The Most Important Mexican Spices
The Mexican spices which most of us think of first are cumin and chili peppers; however, cumin is actually a relative newcomer to Mexican cuisine, which was introduced by the Spaniards along with a few others, which we now think of as integral to Mexican cooking. Other spices including chilies, however, have been a part of the country’s culinary scene for many centuries, long predating the arrival or Europeans in the new world.
Chilies are one of the most ancient of Mexican spices, having been used for millennia. Hot peppers, just like bell peppers, potatoes and tomatoes are actually native to the Americas. Peppers have always been an important part of the diet in Mexico, a status they retain to this very day.
You are probably familiar with jalapeno peppers as an ingredient in salsas and (in pickled form) as a condiment and perhaps the smaller, slightly hotter Serrano pepper as well. There are dozens of different chilies, which make a regular appearance in traditional Mexican food; many, perhaps even most Mexican recipes would be nearly unthinkable without these spicy vegetables. Whether fresh, picked as in escabeche or dried and ground, ancho peppers, pasilla peppers and many others are an essential part of creating the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine.
Culantro, Mexican oregano and epazote are three common herbs used in Mexican cooking which are native to the Americas. Culantro is used widely in Central America and the Caribbean, but is largely unknown outside of the region. Like many other Mexican spices, it is easier to find in the US than it once was, but it has a flavor which is similar enough to cilantro that cilantro can safely be substituted if cilantro is unavailable.
Despite its name, Mexican oregano is not even a relative of the old world herb of the same name. While their flavors are similar enough that Greek oregano can be substituted if needed, this herb is actually related to lemon verbena, not oregano. Its flavor is slightly stronger than that of the oregano used in Greek and Italian cooking and can be found dried in Mexican groceries and specialty spice markets.
Epazote, on the other hand, is an herb for which there is no real substitute. This herb is used to flavor beans in traditional Mexican recipes. While its flavor is something like that of tarragon, it is not recommended to substitute this or any other herb in a Mexican recipe, which calls for epazote. It has a flavor which is all its own.
Cumin is a spice, which is strongly associated with Mexican cooking, just as it is with Greek, Turkish and other cuisines of the Mediterranean. It was the Spanish who introduced this spice to Mexico, where it quickly became a favorite and is now part of many Mexican dishes.
Mexican food is really one of the first examples of successful fusion cuisine in the world. The culinary tradition of Mexico is a blend of flavors, ingredients, and cooking methods from the new and old worlds, with foods and spices native to both the Americas and Europe. It has been a very successful pairing and Mexican spices new and old have made this country’s cuisine a favorite all over the world.
Learn the truth about Mexican food history and find out more about the wonderful recipes that make MexicanFoodRecipes.org a favorite with the whole family.
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