occasionally our guest writers share their personal opinions. Please note that our guest writer’s opinions do not necessarily reflect our personal opinions! If you’d like to write a post for us, please take a look at our contributor guidelines.
Table of Contents
Planning a trip to Mexico, or just feeling hungry and adventurous? Take a look at some of our other posts:
- 12 Sun-Soaked Things to Do in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
- The Best Colombian Food: 19 Delicious Things to Eat in Colombia
- The Perfect 3- or 4-Day Puerto Vallarta Itinerary
Mexican Foods You’ve Never Heard Of
Menudo
Menudo is first because it’s the least obscure Mexican food on this list. You’ll likely find Menudo available at authentic Mexican restaurants all over the world! Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made from red chile and cow stomach.
If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t mind the spongey texture of tripe – or knowing where it came from – then menudo’s rich broth is absolutely delicious.
But if you’re the type who prefers not to eat cow’s stomachs, then menudo may not be for you.
That said, many claim that it is the hands-down best hangover cure money can buy.
But most of the time I’d rather have a torta ahogada (baguette-style sandwiches filled with fried pork and fresh onion, doused in spicy tomato sauce).
- Author’s Note: Jeremy, who is Mexican and grew up in a family that regularly wins Menudo cooking competitions, swears by Menudo and craves it on a regular basis. Lia, who is not Mexican, is not a fan of the tripe bits, although she loves the broth. We think an appreciation of Menudo might be a bit of an acquired taste!
Tacos Envenenados
Tacos are nothing revolutionary and everyone knows that the Mexican fondness for this soft tortilla, meat and sauce concoction knows no bounds (I can’t stress enough how much hard taco shells are not Mexican).
However, if there’s anything you can say about Mexico, it’s that nothing is basic when it comes to Mexican dishes and there are a wealth of specialty, region-specific tacos that you can find in different parts of the country.
One of my favourite examples of this taco pride are the tacos envenenados from Zacatecas, which literally translates to poisoned tacos.
But don’t freak out: the only poisoning you’ll be at risk at after eating tacos envenenados is a cholesterol overdose because my god are they greasy. The tacos are stuffed with cheese and spicy chorizo and potatoes and refried beans, and then – for good measure – deep fried, for extra crunchiness and “venom.” Uh, YUM.
As the story goes, their name is meant to protect the secrecy of the ingredients. Or perhaps it’s because they’re so unhealthy, meant to warn you not to eat too many of them. But who knows? That story is just part of the mystery and the allure of tacos envenenados!
If you can’t make it to Zacatecas to give these a try, you can always whip out your deep fryer and attempt to make them yourself.
Cabrito
Cabrito is barbecued goat and a popular dish in all the northern states, but can principally be found in Nuevo León.
It may look wildly unappealing when you see it hung up before serving, but listen – it’s delicious.
One of the tastiest ways to try cabrito is barbacoa, which is slow-cooked barbequed meat. Traditionally, the goat meat is coated with spices, wrapped in leaves (primarily agave or banana leaves), and cooked in an underground oven – essentially a hole in the ground filled with coals and covered – for hours until the meat is succulent and tender.
The resulting broth, called consomé, is often drunk as an appetizer, and the flaky, juicy meat is used in tacos.
While the central states are well-known for the dish, barbacoa is prepared with regional variations throughout Mexico – Oaxaca, for example, often uses oranges along with chilies to sweeten and flavor the meat.
- Fun Linguistics Fact: The word “barbacoa” comes from the Taino, a native Caribbean tribe, and was then adopted by Spanish colonizers, eventually making its way to Texas, where it morphed into “barbeque!”
Carne en su Jugo
If you speak Spanish, and can understand exactly what carne en su jugo means, there’s a chance this doesn’t sound all that appealing. I mean, ‘meat in its juice’, who wants that?
DON’T BE DECEIVED, because carne en su jugo is, honestly, so, so delicious. It’s like a watery meat stew and I know I’m not selling it with that description but you’ll just have to go with me.
