MAIN INGREDIENTS
Betabeles is a traditional beet salad. It's usually made with a combination of beets, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, lemon juice, grated orange zest, salt, and pepper. The beets are boiled in a saucepan until the skin blisters, and the beets are then drained, cooled, and the skin is peeled off.
Other ingredients are mixed in a saucepan and boiled until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve. The beets are added to the pan, the mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper and heated until the beets become hot. This beet salad is served immediately, while still warm.
Chongos Zamoranos is a Mexican dessert prepared with raw milk, egg yolks, and rennet tablets. The dish is ready when the milk curdles and develops a rubbery, sponge-like consistency, and it is then flavored with cinnamon and sugar. This dessert is traditionally prepared in earthenware clay pots (cazuelas), and it is served by topping the curds with sugar syrup that has separated in the pot.
The word chongos in the name of the dessert means curds. Chongos Zamoranos is so popular in Mexico that it can even be bought in cans. It is believed that this dessert was invented in the colonial-era convents in the town of Zamora, hence the name.
MOST ICONIC Chongos Zamoranos
Charales is a Mexican specialty dish consisting of small, deep-fried, minnow-sized fish consumed with salt, chilis, and a squeeze of lime juice. They are usually served as a snack or as an appetizer, although charales can also be used as a taco filling.
There is also a dried version of charales that is especially popular during Lent, when the fish is cooked with nopales, green salsa, and wild herbs.
Romeritos is a traditional dish from the southern parts of the country, usually prepared during the festive Christmas season and Lent. The name of the dish comes from a wild plant with the same name, similar to rosemary in appearance, and to spinach in terms of its tart and slightly salty flavor.
The dish appears on the tables of both rich and poor people, and is usually prepared in a thick mole sauce with potatoes, nopales cactus, and dried shrimp patties.
MOST ICONIC Romeritos
Aromatic capirotada is the Mexican version of bread pudding, consisting of old bread, chunks of nuts and fruits, cinnamon, brown sugar, sweet syrup, and cheese on top. The combination of these ingredients is traditionally baked in an oven. Fruits might include coconuts, apples, bananas, raisins, and dates, while nuts range from peanuts to pine nuts.
Capirotada was originally a savory dish in pre-colonial Spain, when it was mostly associated with the Jewish people and the Moors. Over time, the dish made its way to the New World, where it became the tasty dessert that we know today. It is closely associated with Lent, being a great way to use up all of the leftovers before fasting.
Chinicuiles is a Mexican dish prepared with maguey worms that infest the root of the maguey and agave plants before they're harvested for human consumption. They're traditionally harvested in Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. These worms are the same ones that can be found at the bottom of a mezcal bottle.
They are red, fleshy, and very nutritious, containing high amounts of protein. The worms can be roasted or deep-fried, and they are usually served in a warm tortilla with green tomatoes, lime, chili, and salt. Chinicuiles can often be found in Oaxaca's markets.
MOST ICONIC Chinicuiles
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Colima-style ceviche is made with a combination of finely chopped white fish, lime juice, salt, and onions. The liquid is strained after the fish has marinated, and ingredients such as tomatoes, chili peppers, carrots, olives, vinegar, coriander, and olive oil are added later, making this a dry-style ceviche with no excess liquid.
It is recommended to serve Colima-style ceviche with toasted tortillas and hot sauce.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Ceviche
Ensalada de nopalitos is a traditional salad originating from Central Mexico. Although there are many versions, it's usually made with a combination of nopal cactus pieces, lime juice or vinegar, olive oil, oregano, onions, salt, and cilantro. The salad ingredients are simply mixed and set aside for the flavors to blend, for about an hour.
When served, a dish is lined with lettuce leaves and the salad is placed on top. It is then topped with jalapeño strips, sliced onions, crumbled queso fresco, and tomato pieces.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Jamoncillo is a type of Mexican fudge made with caramelized milk. It has a light brown color and a soft, fudgy texture. The basic version incorporates milk and sugar, but the additions often include nuts and various flavorings. The preparation is simple and involves heating the milk and sugar mixture until it is thick and caramelized.
It can be made with butter, condensed or evaporated milk, while the flavorings often include vanilla and sometimes cinnamon. Jamoncillo needs to set for several hours, and before serving, it is cut into small squares. It is sometimes decorated with nuts.
Sopa de albondigas is a Mexican dish consisting of small meatballs that are fried, then simmered in a tomato-based soup. The meatballs are usually made from turkey, chicken, or beef, seasoned with smoked paprika, coriander, garlic, onions, and breadcrumbs.
After being simmered in the soup, the dish is typically garnished with avocado slices, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions. This soup is often accompanied by corn tortillas with butter and salt on the side. It is believed that these savory meatballs originated as a Berber or Arab dish which was brought over to Spain, and later to Mexico via conquistadors.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “39 Worst Rated Mexican Foods” list until March 27, 2025, 28,541 ratings were recorded, of which 16,653 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.