“There are no Taco Bell outlets in Mexico. We don’t like it,” says chef Tania Tovar. While the global fast food chain succeeded driving on Mexican cuisine, it is far from authentic. For example, “there is no such thing as hard-shelled tacos. They are rather soft, like the Indian rotis,” says the Mexican chef, who is in Delhi for the Mexican Food Festival at Hilton Garden Inn Saket.
While nachos and burritos might appear to be staple, “we only have nachos in movie theatres, and even there, we prefer popcorn. The toppings just consist of jalapenos and melted cheese unlike elsewhere where they use such extensive toppings. Coming to burritos, I eat it hardly once a year. It isn’t that common”, she says.
Despite being one of just six culinary traditions recognised as Intangible Heritage by the Unesco, it is largely recognised by tacos, nachos, chillies, and at most churros. “Nachos isn’t even authentically Mexican. It is Tex-Mex food,” the chef interjects, highlighting that the expanse of the cuisine goes much beyond that.
Interestingly, there are just a few primary ingredients—chillies, beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic and corn, the most consumed grain in the country.
Corn, which is different in Mexico as it isn’t sweet but has an earthy flavour, is used to prepare a host of dishes—tetelas, quesadillas, tostada and, of course, tacos. “It depends on the shape. If it’s triangle, it’s tetelas, when folded, it’s quesadillas, and when fried, it’s called tostada,” the chef explains. The fillings can be as per one’s liking—vegetables, meats, herbs or chillies.
At the Mexican Food Festival, you can experience a delicious serving of tetelas with potatoes inside, however, black beans, too, make for a good filling. Similarly, while the food fest offers lamb tamales, the popular Mexican dish made again with masa, or corn dough, and then steamed in corn husk or banana leaves, can come with a range of fillings such as meats, vegetables, chillies, cheese, herbs and even fruit.
While authentic Mexican expands beyond the mostly known dishes, Spanish cuisine, too, has had a major influence, given that Mexico was a former Spanish colony. Take for example, empanadas, which looks exactly like the Indian sweet gujiya—only that they are savoury and stuffed with tomatoes, chillies and corn.
Mexican cuisine is known for its flavours. Chef Tania attributes much of it to the cooking, which is extensive and slow-burning. For example, for making masa, “we first dry the corn, then cook it again to rehydrate it. We then keep it overnight, grind it the next day to make a paste, and then make the masa with it”, she adds.
