Foods not to miss in Mexico City

Intro

We were excited about a lot of things about Mexico but as avid foodies, the chance to try Mexican food in Mexico was the real deal. This was our first stop on the trip and we were ready to throw ourselves in head (mouth) first. Here are some of the most memorable food experiences in Mexico City.

Tacos — the good, the bad, and the ugly

We expected every single bite to be heaven and were fully expecting our eyes to be rolling to the back of our heads in food ecstasy when we tried our first tacos.

Oh boy, we were wrong!

Our very first meal was street tacos. I was practically jumping for joy when we found them at this cute little place with plastic tables and chairs under parasols on the side of a bustling street. We sat by the juicer and ordered delicious fresh orange juice.

I wanted beef tacos but couldn’t decide which cut to go for so I went for a mixed beef taco. As I tucked in, something was wrong. The flavor was potent and grotesque. I couldn't quite explain exactly why I didn’t like it. All I could exclaim was that it was “too beefy”. Joe took and bite and made a face that agreed that it was indeed “too beefy”.

We unrolled it to examine the contents. Turns out that mixed beef actually means offal, tripe, entrails, and god knows what else. Some pieces were unidentifiable and had large thick pieces of skin attached to them.

Feeling a little ill we left and passed a proudly displayed unrefrigerated plastic box stacked with noses, tongues, and tails, not to mention a whole manner of various organs and innards. It looked like it would have been right at home in the kitchen of the texas chainsaw massacre.

It might not surprise you to know that this gave me an acute aversion to tacos that I didn’t think was possible.

Luckily, our next taco experience couldn’t have been more different. We were in a trendy neighborhood one evening and wandered into the busiest restaurant we could find. If in doubt, follow the masses.

We relinquished control because we clearly couldn’t be trusted and asked the waiter to choose the best dishes for us. What arrived I probably wouldn’t have chosen because they were filling I’ve never associated with tacos before but my God they were the best damn tacos I've ever had in my life.

Beautiful soft shell crab, fresh Seabass, and butter-soft, marinated octopus tacos. I’d died and gone to taco heaven!

Pulque

We had watched a foodie travel show called Rick Stein’s Mexico before heading across the pond. One thing on there we were desperate to do was to drink in a traditional pulqueria. A quirky bar to drink Pulque, a traditional alcoholic beverage produced from the fermented sap of the maguey plant (a type of agave).

In a tiny cupboard of a bar that was crowded and noisy in the best way, they served us jugs of the stuff in all different flavours and bright colours. It looked and had the consistency of 90s kids' tv gunge but tasted like tangy pineapple or guava fruit.

It was heavy though, after one I felt like I’d eaten a meal or the world’s thickest smoothie. With the alcoholic content of a beer, I couldn’t imagine being able to drink enough to get drunk but I loved the atmosphere of the place with its old-school jukebox, high metal tables, and mural painted ceilings. Something I’d definitely recommend trying out for the fun of it.

Mexican Cantinas

A Cantina is an old-fashioned Mexican bar that serves appetizers with drinks. We headed straight for one of the oldest and most traditional of these in the city called Tio Pepe, with the warm atmosphere, dark wood paneling, and stained glass behind the bar, it didn’t disappoint.

Our first point of call was to order a margarita of course, and not just any old margarita but a mezcal margarita. Mezcal is Mexico’s most traditional agave spirit, the more well-known tequila is actually just a type of mezcal. There are an infinite number of types and flavors of mezcal, all pretty fantastic. I will remember this margarita for the rest of my life, I don’t think another will ever top it. We ordered another two straight away.

For a snack, we wanted to try a torta, a tapas-style sandwich. Pepe recommended a cochinita which we weren’t going to order because we had no idea what it was and neither did google translate. Turns out it’s Mexican spiced, slow-roasted marinated pulled pork. Now came the eyes rolling in the back of the head moment we were waiting for. Again, we ordered two more, there’s a theme here. We just couldn't believe that one of our favourite meals in the whole country was a little sandwich in a bar. Just wonderful.

Churros

Now we couldn’t finish this all off without dessert right? We ended our last night in a traditional, 80-year-old churro shop, that’s been in business since 1935. El Moro Churreria. It was 11 pm, and the queue was out the door and down the street. As you came up the side of the shop, you peer in and watch the chefs as they twirled loops of dough, deep frying them into golden, sizzling spirals before rolling them in sugar. It was mesmerising.

We took a seat at the back with the noise of loud chatter bouncing off the tiled walls. We dipped our churros into the heavenly milk dipping chocolate and could see why there was a queue and why this place has been so popular for so long. I did the happy food dance and felt like this was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Final Thoughts

It’s probably not a surprise to learn that Mexico City is a truly incredible spot for authentic Mexican food and drink. I can not recommend this city highly enough for its culinary experiences. I only wish that I could have stayed longer and tried more.

From sipping margaritas at cantinas to gulping pulque in a pulqueria. From soft-shell crab tacos to pulled spiced pork tortas. Top it all off with milk chocolate churros and you've got one hell of a good weekend on your hands.

Just never, ever order the mixed beef tacos!

Thank you for reading! Hearts and tips are always welcome and your support is very much appreciated.

This story was originally published on Medium

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