Usually, you throw in a ton of fresh diced onion, cilantro, and spicy sauce before slurping it down and the best carne en su jugo in all of Mexico – yes, prepare yourself because this is a bold claim – is to be found at Guadalajara’s Karne Garibaldi in Santa Tere.
Huitlacoche
Corn smut. I’m not being rude, that’s what huitlacoche translates to.
That said: although I am personally not a fan of the taste, and the origin stories of huitlacoche don’t exactly inspire my mouth to water, huitlacoche is hands-down one of the most unique Mexican delicacies!
Huitlacoche is actually an edible fungus that sometimes grows on organic corn (corn which isn’t sprayed with fungicide), turning the corn kernels into blue-gray mushroom-like balls.
In the U.S. and many other countries, this fungus is actively destroyed (called “corn smut”), but in Mexico, it’s considered a delicacy. Think of Huitlacoche like any other mushroom, with an earthy flavor sort of like a black truffle.
The flavor is described as smoky and earthy, almost like mushrooms and corn. It’s also high in protein and quite good for you!
In Mexico you can find baskets of fresh huitlacoche in mercados. For the rest of you, look for huitlacoche as an ingredient in many high-end Mexican restaurants.
Tacos de Canasta
Another taco entry, that’s one of the more popular variations found in Mexico but perhaps not as well known outside the country – tacos de canasta, a.k.a. basket tacos. They’re named as such because they’re literally served out of a basket.
To be honest, it’s for that reason I shied away from trying them for ages, even though they’re super common in Mexico City, because everyone knows you shouldn’t eat lukewarm meat products.
In the end, I ended up eating them outside a bar one night while mildly tipsy (FYI, this is the way all tacos should be eaten). Verdict? Amazing. I recommend you order the potato ones.
Escamoles
Maybe you’ve heard about chapulines, a.k.a. grasshoppers, but many people fail to realise that they’re not the only creepy crawlies that are part of Mexican gastronomy.
Everything from ant larvae – that’s what escamoles are – to worms (chinicuiles) are pre-Hispanic delicacies on the streets of cities like Oaxaca and the upscale menus of trendy Mexico City restaurants.
Speaking of which, that worm at the bottom of your probably not-that-great-quality mezcal? That’s called gusano de maguey, and yes, you can eat those as well!
Pambazos
Only really available in chilangolandia (Mexico City), pambazos are essentially tortas – soft, overstuffed sandwiches – whose bread has been soaked in guajillo sauce prior to preparing and serving.
For that reason, they have a distinctive red colour and are typically filled with potato and chorizo.
Although nothing can live up to my love for Guadalajara lonches, crispy bread sandwiches served cold and stuffed with salad, meat and cheese (my favourite is ham and panela), these sure come close!
Pay de Elote
Pay de elote is a cheesecake-esque dish with an intriguingly cool and creamy texture and a summery aftertaste of sweetcorn.
Corn (‘maize’) is not just considered an ingredient in Mexico – it has been an integral part of Mexico’s culture, identity and cuisine since ancient times. First cultivated around 7,000 years ago, maize allowed early nomadic peoples to settle down, thereby fostering the development of early Mesoamerican cultures.
Since then, maize has continued to be an important and versatile part of Mexican cuisine – you will see corn featured in a lot of art and in cultural celebrations. Even today, some Mexicans call themselves the “people of the corn.”
As a Brit, I wasn’t brought up with corn as a staple part of my diet – I somehow always associate eating corn on the cob with butter rather than a biscuit crust. But sweetcorn, when properly done, is something truly special!
Other Mexican corn-based dishes to sample include sweetcorn ice cream and sweetcorn bread. Yum!
Pay de Elote can be found on street corners as well, where you can often get a generous slice to go. This sweetcorn cake is also really easy to make at home with sweetened condensed milk, corn kernels, and a few other common ingredients – try out this great recipe!
Pulque
Pulque is kind of, not really, definitely not even an obscure Mexican food, but rather an obscure Mexican alcoholic beverage.
