Mexican Food Ingredient Descriptions and Definitions

Have you ever tried to make Mexican food and weren't sure exactly what the recipe called for? Maybe, you knew what the item was, but not what it was made of? Here is a type of glossary to help you better understand what you are serving.

One of the main items in most Mexican recipes is chilies. There is a variety.

The first is an Ancho. An Ancho is a heart shaped Chile about 3" long that is a deep dark red. It can be dried or soaked and is often used in chili powder.

You may have heard of Chipotle sauce, but what exactly is chipotle? Chipotle is a very hot red pepper about 2" long.

The most popular chili pepper is the jalapeno. A jalapeno is a shiny dark green color about 2" long and is the hottest of the peppers. They can be eaten, raw, pickled or in hot relish.

A Manzano pepper is a yellowish green color and is 1-2" long. It is a milder chili pepper than other Mexican kinds.

Molido is a pure ground red chili pepper. It is usually ground and in a powder form.

Serrano is a tapered green chili 1 to 2" long and is pretty hot. It is canned, pickled or used in oils.

Chili sauce can have one or more of those chili peppers. I usually use a jar and have never made my own.

Taco Sauce is green or red depending on the chili used. It is made from dried chilies and is usually found in a can or jar.

When it comes to coverings or breads there are quite a few different ones used often.

A Bolillo is a hard roll that looks kind of like a French roll. Often used for sandwiches.

Tortilla is perhaps the most common type of bread used for Mexican food. These are most often made of corn and hold things like tacos and enchiladas.

Burrito is a softer tortilla that rolls easily. We often think of it filled with refried beans.

Masas Harina is a dehydrated corn flour. Added to water it makes a dough often referred to as masa.

Some common Mexican spices are also used in a variety of recipes

Coriander is a round pale yellow color plant.

Cilantro is very popular. It has a unique taste and comes from coriander leaves.

Cumino, better known as cumin, is an aromatic seed which is yellow brown or yellow gray. It is used for flavoring.

When is comes to unique to Mexico vegetables and fruits, there are a few you may not know too much about.

Frijoles sound like a big deal, but they are really just pinto beans.

Refritos are refried pinto beans.

Jicama is not very commonly known. It is a large root vegetable with a grayish brown skin. It has the texture of a potato or water chestnut, but tastes more like a radish. It is usually used in salads and appetizers.

A Mango is an oblong yellow-orange colored tropical fruit. Nice and sweet, you can eat it raw or in a fruit salad.

Some miscellaneous other foods include chorizo, which is a seasoned Mexican sausage. It is similar to Italian sausage.

Sopaipilla is a deep fried fritter. It is often served as a dessert with butter, honey or powdered sugar.

Pepitas are a toasted and salted seed from pumpkins. Some can be spicy and some sweet.

Now that you understand the basics, why not put on Placido Domingo, check out a few recipes and get cooking?

Adios Amigos!