How to Eat Great Food on a Budget When Traveling in Mexico

The country of Mexico has a variety of wonderful foods that may not be well known to those living far from the border. Growing up in Ohio, my family's knowledge of Mexican food was limited to going to local restaurants and ordering tacos. While spending two years living in the Yucatan region of Mexico, my knowledge of the real food of Mexico grew tremendously. It isn't necessary to go to five star restaurants to get a great meal because there are amazing cooks just about everywhere. Food was plentiful and cheap, especially if you knew where to look. Here are tips on eating well on a budget, and trying lesser known foods that are definitely worth trying.

Fruit and vegetables

When in Mexico, look for stores labeled, "Fruteria" (fruit store). Here, you will find an impressive selection of produce. A really good fruit that isn't seen much away from the tropics is called Sapote. To me, this unassuming brown fruit tastes like a combination of peaches and apples. It is sweet and addictive. Sapotes are offered in different sizes, but all are sweet and very nutritious. Also, make sure to have pineapple in Mexico, which is so wonderfully sweet and fresh there. Avocados are delicious just smeared on bread with a little salt. I saw avocados the size of footballs there, and they were fleshy and wonderful in salad.

Tamales, Empanadas and Enchiladas

These favorites are usually easy to find around most towns. In Cancun and Playa del Carmen, there were stands selling them wherever tourists and locals were. Look for stainless steel kettles with lids, with the vendor on a three wheeled cart. You are offered a choice, usually, of different flavors. Different regions may offer a different selection, for example, coastal towns may offer seafood fillings, where inland offerings may be chicken or pork. Allow yourself to be adventurous and try a few kinds, as the food is very cheap this way. My favorite tamales were chicken or mole, beef empanadas and pork enchiladas. The smell of the cooking food is intoxicating, as is the taste. Sauces are offered, such as fresh salsa (made with tomatoes and red ), salsa verde (made with tomatillos, green and hot), and guacamole (made with avocados and lighter green). The cooks work hard to bring you this food. I lived near one, who was up before dawn, working hard in her hut, making the most amazing pastries, then selling them to workers early in the morning. She would set her cart under a big Ceiba tree, and offer fresh squeezed orange juice in baggies, empanadas and enchiladas for only a few pesos each. By mid-morning, after all her offerings were sold she'd drive her cart home and begin chopping mountains of vegetables to prepare food for the next day. Everything was spotlessly clean and fresh. This was the best food, ever.

Mole

Mole is a sauce, comprised of many different ingredients including dark chocolate, plantains, peanuts, sesame seeds, spices and peppers among others. Everything is ground into a rich and amazing concoction that is not sweet as you may expect but savory with a slight hint of sweetness. Mole is served at weddings and special occasions all over Mexico, and there may be regional differences depending on what part of the country you are in. It is usually served over turkey or chicken enchiladas. If you're lucky, there may be a vendor who sells chicken mole tamales. This special dish is worth trying, and is also good in flour tortillas with queso fresco (a mild, crumbly cheese).

The foods of Mexico are much more diverse than the Tex-Mex you find at fast food chains. Allow yourself to be adventurous while in Mexico, and try some of the local flavors from vendors. We all worry about getting sick from eating unsanitary food, so just make sure the stands you choose to eat from are well maintained and the food is covered. I ate from vendors daily while living in Mexico, saving the fancy restaurants for special occasions. They are wonderful too, but eating at those adds up quickly, if you're on a budget. Let the locals show you the good stands, ask and they will be happy to tell you of their favorites. It's a wonderful country so forego the chili and American cheese, and go for the real Mexican fare. You will be amazed at how fresh and wonderful it truly is.