Pulque is a milk-colored, fermented alcoholic drink made from the sap of the agave plant, with a sour and yeasty flavor. It’s actually insanely healthy and is filled with all sorts of minerals and vitamins.
Pulque’s history is ancient: it’s a traditional drink that has been drunk for thousands of years by the Maya, Aztecs, and other Mesoamerican cultures. Used in important festivals and celebrations, pulque was often featured in Mesoamerican mythology – one story has the drink originating from the powerful deity’s, Quetzalcoatl, wish to give humanity greater happiness.
But, despite its long and important history, given its unstable consistency as well as production and storage methods that make it practically impossible to export further than the central regions of Mexico where it’s produced, this this unique Mexican drink is little known and lives in the shadow of big brothers Tequila and Mezcal. So, you’ll just have to go to Mexico and try it yourself.
Pulque can be served at different strengths – some kids drink the sweet, lightly-fermented version – as well as different flavors and fruits. Try it in ‘pulquerias,’ where they only sell pulque and will often let you sample different flavors before you commit to a whole glass – start with a taste of the curado form, where it comes with an added flavor like mango or tamarind! Pulque is also used in cooking in some areas – try out Carne en Pulque if you are in Jalisco.
Drinking it certainly makes for an interesting experience, but one that you can’t leave Mexico without having!
Sopa de Lima
Sopa de lima is a hearty traditional chicken and tomato soup from the Yucatan Peninsula. Flavored with habanero peppers, bittersweet Yucatan limes, and topped with crunchy corn tortilla bits, sopa de lima makes a great comfort food.
This spicy soup is said to be derived from an ancient Mayan dish – the Yucatan Peninsula was part of the vast Mayan empire until the 17th century.
Native Yucatan limes, which are not really limes but rather a unique citrus fruit resembling a lime but sweeter in taste, grow throughout the peninsula, so you will frequently see these tangy citrus fruits in Yucatecan cuisine.
Mérida has many great spots to try sopa de lima, or you can even try your hand at making the soup at home!
Torta Ahogada
In the central-western state of Jalisco, you will find tacos and sandwiches smothered – or drowned, which is what ahogada means – in a delicious spicy sauce.
Torta ahogada, or drowned sandwich, is made from pulled pork, onions, and a mild tomato garlic salsa stuffed in a thick salty bun, which is soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Then the sandwich is ‘drowned’ in a spicy tomato and chile de árbol sauce . You can ask for the amount of sauce you like: a quarter portion, half portion, or fully drowned (‘muerte’).
Torta ahogada is commonplace in Guadalajara, and it’s considered by the city as its signature sandwich – but it’s not as easy to find elsewhere in Mexico.
The sandwich is said to be created in Guadalajara in the early 1900s by accident: a street vendor accidentally let a sandwich fall into a bowl of salsa, but the customer insisted on taking it and ended up loving it. Soon the word spread about the intense flavor and heat of this ‘drowned’ sandwich, and the rest is history!
- Bonus Mexican Dish: Tacos ahogados, or drowned tacos, are similarly made with pork and the spicy árbol sauce – try them with a squeeze of lime
Tacos Gobernador
Tacos gobernador are cheesy shrimp tacos named after the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, in the early 1990s.
As the origin story/myth goes, the governor had mentioned that he loved his wife’s shrimp tacos, so a local restaurant tried many recipes to outdo his partner’s cooking. When the governor finally tasted the tacos, he liked them so much that he called them Tacos gobernador, or governor’s tacos!
To make the dish, tortillas are filled with a combination of Pacific shrimp, coriander, onions, tomatoes, and LOTS of cheese. The tacos are then grilled and brushed with butter until slightly crispy and all the cheese is melted.
The best place to find tacos gobernador is in Sinaloa and Baja California, where they are also quite popular. You can make tacos gobernador at home as well – try them with lime and some chili sauce!
