Mexico Travel Guide: Nice to Know in Mexico

Despite the numerous cultural influences by dominant countries over others all over the world, Mexico stands on its own as a unique culture. Many special things set it apart from other Latin American countries and countries in the world, in general. The vast land of Mexico is more than just another piece of land; it’s an assemblage of sights, smells and sounds that sets the country apart. This section of the Mexico Travel Guide aims to showcase these unique attributes the country are endowed with, which could make your understanding and knowledge of the country that much more meaningful. It would definitely enrich your appreciation for this land of the Aztecs that have brought and given so much to the world – in culture, tradition, art and even in food.

Tequila

A highly alcoholic beverage that has been enjoyed by generations of Mexican and now one of the favorite drinks of not only by the common people but those in the middle and upper crusts of society. Tequila is usually taken neat in one shot, with a lick of salt prior to sipping the drink and sucking on a slice of lime after taking a sip. This method of serving is called tequila cruda, with the tequila served in a narrow shot glass called caballito. Tequila is highly prized, as it could take anywhere from eight to fourteen years before the fully mature piñas could be harvested.

The beverage was produced in the region with the same name in Mexico by the Aztecs in the 16th century, long before the Spanish came to Mexico. Its previous name was mezcal wine. The drink is distilled from the blue agave plant that is primarily grown in the highlands of Jalisco in western Mexico and in the northwest region of Guadalajara, which is about 65 kilometers from Tequila City. Mexico has the exclusive international right to the name tequila and the laws of the country state that the drink could only be produced in the state of Jalisco and in limited quantities in the states of Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Nayarit and Michoacán, where the volcanic red soil that the plant prefers is found.

Piñata

The colorful piñata, a paper-mache figure that comes in many forms, usually filled with goodies and struck with a piece of wood or bat during birthdays and other festive occasions is always associated with Mexico. However, it is believed that it actually originated from China and brought to Mexico by European explorers about the 14th century. It had become synonymous with the celebration of Lent in Europe. It was surely an effective tool, as it was used in the conversion of many pagans to Christianity. During the celebration of the birthday of Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, a piñata in the shape of a clay pot was placed in the temple, adorned with colorful feathers and filled with small treasures. The pot is later broken with a stick so that its contents spewed onto the feet of the image of the war god. This was employed by the Spanish missionaries in imitation of the Aztec game of hitting a clay pot suspended by strings. It was used as a tool for catechism instruction. The piñata was used as a symbol of the devil, the cones around the piñata, making it look like a sputnik symbolized the seven deadly sins, while the goodies inside represented temptation. The colorful toy, during its early use represented the Three Virtues. The blindfolded participant that breaks the piñata was called then as Fe or Faith. It also represented Hope, with the people anticipating for some graces from above (as the piñata is usually hung by strings above everyone’s head) and Charity, as well, because once the piñata is broken, the goodies inside are shared with everyone present.

Although it has lost its religious symbolism, the piñata is still very much a part of Mexican culture and used in different celebrations to share and spread laughter and fun.

Tortilla and Taco

Historical excavations revealed that the tortilla, which was made from corn, was a staple in the diet of Mexicans since about 3000 BC. It is no wonder since the Mesoamerican Indians were the ones that learned how to cultivate and grow a type of wild cob, maize, that we now know as corn. When Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico in 1519, the Aztecs Mexicas were already making flat corn breads that the Nahuatl natives called tlaxcalli, translated by the Spanish into tortilla. By the 1940s and early 1950s the grinding of the corn kernels was done by machine but the masa or dough was still formed by hand. It was only in the 1960s when corn tortillas started to be fully made by machine.

When in Mexico, instead of asking for a sandwich, the word you should use is taco, the name that the Mexicans use to refer to a corn tortilla filled with meat, cheese, shredded vegetables and whatever you prefer, using soft or fried tortillas curled in half. You should remember though that tacos are served only as a morning or evening treat and not available the whole day in Mexico. In Nahuatl, the food item is called tlacopan. Mexican have been eating tacos before the arrival of the Spanish, and it seems that the original home of the taco is Ensenada, where the people used to serve the plentiful fish they caught on corn tortillas.

