Mexican cuisine is primarily a fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican cooking with European, especially Spanish, elements added after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. The basic staples remain native foods such as corn, beans and chili peppers, but the Europeans introduced a large number of other foods, the most important of which were meat from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat and sheep), dairy products (especially cheese) and various herbs and lots of spices.
Street food in Mexico, called antojitos (literally "little cravings"), is prepared by street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Most of them include corn as an ingredient.
Aguachile
Bolillos (salty bread)
Burrito
Camote (Mexican sweet potato)
Caviar de Carpa
Gorditas
Gringas
Cemitas sandwiches
Chalupa
Chapulines and escamoles
Charales, small fish, basically a type of smelt
Chicharrón
Chilaquiles
Chiltomate
Chimichangas (Tex-Mex mostly)
Choriqueso
Chorizo
Churipo
Coachala
Ceviche
Cochinita pibil
Cocido
Cóctel de camarón and other seafood cocktails
Codzito
Cola de res con frijoles (beef tail with beans)
Corunda
Curtido
Elote
Enchilada (red or green)
Ensalada de fruta (fruit salad)
Enfrijoladas
Entomatadas
Filete de pescado al mojo de ajo
Filete de pescado empanizado
Flautas
Frijoles charros
Fritadas de camarón
Gorditas de carne
Huauzontles
Huaraches
Jicama
Jocoque
Lengua
Lentil soup (lentil beans)
Longaniza
Machaca
Mancha manteles
Memela
Menudo
Mixiotes
Mole de Olla
Mole Poblano
Molletes
Molotes
Moronga
Mulitas
Nachos
Pambazos
Panucho
Papadzules
Parilladas
Pastel Azteca
Pejelagarto
Picadillo
Pozole
Quesadillas
Quesos artesanales, Cheeses of Mexico
Rajas con crema
Romeritos
Salbutes
Sincronizadas
Sopes
Sopa de albondiga (meatball soup)
Tacos
Taco al pastor
Taco Sinaloa
Tamales
Taquitos
Tlacoyos
Tlayudas
Totopo
Tortas (sandwiches)
Tortas de.... – small omelettes similar to egg foo yung patties. See also romeritos.
Tortillas
Tostadas
Tripas
Venado (venison), particularly in the Yucatan.
Yuca (cassava)
Caldo de queso
Queso de cuajo
Queso flameado
Huevos divorciados
Huevos motuleños
Huevos rancheros
Albóndigas, Mexican meatballs
Bistec
Carne asada, grilled beef
Carne guisada, stewed beef in spiced gravy
Carne a la tampiqueña, carne asada that is usually accompanied by a small portion of enchiladas (or chilaquiles), refried beans, fresh cheese, guacamole, and a vegetable (often rajas; grilled slices of Poblano peppers).
Cecina – In Mexico, most cecina is of two kinds: sheets of marinated beef, and a pork cut that is pounded thin and coated with chili pepper (this type is called cecina enchilada or carne enchilada).
Milanesas – Chicken, beef, and a pork breaded fried bisteces.
Cabrito
Carnitas
Chilorio
Chorizo
Cochinita pibil
Poc Chuc
Pollo asado
Pollo Encacahuatado
Pollo motuleños
Pollo picado
Pollo rostizado
Other meat and protein dishes
Ancas de Rana al Mojo de Ajo
Barbacoa
Birria – a spicy stew from the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat meat or mutton
Chapulines – toasted grasshoppers seasoned with salt and lime.
Puntas
Queso de Puerco, head cheese prepared with vinegar, garlic, oregano and black pepper, among others. Wheels are often sold covered in paraffin wax. Non dairy.