Chongos Zamoranos
Looking for a sweet Mexican dessert to end your meal? Try Chongos Zamoranos, a dessert made of curdled milk that may look unusual – it looks a bit like a cooked brain – but tastes like a cinnamon-custard soup. The texture of the sweetened curds are somewhat chewy and served in a caramel-colored sauce.
Chongos Zamoranos were first made by nuns in covenants in the Mexican state of Michoacán during colonial times. These nuns perfected Spanish-influenced sweets using local ingredients, which are now favorite local desserts, like ates, which are cubed jellies made in different fruit flavors that you can now find in many Mexican sweet shops!
Gazpacho Morelia
Morelia, the colorful capital of the state of Michoacán, has its own unique spin on fruit salad with Gazpacho Morelia. It has nothing to do with the Spanish tomato soup, Gazpacho, but is more like a pico de gallo fruit salad.
Made with pineapple, melon, mango, and jicama (a sweet, crunchy root vegetable), Gazpacho Morelia is like a layered fruit cup – first, a layer of fruits (and slightly sweet tasting vegetables), then a sprinkling of salt, chilli, orange juice, vinegar, lemon, cheese, and a tiny bit of chopped onion. Repeat until the dish is full.
Definitely give Gazpacho Morelia a try on a hot day in Morelia – you can often find it sound from street carts around the city.
By the way, once last tip before we part: eating fruit sprinkled with salt and chilli may sound strange, but it’s a quite popular and delicious Mexican flavor combination! If you try just one thing in this post, it should be watermelon sprinkled with tajin, a Mexican spice mix that’s sold pretty much everywhere in the US. Once you start eating watermelon smothered with tajin, you’ll never be able to go back to plain watermelon (or canteloupe, or mango….) ever again.
About the Author: For more of Lauren’s insider travel advice about Mexico and beyond, visit her blog Northern Lauren to read more of her posts, such as 10 Books You Must Read About Mexican Culture.
Planning a trip to Mexico? Take a look at these posts:
- 12 Sun-Soaked Things to Do in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
- The Perfect 3- or 4-Day Puerto Vallarta Itinerary
Editor’s Note: This post was created by a guest writer. We at Practical Wanderlust do our best to vet information before publishing, but occasionally our guest writers share their personal opinions. Please note that our guest writer’s opinions do not necessarily reflect our personal opinions! If you’d like to write your own guest post for us, please take a look at our guidelines.
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Crevel Europe says
I love Mexican food. Pics are looking yummy. Loves your post but too much of ad.
Lia Garcia says
We definitely hear you! Unfortunately, those ads are what pay our bills and make it possible to post content on our blog that’s free for anyone to read. Thanks for understanding!
Rosanna Lewis says
What a lackluster review did you just read street vendor signs and get a check for your lack of cultural understanding and appreciation? What did you actually try that was obscure? Happy travels and tastes in the next review❤
Pedro Covarrubias says
Not enough aknowledgment about exotic Mexican food. You skip Barbacoa cooked underground, jumiles, visas, caldo chilpachole, sopa de papa, sopa de lima,ostiones en su concha, panuchos, cochinita pibil, just for mention a small part. You have not any idea because you need to travel through all Mexican States to learn about the exotic and rich Mexican culinary scope.
Lia Garcia says
You’re so right! We have only seen a very small part of Mexico. Mmmm, your list made us so hungry 😛
Alejandro Perez says
“Obscure” This article is so freaking dumb.
Zoe Campos says
I used to live next to a friendly Mexican who brought good Menudo soup over when she heard that I was drunk and wasted from last night’s party. I haven’t seen her for years now, but it’s really enticing to see that there is a lot of Mexican food I haven’t tried yet. Based on the photos and the descriptions you’ve written, I think I wanted to try cabrito, as I am curious as to what barbecued goat tastes like. I hope I am able to find a good Mexican food restaurant nearby to see if any of these meals are served there.
John Schubert says
Too many pop up Ads to be able to read this article. Too bad. I gave up.
Lia Garcia says
Unfortunately, the annoying pop-up ads are how we earn an income!
James Anthony says
The reality is that the street food scene in Mexico City is so enormous that you could probably eat street food a year and not hit the same stand twice.
