Mexican Food Guides

Nachos were invented in 1943 by Ignacio Anaya in Piedras Negras, Mexico, for American diners. Three ingredients. Here is the real story.

Ceviche cures in lime for twenty minutes; aguachile is served immediately and is much hotter. Here is what separates them, and the safety question.

Chilaquiles are fried tortilla pieces simmered in salsa until they soften. Here is what to expect, and why they are not nachos.

Same dough, different shapes. A gordita is stuffed, a sope has a pinched rim, a huarache is long and flat. Here is how to tell them apart.

A tamal is fat-whipped masa steamed in a corn husk. Here is what is inside, why the husk is not eaten, and why they are made in batches.

Lengua is tender and mild, cabeza is rich and soft, tripa is crisp and chewy. Here is what each one actually tastes like before you order.

Barbacoa is meat steam-roasted in an earth oven, wrapped in maguey leaves. Here is what it is, and how it differs from birria.

Carnitas are pork confit — simmered slowly in lard until tender, then crisped. Here is what that gives you and how it differs from al pastor.

Carne asada is a method, not a cut — grilled, sliced beef, usually skirt or flank. Here is what that means when you order it.

Pollo asado is chicken marinated in citrus and achiote, then grilled. Here is what gives it the orange colour and how it differs from plain pollo.