For our non-Spanish speaking friends, and those unfamiliar with the specific vocabulary of the vast offerings of Mexican cuisine, we’ve put together a little cheat sheet for you so you can order like a pro at any restaurant, fonda, or puesto.
Adobo
A marinade composed of paprika, garlic, oregano, salt, vinegar, and in Mexico, of course, chilis that imparts a smoky, spicy flavor.
Aguachile
A raw seafood dish seasoned with lime, chile, salt, cilantro, and cucumber.
Agua fresca
A refreshing non-alcoholic beverage made from fruit, cereal, or seeds blended with water and sugar.
Alambre
Grilled meat, typically beef, topped with bacon, bell peppers, onions, and cheese.
Antojitos
Any food or snack prepared at street stalls or markets, literally “little cravings”.
Arrachera
Skirt steak.
Barbacoa
The method of slow-cooking meat (usually a whole goat, sheep, or lamb) over an open fire.
Birote
A denser and crispier bread roll from Jalisco, better to support the salsa it is soaked in for tortas ahogadas.
Birria
A traditional soup or stew from Jalisco typically made with goat meat.
Café de olla
Coffee that is made in a pot on the stove with cane sugar, cinnamon and other spices.
Caldo
A savory broth to which meat, fish, or vegetables can be added.
Campechana
A type of street taco that combines different meats, often beef and pork.
Camote
A pressure cooked sweet potato served from the very cart it is cooked in, just listen for the distinctive high-pitched whistle, served with condensed milk, cinnamon, jam, or chili.
Carajillo
An espresso with a shot of Licor 43, served shakeado (cold and shaken) or divorciado (hot with the liquor on the side).
Carne en su jugo
Finely sliced strips of beef cooked in its own juice, with lime and other spices.
Carnitas
Small seasoned cuts of pork braised in oil or lard for several hours resulting in tender and juicy meat.
Cecina
Salted, cured beef.
Chapulines
Grasshoppers toasted on a comal (griddle) and seasoned with salt, garlic, lime, or chili.
Chilaquiles
Typically a breakfast food of corn tortillas which are cut up, fried, and bathed in red or green sauce with onion, cream, and crumbled cheese on top.
Chile en nogada
A seasonal dish consisting of a poblano pepper stuffed with picadillo (ground meat with fruits and spices), topped with a creamy walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds, and parsley and served at room temperature.
Chile relleno
Most commonly a poblano pepper stuffed with meat or cheese and coated in an egg batter.
Chiltepín
Tiny chili peppers that pack an exceptional punch, rated “exceptionally hot” on the Scoville scale.
Chorizo verde
A green sausage that is a specialty from the Toluca area, given its color through the addition of tomatillos (green tomatoes).
Churro
A snack of crunchy fried dough dipped in cinnamon and sugar, served with various dips like chocolate or cajeta (caramel made from goat’s milk).
Cochinita pibil
A traditional dish from the Yucatán peninsula of slow-roasted pork in a citrus marinade with achiote, which gives it a distinctive orange color.
Elote
Corn on the cob sold from street vendors, slathered in mayo, cotija cheese, chili, and lime.
Empanada
A pastry turnover with savory or sweet fillings, fried or baked depending on the origin, a.k.a. pasty.
Enchiladas
Corn tortillas, stuffed and rolled, and bathed in salsa.
Enfrijoladas
Like enchiladas but bathed in beans.
Enmoladas
Like enchiladas but bathed in mole.
Escamoles
The edible larvae of ants, which have a buttery and nutty flavor, known colloquially as Mexican caviar.
Esquites
Same as elote above but corn in a cup instead of on the cob.
Flautas
Also known as taquitos or taco dorados, a rolled up tortilla filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, deep fried and topped with cream.
Fonda
A simple, unpretentious eatery that often serves inexpensive comida corrida, a midday menu with three to four courses.
Garnachas
A general word that refers to any fried street food or snacks.
Gringas
Flour tortilla with melted cheese and typically stuffed with pastor.
Gordita
A thick corn masa stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings.
Guajolota
A.k.a. torta de tamal, a tamale in a bread roll.
Guisado
A stew or casserole.
Hoja santa
An aromatic herb of the pepper family, used to flavor dishes or wrap them in their large leaves.
Huarache
A fried oblong masa base spread with smashed beans and various toppings and finished off with crumbled cheese.
