Mexican Street Food

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.

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.

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.