Smokee says
Try chihuahuas cousine, delicious and cheap too.
Diana says
Por favor no tiene nada de obscuro esta comida y es perfectamente conocida por los mexicanos. Y lo que les falta por conocer. No se imaginan las delicias. Please, this food has no darkness and it’s perfectly known by Mexican. I’m so proud being Mexican!!!
Lia Garcia says
Estamos de acuerdo! We love trying new foods and new things and although we have not personally tasted them all, we love many of the foods on this list.
Ywillarshaven says
I think menudo is much more common than posole in the United states. I also don’t agree that hard tacos are not Mexican. We make tacos dorado all the time in a disco in Mexico. They are just stuffed before being fried. Anyway, pulque is used in cooking in jalisco and made in a stew form in Carne en Pulque. Chorizo is well known but try Longaniza. Like tacos, try Sopes or Sopitos. Cabrito which is goat, prepared so different through out Mexico, try it in Birria. Mexican food is amazingly diverse from one state to the other. Love it!
Practical Wanderlust says
Thanks for these suggestions! We will definitely have to try these
Henry says
Meh. go back and eat your tasteless turkey sandwich. We, the real carnivore humans do eat and enjoy organ meats as well as cow stomach.
Lia Garcia says
You and my husband both!
H says
Clearly this was an article for a person of NON-MEXICAN background or Mexican background but that has never had the chance to try any of these…
Nancy says
All of these can be made vegan style. That’s how we eat them
Lia Garcia says
Yummm that sounds good!
Nicole D. says
This article isn’t helpful or informative, nor should it be written by a white lady that refuses to try half the things on the list. Its disrespectful to culture and Mexican people. Just because you dislike a food does not make it “disgusting” or “obscure” and I cannot believe you thought writing this was a good idea.
Lia Garcia says
Hey Nicole, that’s fair feedback and at the time of publication (2017) we weren’t thinking critically enough about the quality of our guest posts. Moving forward we will better vet our contributing writers!
Tino says
Not sure what’s the criteria to name certain foods ‘obscure’.
But none of the foods mentioned here are obscure in my list.
I guess Escamoles and Huitlacoche aren’t known by many people, so I’ll give you those.
But menudo definitely isn’t obscure by any measure!
I love menudo, as millions of people do. There are people who can’t stand the odor, like my wife, but once they taste it, they reckon it isn’t bad or as bad as they thought.
There are people that hate the taste, but all those people actually know what menudo is, so it isn’t obscure, or unknown, just disliked by many.
Anyway, rant over, I’m still glad that many of our foods are given more spotlight outside México.
You should do a piece on tortas, there aren’t many people aware of them, my favorite is Torta de la Barda, from my hometown; the port and city of Tampico Tamaulipas, known also as El Puerto Jaibo.
Tortas Ahogadas from Guadalajara are very good too.
Lilia says
Loved reading this! First time I actually see someone giving examples of REAL Mexican food! My mouth watered at almost everything mentioned!
Andres Andrade says
Next time at least try ALL of the dishes you are describing or attempting to describe…you’ve got one foot out the door and the other comfortably inside. Mexican cuisine is way to rich in taste, spice, and culture to be shortchanged like this, you cheated the reader and you cheated yourself.
Beni says
It’s really sad having these foods listed and the author basically saying “I haven’t tried them yet” so what’s the point? It would have been better to have a some kind of actual opinion so readers could know what they actually taste like.
Pambazo is really not obscure either, it’s served on many restaurants in the US.
Lia Garcia says
Hey Beni, you are absolutely right and we apologize for not better vetting our contributing writers before publication. We have learned a lot since publishing this back in 2017 and these days we are much more careful to ensure that the tone of our contributed articles is respectful, vetted, and fact-checked.
Ritchi Garcia says
How can you make a post about Mexican food and dog on one of the dishes. That’s our culture ur making judgments about and I find your thoughts on Menudo disrespectful. I’m a normal human and love the hell out of some menudo!