Moles, sauces, dips and spreads
Guacamole
Mole blanco
Pipian – green or red, meat, pork
Salsa
Salsa chipotle
Arroz con camarones (rice with shrimp)
Arroz con huevo (rice with eggs)
Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken)
Arroz amarillo (yellow rice)
Arroz con lima (rice with lemon)
Arroz rojo (red rice)
Arroz verde (green rice)
Arroz con leche
Camarones al Mojo de Ajo
Huachinango a la Veracruzana
Aguachile
Soups and stews
Birria
caldo de pollo, chicken soup
caldo de res, beef soup
caldo de queso, cheese soup
caldo de camaron shrimp soup, typically made from dried shrimp
carne en su jugo, meat and beans in a meat broth
caldo de mariscos, seafood soup,
caldo tlalpeño, chicken, broth, chopped avocado, chile chipotle and fried tortilla strips or triangles - may include white cheese, vegetables, chickpeas, carrot, green beans
Chilpachole de jaiba
Fideos (noodles)
Menudo
Pozole
Sopa, typically pasta flavored with meat or tomato consomme
Sopa Azteca
Sopa de lima, from Yucatán
Sopa de pescado siete mares, a seven-fished bouillabaisse popular in the Gulf of California and Pacific areas
Sopa de pollo (chicken soup)
Sopa de tortilla (tortilla soup)
Sopa tarasca
Calabacitas a la mexicana
Chile relleno
Cuitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn plants, often served in soups
Frijoles
Frijoles pintos (pinto beans)
Frijoles negros (black beans)
Frijoles charros
Frijoles refritos (refried beans)
Nopalitos
Papas (potatoes)
Pico de gallo
Pastel azteca
Desserts and sweets
Mexico's candy and bakery sweets industry, centered in Michoacán and Mexico City, produces a wide array of products.
Alegrías
Alfajor
Amaranto
Arroz con leche, rice pudding
Bionico, a type of fruit salad with cream
Buñuelos
Cajeta
Capirotada
Carlota de limón
Champurrado
Chongos zamoranos, a milk candy named for its place of origin, Zamora, Michoacán.
Chocolate
Churros
Cocadas
Coyotas
Crepas de cajeta
Dulce de leche
Empanadas
Flan
Fresas con crema
Gelatina
Glorias
Gorditas de azucar
Ice cream ("nieves" and "helados"). Pancho Villa was noted as a devotee of ice cream. The Mexican ice cream industry is centered in the state of Michoacán; most ice cream stands in Mexico are dubbed La Michoacana as a tribute to Michoacán's acknowledged leadership in the production of this product.
Jamoncillos
Jarritos (spicy tamarindo candy in a tiny pot), as well as a brand of soda
Leche Quemada
Macarrones de dulce de leche
Mazapán de Cacahuate
Obleas
Paletas, popsicles (or ice lollies), the street popsicle vendor is a noted fixture of Mexico's urban landscape.
Pan de Acambaro (Acambaro bread), named for its town of origin, Acambaro, Guanajuato. Very similar to Jewish Challah bread, which may have inspired its creation.
Pan de muerto, sugar covered pieces of bread traditionally eaten at the Día de muertos festivity.
Pan de nata
Pan dulce, sweet pastries in many shapes and sizes that are very popular for breakfast. Nearly every Mexican town has a bakery (panaderia) where these can purchased.
Pastel de queso, cheesecake
Pastel de tres leches (Three Milk Cake)
Pepitorias
Platano
Plátano frito
Polvorón
Rosca de reyes,
Tacuarines, Biscochos, or Coricos
Drinks and coffee
Agua De Horchata
Aguas frescas
Atole
Bacanora
Barrilitos
Café de olla Coffee with cinnamon
Cerveza Mexican beers such as "Sol" and "Corona".
Champurrado
Chia Fresca
Chocolate Generally known better as a drink rather than a candy or sweet,
Colonche
Horchata
Jamaica (drink)
Jarritos (drink)
Jugos frescos
Lechuguilla (drink)
Liquado a drink that includes banana, chocolate, and sugar
Mexican beer and soft drinks are very popular and are major export products.
Mezcal
Michelada
Ponche
Pulque, a popular drink of the Aztecs
Sotol
Tejate
Tejuino
Tepache
Tequila
Tubâ
