Taste The World Best destinations for food tourism
Hope Wilson conjures up the true spirit and flavour of some global street food hotspots…
When you walk down the city streets of Mexico, you’re surrounded by street food vendors.
Synonymous with the country, they are one of its most popular sights and their wares are a hit with locals and tourists alike. The spectacular smells of the local cuisine envelop you as you experience Mexican cuisine at its finest.
In the morning, the roads are filled with hungry customers all wanting to buy one of the country’s most popular breakfast dishes, tamales. The way these sweet snacks are prepared depends on which state you’re in. The dish is made from a corn-based dough with a filling of your choice. In Mexico City popular fillings include strawberry and pineapple while the dough is wrapped in a corn leaf. Meanwhile further south in Oaxaca, banana leaves are used to wrap the dough which give a slightly sweeter taste.
One of the most soughtafter street food snacks in Mexico are tacos, which are usually eaten for lunch or as a late-night nibble rather than a main meal. Authentic tacos are usually filled with pork, chicken or shrimp topped with salsa, onion and coriander. The snack is so popular in the country that the locals celebrate National Taco Day on March 31.
Mexico is known to enjoy a party, and one of the country’s most famous festivals is the Day of the Dead, held at the beginning of November. Towns and cities are filled with people celebrating in brightly coloured traditional outfits. At this time look out for pan de los muertos which is a type of sweet bread sprinkled with sugar. The bone design on the top of the bun is said to resemble the deceased and is also a reminder of the circle of life.
Another sugary treat eaten during the festival is Calavera, made out of sugar paste and moulded into the
shape of a skull. Try it on a visit to the small town of San Miguel de Allende where they hold a four-day festival called La Calaca, or on the Yucatan Peninsula where the Feast of the Souls is a highlight.