Lia Garcia says
Hey Ritchi, you are absolutely right and we apologize for not better vetting our contributing writers before publication.
Damian Juarez says
Lauren your post is straight up offensive and culturally insensitive. A Mexican or first generation Mexican American would cringe, as I did, at the things you wrote about our food. You don’t eat menudo because you “have respect for yourself?” Excuse me. Menudo is one of the most ubiquitous dishes you’ll find in Mexican kitchens in the US and south of the border. It’s in no way obscure because Mexicans love it and you’ll find it in any place you can find Mexican immigrants- from Oregon to LA to Detroit, Michigan. Your commentary isn’t sassy at all, it’s just rude and misinformed. You say youre a blogger but you haven’t even eaten half the things on your list so where do you get off passing judgement on these foods cause they sound kinda weird to you. Stick to what you know and leave the food blogging to writers who actually have a connection and familiarity to the culture they’re writing about.
Lia Garcia says
This is a fair call. In the future we will be much more vigilant about vetting the opinions and expertise of our guest writers. Thanks for your feedback!
manuel says
Tacos de Canasta refers to the cooking method. They are”steamed”using a steaming basket. Which is usually then covered with a cloth. If you like the tenderness of steamed foods, then this is for you. They are also commonly called (tacos al vapor”.
manuel says
Most of theseare commonly found. Mexican restaurants and grocerystores acrossTexas and New Mexico. corPayde elote is commonly found in theMecican grocery does ofNew Mex and Texas as “Corn Pie”. they are great choices of food for those that did not growupwith thecuisine. Menu Do is considered a sort of symbol of nationalpride and symbol of indigenous heritage.
El chingon says
so, your comment on having “enough self respect to not eat menudo” seems like a jab at those of us Mexicans who do like menudo. Us “real Mexicans” do have self respect, and a sence of culinary culture. Perhaps you should stick to taco bell.
Lia Garcia says
You are absolutely right and we apologize for not better vetting our contributing writers before publication. I’ve amended the post to remove that bit and I apologize for not removing it when we originally published this post!
Rudy says
Great article, on the menudo. I grew up eating the broth with shredded tortillas. As I started getting older and going to the in-laws and didn’t want to seem rude, I started eating it…. “Light meat please!” Y las Tortas Ahogadas, My Goodness I can’t believe you mentioned them. My absolute favorite. De Guadalajara, they finally have a restaurant here in Chicago just like home. Yes they are the best hangover cure!
Lia Garcia says
Jeremy’s family makes Menudo each year for Christmas and they tear up tortillas and soak up the soup with them, but I never thought to add shredded tortillas in the soup itself! Will have to try that next year.
Cox says
Well, although I enjoyed the reading, I know all of this dishes and drink, nothing obscure about them. Very well known in our country. I particularly don’t like menudo, and I like Posh instead of Pulque if it’s well done.
Judd Belstock says
We make Pulque at Dos Luces Brewery in Denver!
Efren says
Your writing is offensive in so many ways. Típica perspective from a foreigner that doesn’t understand culture.
Lia Garcia says
Hey Efren, you are absolutely right and we apologize for not better vetting our contributing writers before publication.
Diana Mendoza says
How can you write a blog post about Mexican food, when you haven’t tried most of the things you are writing about? From my perspective, it sounds like you’re bashing Mexican food instead of writing positive reviews. Your entire article is nothing more than a negative representation of not only Mexican food, but also Mexicans. I found your post derogatory and offensive!
Lia Garcia says
Hey Diana, you are absolutely right and we apologize for not better vetting our contributing writers better. I have made some amendments and I apologize for the offensive tone of the original post. We will do a better job scrutinizing our contributed articles before publication moving forward.
Roberto Covarrubias says
Great choice of Mexican delicacies! I would not call them obscure as they are very traditional dishes that we, Mexicans, eat quite often. The problem is that Mexican food in the US is depicted as just burritos and tacos!
The Mexican gastronomy is very vast!
