Layers of grated cheese, clusters of sun-dried chilies, baskets of fresh vegetables, toppings of exotic peppers, platters of perfectly cooked rice with beans and so much more – Mexican cuisine is indeed as colorful and exotic as its culture and history and thankfully, it’s now available all over the world, even in Germany!

Salsa, corn, soups, seasoning and flavors; everything about Mexican food deserves a spot on tables around the world! Some of the dishes are warm and comforting while others are sure to set your palate on fire, thanks to natively grown chilies. The freshness and the aroma of the herbs and spices are one of a kind, from the perfectly dried basil herb or the deep yellow annatto seed.

Here’s a few of our favorite dishes; let us take you on a take you on a mini, mouth-watering tour of Mexican food.

Tortillas

How would you like your tortillas?  Corn instead of flour, hot from the press and with just the right amount of salt? Tortillas are truly best when they are fresh and straight from the hands of an expert tortilleria. It’s a delight to watch them at work, and the outcome is simply delicious. Legend has it that tortillas were invented by a peasant for a hungry king in ancient times. The first of its kind is believed to be made using native maize and dried kernel, dating back to 10,000 BC. The Spanish called these maize bread ‘tortillas’, which translated to ‘little cake’. Little or not, present day tortillas are worth a try for they give us the much loved tacos!

Tacos

From the humble tortillas began the creation of the spicy, exotic and perfectly portable tacos. The main ingredient is your favorite kind of meat; beef, chicken, shrimp or chorizo. And for the veggie lovers there’s a whole range available for you too including peppers, cabbage, mushroom, corn or cactus. This layer with meat or vegetable is then topped with the salsa of your liking. For a spicy option choose habanero based salsas. For a milder version, there is fresh cilantro or avocado sauce. You can also try frijoles or crumbly cheese on top and your taco is all set.

Tlacoyos

In Mexican food, shape and size of the corn masa patties are an important indicator to a dish. The thinner, oval shaped patties make the base for the sumptuous tlacoyos. These patties are stuffed with requeson (cheese)  and fava beans and then cooked to perfection. Though the toppings vary with preference, the most popular topping is nopales with cheese. A few other toppings for tlacoyos are salsa, cilantro, onions and grated cheese. Tlacoyos are best eaten right off the grill, sizzling hot and absolutely fresh.

Pambazos

Pambazos is a Mexican sandwich made with white bread soaked in guajillo chili sauce. The sauce adds a distinctive flavor and changes the color of the pambazo bread to the orange color of the chili sauce. Once the soaked bread hardens, it is then cut in half and filled with a sumptuous mix of chorizo, sour cream, chopped potatoes topped with sour cream and queso fresco.

These Mexican specialties are exotic, full of flavor and make excellent snacks. Enjoy!

Mexican Food in Kaiserslautern

For a taste of indigenous Mexican food in Kaiserslautern, head to Cantina Mexicana at Kaiserstraße, Kaiserslautern-Einsiedlerhof. Open daily from 11am to 11pm,  authentic dishes ranging from the basic taco the irresistible fried ice cream and, of course, our own “sizzzzling” presentation of fajitas – all served in an ‘Old Mexico’ setting.

Tel: 0631 99328. Webste: www.cantina-mexicana.com

Featured image: Iakov Filimonov