The taco and corn tortilla are often imitated but the Mexican quality of making tacos and tortillas are never duplicated. You can find it in bars and cafés or street sidewalks. Taco wrapped in corn tortilla is a signature Mexican food that delights both the young and old.

Mexican Cuisine

The cuisine of Mexico is delectable; with varied flavors that was a result of several generations of development. Yet it managed to retain its age-old method that is a blend of indigenous cultures and 15th century European influences in its preparations and use of native ingredients. It became a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.

Staples in Mexican cuisine are beans and corn, which they turn into tamales, gorditas and tortillas. Native vegetables and spices used in Mexican cooking include chili peppers, squash, cilantro, oregano, cinnamon, epazote, chili powder, chipotle, cocoa, onions, garlic and honey.

Mexican have been drinking chocolate, tequila, corn beer, pulque and mescal way before the European set foot on Mexican soil. Corn-based dishes were eaten by Mexican Indians prior to the arrival of the Spanish, usually consisting of corn flavored with herbs and chilies, accompanied by dishes cooked with nopales (broad-leaf cactus), tomatoes and beans. Tomatillos, guavas, pineapples, soursop, peanuts, chicle, achiote, turkey, fish, sunflower seeds and bell peppers are also staple food for the pre-Columbian Mexicans. The Spanish introduced pigs, chicken, goat, sheep and cattle, as well as barley, wheat and rice, together with almonds, parsley, wine, other spices and olive oil, These foreign ingredients found their way into Mexican traditional cuisine and added diversity to the authentic Mexican dishes. Cheese making was also introduced by the Spanish.

The Aztecs were able to develop a variety of chocolate and vanilla-flavored dishes and even used cocoa beans to procure other ingredients. Due to the sheer size of the country, regional cuisines resulted, carrying various flavors but using almost the same ingredients. Notable are the carne asada or grilled meat of Northern Mexico, and is traditional in the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Chihuahua, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Baja California, Coahuila, Durango and Sinaloa. The Yucatán Peninsula produces sweet-tasting meals, free from spices but usually with achiote or annato seasoning. The region is well known for the cochinita pibil or slow-roasted pork. On the other hand the region of Oaxaca is known for their different moles or sauces, tlayudas, which resemble modern-day pizzas, topped with shredded meat, refried beans, shredded cabbage or lettuce, cheese, salsa and avocado; tamales and goat birria.

Pre-Columbian pozole or soup, barbacoa (slow-cooked meat in open pits), carnitas (braised pork shredded and placed on tortillas, served with chopped coriander, refried beans, lime, radish, salsa, diced onions and guacamole) and menudo are the pride of Central Mexico.

Chicken-based and spicy vegetable dishes are the specialties of Southeastern Mexico while seafood dishes are the specialties of the regions along the Gulf of Mexico.

Aside from the fabulous Mexican cuisine, Mexico gave the world another precious gift, fruits and vegetables that are now grown almost anywhere in the world. Mexico is the origin of the first tomatoes, which the Spanish initially believed to be poisonous because of its red color. The tomato is one of the fruits eaten by the Aztecs way before the Spanish missionaries set foot in Mexico in the 1500s. The Aztec Indians were also the first to cultivate the cacao trees. The cacao beans during that time were so precious these were used as money. The Aztecs created a drink made from the cacao beans that they drank at religious ceremonies. Back during those times, the cacao beans and the drink they made from it were eaten and drunk without sugar. Of course, it is very known that the cacao beans are the source of chocolate.

The highly prized vanilla beans, the world’s second most expensive spice, are the fruits of the vine of the vanilla orchid of Mexico. These were cultivated by the Totonac people living in the Mazatlan Valley, the location of the present-day Veracruz. The Aztecs conquered the Totonacs in the 15th century and continued the propagation of the vanilla orchid whose mature fruits they called black flower or tlilxochitl. Hernan Cortes was credited for bringing chocolate and vanilla to the outside world. It was very difficult at first to propagate the vanilla orchid as its natural pollinator, the Melipona bee, a stingless bee, was only found in the jungles of Mexico.

