An Easy Recipe

Each country has its own unique food traditions. Mexico is certainly no exception in this regard, with many fascinating (and delicious) Mexican food traditions which are all its own. Some of these Mexican food customs include preparing and serving special recipes for holidays and other important events. Some of these holiday dishes are world famous, while others are lesser known, being rarely seen outside of Mexico.

Mexican Holidays And Recipes

Cinco de Mayo is the most well known of any of the country’s national holidays. Every May 5th, celebrations are held in the Mexican state of Puebla – though it is considered a minor event in other parts of the country. Many people celebrate this holiday in the US, with a lot of Americans mistakenly thinking that this holiday commemorates Mexico’s independence from Spain. However, Cinco de Mayo is actually a holiday celebrating a victory over the French in Puebla back in’62!

It is in the state of Puebla that this holiday is celebrated with special Cinco de Mayo recipes. In the rest of the country, it is regarded as a minor holiday, despite how popular this commemoration is in the United States. Puebla’s Cinco de Mayo dishes often include mole, a traditional Mexican recipe which hails from this state.

One traditional Cinco de Mayo recipe often made in Puebla for this holiday is turkey cooked in a mole sauce. This would be mole poblano in particular (the name means “Puebla-style mole”), a rich, nutty and spicy sauce which is worth every bit of the considerable time and effort needed to make it. Turkey is a popular food in Puebla and in fact, in much of the country. Turkey shows up not only here, but also in many Mexican recipes, even some of Mexico’s other special holiday dishes.

Christmas And The Feast Of Epiphany

Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country, which celebrates Christmas (of course) as well as the feast days of many saints and other religious holidays. No country celebrates like Mexico, especially when it comes to holiday food! Christmas Mexican food traditions include the traditional Christmas morning “posada,” a sort of morning dinner party.

The traditional posada meal might include dishes like turkey soup, codfish with gravy, punch with marshmallows, and mashed potatoes served with a spicy cranberry sauce. Making this already festive holiday meal even more so is the presence of a piata, something which adds a fun Mexican flair to the holiday.

In Mexico, the feast of Epiphany is also celebrated with special food and drink. The Spanish-style ring shaped Epiphany cake was introduced to Mexico and has become a Mexican food tradition of its own. The addition of hot chocolate, a drink which is a new world innovation is a Mexican addition to this holiday meal.

Of course, no discussion of typical Mexican food traditions can omit the Mexican celebration of All Saints Day, or Dia de los Muertos as it is known here. On this day, pumpkin candy and other special treats are served, including pan de muertos, a small loaf of bread, which is glazed and sprinkled with colored sugar. These loaves are decorated with small pieces of bread shaped like bones and even skulls!

The most famous food tradition connected with Dia de los Muertos is the making of the colorful, skull shaped candies called sugar skulls. These are made from sugar which is pressed into molds and decorated, sometimes very elaborately – many of these candies are works of art which are simply to wonderful to eat!

Mexican food traditions, like those of other countries are a reflection of their culture. Mexico’s unique blend of Spanish and indigenous cultures and culinary traditions are easy to see in the food traditions which make up an important part of many holiday celebrations in the country.

Authentic Mexican food recipe ideas might be hard to think of but if you have a look at MexicanFoodRecipes.org you will be able to find plenty of tasty recipe inspiration to try out on your family. Most authentic Mexican food is healthy and low in fat as well as delicious.

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