Huitlacoche
An edible fungus that develops on the exposed part of the corn, with a flavor often likened to that of truffles.
Longaniza
A seasoned and spiced pork sausage.
Masa
The dough made from nixtamalized corn that is used to form everything from tortillas and gorditas to sopes, tlacoyos and tamales.
Michelada
A drink made with beer and lime served in a glass with a salted rim, take care when ordering one outside of Mexico City as the name can refer to various other concoctions that include tomato juice, sauces, or spices.
Molcajete
A stone mortar and pestle, also used as a bowl to serve specific dishes from guacamole to meat and seafood.
Mole
A sauce or marinade made from a variety of spices, chilis, nuts, and fruit, from the Nahuatl word for “sauce”.
Molletes
Similar to an open-faced sandwich, a roll spread with beans and cheese, accompanied by fresh pico de gallo salsa.
Nixtamal
The mixture of maize, water, and quicklime to create the process of nixtamalization, which prepares the maize, making it easier to grind as well increasing flavor, aroma, and nutritional value.
Nopales
Refers to the pads of the prickly pear cactus which can be grilled or stewed to accompany tacos or salads, high in nutritional value, the edible fruit of the cactus is known as tuna.
Pambazo
A roll dipped and fried in guajillo chili sauce and filled with potatoes and chorizo.
Pan de muerto
A pastry eaten in the weeks leading up to Day of the Dead (November 1-2), often flavored with anise or orange flower and dusted with sugar, the top is decorated with “bones” to represent the deceased.
Panuchos
A Yucatecan specialty made from a refried tortilla and layered with refried black beans, pulled meat, and pickled red onion.
Papadzules
A traditional dish from the Yucatán consisting of boiled eggs in corn tortillas with a pumpkin seed sauce.
Pozole
A traditional stew made with hominy and meat (usually chicken or pork) and an array of garnishes, it can be made in many ways and with different color bases (white, green, red) depending on the region of origin, enjoyed year round but with special significance around holidays.
Picadillo
Ground beef cooked with tomato and onion, used as a filling for tacos or chiles.
Puesto
A food stall on the street or in a market.
Quesadilla
A folded and grilled corn or flour tortilla stuffed with… cheese, right? – not always, as in Mexico City, and to the dismay of folks from other parts of the country, you may have to order your quesadilla “con queso”.
Romeritos
Succulent seepweed boiled in a mole sauce with dried shrimp, typically eaten around Christmas and Lent.
Rosca de Reyes
A sweet bread in the form of a ring, similar to a King cake, eaten around the Epiphany (January 6), to be shared among friends and family and the one who finds the plastic doll has to make the tamales for Candelaria (February 2).
Salbutes
Another Yucatecan specialty consisting of a puffed deep fried tortilla topped with pulled meat, avocado, and pickled red onion.
Salsa macha
A rich, oil-based sauce combining any variety of chili with nuts, seeds, and garlic.
Salsa martajada
A classic chunky red sauce common to many Mexican dishes, consisting of roasted and crushed tomatoes, chilis, and cilantro.
Tacos
A staple of Mexico and particularly of Mexico City street food culture, a tortilla folded around any number of toppings and eaten with the hands.
- al pastor – spit-grilled adobo pork (think shawarma style because it was brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants), order it con todo to add onion, cilantro, and pineapple.
- de cabeza – meat from the roasted head of the animal.
- de lengua – beef tongue.
- de suadero – a thin cut of smooth pork or beef confited or fried.
- de tripas – chitterlings, or the small intestines of domestic animals.
Tamal/tamales
A base of corn masa steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf and filled with a variety of toppings or salsas, often eaten for breakfast.
Tepache
A fermented beverage made from pineapple rind and seasoned with piloncillo (brown sugar) and cinnamon, contains about 2% alcohol by volume.
Tinga
Shredded chicken cooked in a chipotle sauce, though vegetarian versions using carrots and hibiscus now abound.
Torta
A type of sandwich served on a roll, typically with beans, cheese, avocado, and any number of other fillings.
Tortilla
The cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, a thin flatbread traditionally made from corn, and now also wheat flour.
Tostada
A crispy, toasted tortilla base topped with any number of meat, seafood, or veggie combinations.
Volcanes
A partially toasted tortilla with a thick layer of melted cheese.
Zarandeado
A cooking method originating in the coastal state of Nayarit where the fish is split, smothered in chile and spices, and slowly smoke-grilled over mesquite.