The beautiful dahlia, a tuberous plant that produces large, colorful flower heads originated from Mexico, so too, avocado, the main ingredient for guacamole, maize/corn, capsicum and chayote. Other vegetables and fruits include the corn fungus called huitlacoche, the broccoli-like huazontle, the sweet mamey sapote, jicama or Mexican yam/turnip (xicamatl in Nahuatl) and papaya, which was first cultivated in Mexico earlier than the Mesoamerican civilizations emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries. Mexico is also the origin of the mild chili pepper called poblano (when fresh) and the wide chile or ancho chile (when dried).

Chihuahua

The smallest breed of dogs in the world, the Chihuahua, is surely one cute dog, named for Mexico’s State of Chihuahua. Archeological finds indicated that the breed originated in Mexico, believed to have descended from Techichi, Mexico’s Toltec civilization’s favorite companion dog. There were some remains found in the ruins of Chichen Itza at the Yucatán Peninsula and the Great Pyramid of Cholula that indicate a predecessor of the Chihuahua. At Tres Zapotes in the region of Veracruz, remains of toy dogs with apple or deer shaped heads where discovered, believed to date back around 100 AD.

Male and female Chihuahuas grow to a height of six to ten inches, with an adult weight of close to six pounds or less than three kilos. Chihuahuas have a lifespan of about ten to eighteen years.

Danza de los Voladores de Papantla

It is also called the Dance of the Flyers. An ancient ritual still performed today, the ceremony is now included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. It you get the chance to visit Veracruz and Papantla you might be able to catch on the rare performances of this pre-Columbian ritual during the Lenten season.

The ritual involves a dance and the climbing of a 30-meter high pole. Five dancers are involved in the ritual. Once they have reached the required height, they tie their lower legs with ropes and four of the five dancers would launch themselves to the ground. The fifth dancer remains standing on top of the pole, dancing while playing the drum and flute. The ancient ceremony was initially performed to ask the gods to end the drought. The ceremony was closely related to the solar and rain deities.

Amazing Mexican Architecture

The vast country of Mexico is replete with Mesoamerican architecture, 31 of which are included in the World Heritage Site list of UNESCO. Mexico is noted for having some of the largest pyramids in the world outside of the Chola Empire and Ancient Egypt. These ancient architectural wonders are often the subject or research for its religious, geographic, iconic and cosmovision relationships, as these architectural masterpieces of the ancient world were placed in cardinal directions and thus have symbolic and mythological meanings that have bearings in the culture of Mesoamerica. The Mexican Indians were masters of urban planning and have deep understanding of celestial alignments. The stairway of El Castillo at Chichen Itza had serpents carved on its side. When the light catches them, the serpents appear to writhe. Most of the buildings are aligned almost 15° east of the north direction, believed to cause the pyramids to face the sunset squarely on the 13th of August, the starting date of the Long Count calendar of the Mayans.

They created large plazas where people congregate and built several thousands of ball courts, where they played a primitive form of ball game. They were able to mine limestone using stone tools, and developed a mixture of materials that resemble concrete, with stones that were carved to closely fit one another. They also employed the use of crude forms of post and lintel in their buildings, placing the temples on top of the pyramids, where it will be closest to the heavens.

Mariachi Band

Closely related to the big Mexican hats is the Mariachi Band, a national icon of Mexico, with big guitars, big sombreros and bouncy music. The former folk band that usually performed at weddings, from whence their name came from, became a mainstream band, from playing Son Jaliscience music that gradually changed to Son music that was influenced by waltzes and polkas. From peasant costumes consisting of white pants, huarache sandals and shirts traditionally worn by peasant farmers, the mariachi band began to wear charro or horsemen outfits, and included trumpets to the stringed ensemble. The mariachi bands coming from Tecalitlán and Cocula in Jalisco are the most prized among the bands. Although quite popular in the country, it gained wider recognition and popularity when bands were featured in ranch comedy (comedia ranchera) films in the 1930s and the 1940s.

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