Mexican Street Food
From tacos to tamales, sample Mexico's world-famous cuisine right here in Australia. Discover some of the best snacks to order.
These days, any city worth its salt is home to a Mexican cantina or two — and thank god for that. Diverse, complex and impossibly satisfying — not to mention unbelievably delicious when paired with an ice cold brew — Mexican cuisine has built itself a global fan base for very good reason. But while you can now get your torta or quesadilla fix from almost anywhere, there’s truly no better way to sample Mexico’s culinary treasures than a tour of its street stalls. So brush up on your Spanish, stuff some pesos into your pockets, and get ready to understand why Mexico has repeatedly been crowned king of the global street food scene.
Mexican Street Food
Fun facts about
Two common ingredients that are traditionally left out of guacamole.
The date the invention of tamales can be traced back to.
The average amount of tortillas a Mexican family consumes.
When Mexican food was declared a Masterpiece of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
A BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF MEXICAN STREET FOOD
Although each Mexican street snack has its own origin story — from the elote that can be traced back to pre-colonial times to the taco that was supposedly invented by silver miners — the general rise of Mexican street food is intertwined with the country’s industrialisation process. Workers flowed into cities and these labourers needed access to cheap, quick meals to sustain them through the workday. Enter the practical tortilla. Portable, mess-free and easily served up in various forms, these corn wraps started being sold at little stalls all over the country’s cities. And it wasn’t long before practically everyone, from office workers to housewives, was eating at least a few of their weekly meals on the streets.
But the tortilla didn’t spring into being with industrialisation; this nifty corn wrap has been around since the Aztec and Mayan civilisations. In fact, contemporary Mexican food — both on and off the street — owes a whole lot to these ancient civilisations. Corn, for example, was considered a gift from the gods by the Mayans and the sacred crop was used in virtually every meal, and still is today.
THE MANY VARIETIES OF MEXICAN STREET FOOD
Whether your knowledge of Mexican cuisine begins and ends with tacos, or you can rattle off dozens of your favourite dishes with ease, the endless options can overwhelm even the most confident foodie. To guide your gustatory adventuring, here’s our roundup of the ten best snacks Mexico’s streets have to offer.
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TORTAS
This lunchtime staple is essentially a massive sandwich filled to bursting with an endless variety of meats, cheeses and sauces. -
TLAYUDAS
An Oaxacan speciality, massive crispy tortillas are slathered with refried beans and pork lard, and topped with meat, salad, salsa and the iconic Oaxaca cheese. -
TAMALES
One of Mexico's most emblematic foods, the tamale sees any number of fillings enveloped in corn dough, wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. -
TACOS
Ah, the ubiquitous and mouthwatering taco. Whatever filling you stuff into your corn tortilla, don't skimp on the salsa. -
QUESADILLAS
Similar to a taco but served in a longer corn tortilla, authentic quesadillas don't always involve cheese. Popular fillings include meat, mushrooms, potato and chorizo. -
GORDITAS
The Mexican version of the arepa, these corn pastries are stuffed full with meat, cheese or beans, and then fried. -
ELOTES
This gloriously messy street favourite features a skewered corn cob that's roasted and then slathered with cheese, mayo and chilli. -
CHICHARRÓNES
These addictive, crispy sheets of fried pork skin are best served with a generous splash of hot sauce. -
CAMOTES
This decadent sweet treat sees sweet potatoes or plantains cooked over charcoal and topped with condensed milk and strawberry jam. -
PALETAS
These delightful frozen treats are prepared with fresh fruit often blended with cream. Perfect for steamy days, flavours range from watermelon to tamarind.
EATING ETIQUETTE
Rule numero uno when it comes to eating Mexican street food like a local? Ditch the cutlery. The prominence of the hand-held tortilla means most street snacks don’t require silverware. In fact, going in on your taco or torta with a knife and fork is considered a little snobby — which is never a good look. While you might spill some salsa on your T-shirt, it’s all part of the fun.
Another thing to remember: it’s considered polite to leave a little bit of food on your plate when you’re done eating. So no matter how tempted you are to pop that last tasty morsel into your mouth, you’ll look a whole lot better if you resist.
Finally, eating in Mexico — whether at home, in fancy restaurants, cantinas, or street stalls — is a decidedly social affair. Solid banter is considered as important as the quality of the food. But while sustained conversation is obviously more expected at a sit-down meal, exchanging a few pleasantries with the stall owner or striking up a casual chat with the other patrons will make for a more authentic street food experience.
A PERFECT COMBINATION
There are few better accompaniments to a hearty Mexican feed than an icy bottle of beer. Seriously, sitting down with a tamale in one hand and a beer in the other is one very tempting version of foodie nirvana. But don’t go for any old brew; for the best experience you’ll want to pick a beer that pairs well with the spicy, smoky, complex flavours of most Mexican dishes.
James Squire One Fifty Lashes is a great counterbalance for spicy, meat-heavy dish, like gorditas or tlayudas, while XXXX Summer Bright Lager is excellent for quenching any thirst brought on by spicy foods like elotes. Add in James Squire The Swindler, and you’ve got a refreshing, dry hopped beer to round out your flavour-packed meal.
Craving more? Learn about your favourite foods in our Encyclopedia of Eats with even more beer pairings by Beer The Beautiful Truth.
Illustrations: Barry Patenaude.
Images: Kimberley Low.
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