Xochitl says
Chinicuil isn’t flying ant, it’s a type of worm, flying ant is chicatana.
Lia Garcia says
Ooh thank you for the clarification! We’ll update our post.
Casa Vega says
Great post. Awesome food. Thanks for sharing the valuable information.
TheRicker says
Torta ahogada. You forgot Guadalajara’s most famous sandwich.
Lia Garcia says
Is it obscure? 😛
Lizbeth Romero says
if you dont want to try menudo theres a vegetarian one you can try. Its made of some type of mushroom called zetas. Its the same thing but with mushrooms. Anyway menudo and pancita are my favorite mexican dish.
Lia Garcia says
Ooooh that sounds WAY more up my alley than tripe! Definitely going to look for that.
Jimmie Salaiz says
Yes or Pozole Roja. It is basically the same thing as Menudo which is awesome, but intstead of tripe it is just chunks of puerco (pork). Both should have plenty of hominy as well.
Greg says
Although they both do have hominy,Pozole is nothing like Menudo. Pozole is eaten with cabbage, while menudo is eaten with oregano. My mother is from Guadalajara, my father from Zacatecas. I grew up eating both. My mother made menudo once every month and donated it to our church which they would sell it on Sundays. And I would have to say I prefer menudo hands down. Although most people I know prefer Pozole.
Pedro Covarrubias says
Not really, pozole is different there are several versions, red from Michoacán, white from Jalisco, green I do not know, served with pork chicken or beans (Yucatan state) and many other recipes.
KJ says
Pozole doesn’t get nearly as much gelatin as menudo does (from the tripe). Put menudo and pozole in the fridge side by side and they’ll firm up different. You have two diff broths with two diff meats and are saying they are basically the same….
Tammie Bradfute says
Loved reading ur blog. I am going to retire in PV. (Hopefully in next 5 yrs) I fell in love with it the 1st time I visited in 1986,so I Loved reading this
THANK U FOR SHARING
Amanda Drew says
I like the sound of the tacos envenenados; that’s fun that the ingredients are so secret. I just moved to a new place, and I really want some Mexican food that I haven’t ever tried before. Maybe a Mexican restaurant near me will serve these tacos.
Adele Miner says
I definitely haven’t heard of a lot of these, but I love mexican food so I will definitely have to give some a try! So glad I came across your blog, I always love finding new ones like yours to add to my reading list! x
Lia says
If you see them outside of Mexico, let me know! I’d be super stoked to find somewhere serving weird authentic Mexican food 😀
Genie Patra says
yeah those are all definitely interesting to say the least. and i haven’t heard of any of them. Would totally be willing to try each one though!
Lia says
Kudos to you for being such an adventurous eater!
Alex Mendoza says
When General Washington’s troops were freezing during the Continental War his soldiers were fed a version of menudo.
Meg says
I never thought I would chuckle reading a blog post about food, but I just did! Strangely enough, a few of these sound bizarrely appealing – drawing the line at cow’s stomach – although I bet I would chicken out at the time of ordering larvae and flying ants…
Lia says
You know, in the past month I’ve eaten crickets, ant larvae, AND grasshoppers. And not one of them was good enough to justify doing it again 😛 so maybe you’re not missing out on too much!
Taylor Fuller says
i feel really good about the fact that i knew what two of those were haha! great read!
Lia says
Nice! I knew 1, only because my husband is Mexican 😛
CTG says
Wow these are some awesome dishes that I have never heard of! Would love to try some 🙂 *Books trip to Mexico* – Thanks for sharing!
Lia says
Thank you!
Kyla says
Mmm, the Pambazo sounds amazing!! I’m not sure about the drink though…you really sold it with “snot like consistency” 🙂
Lia says
Hahaha Lauren clearly has a love/hate relationship with certain Mexican foods as you can see 😛
laurencocking says
Yay! Love it Lia. Thanks for letting me guest post on your site and bring the weird and wonderful world of PROPER Mexican food to the public’s attention haha. Jeremy, you are so wrong about menudo though…