Tacos, Mole, and Churros, Oh, My! Eating My Way Across Mexico City – Part 1

Mexico City is a prime destination for foodies. With its melding of traditional and modern techniques, you can find everything from comfort food to fine dining, from recipes centuries old to the latest innovations, street food to chef’s table. There are seven restaurants with Michelin stars and several cocktail bars and speakeasies on various “Best” lists. If, like me, you can’t get into any of these hot spots, don’t sweat, there is amazing food everywhere.  (For the hottest spots, you need to make reservations months in advance.)

My first visit to Mexico City was a revelation. I was raised on Tex-Mex and I love it. Give me fajitas and beans swimming in grease any day. The food in Mexico City seems like a cousin, related, but a little different. There is still the cheese and grease (they use all the lard) but so much less. There is a lot of seafood and the salsas are so varied. The tortillas are soft and tasty, in many corn varieties.  Corn drinks with chocolate and spices, so flavored and rich, but it doesn’t feel like you’re eating a dessert. For your sweet tooth, you can find pan dulces, churros, chocolate. The food is a mix of Mesoamerican tradition combined with flavors and techniques from across the world. The origin of churros is linked to Portugal and before that China. Tacos al pastor originated from Lebanese immigrants. So many traditions.

I have to call out that everywhere I went, the staff was very responsive to allergies. I was traveling with someone with celiac disease and we were always able to get very clear guidance on what was edible. On my tours, there were people with dairy allergies and vegetarians. The guides always offered guidance and alternatives.

Food Tours

I love a good food tour; it’s a great way to kick things off and orient yourself in a new city. You can eat and be educated at the same time.  The key is pacing yourself so you don’t get full half way through the tour. Even when I try my best, I always start struggling before the end. My first food tour was in Xochimilco, in the southern part of this city. This Unesco World Heritage Site (I love this list and get extreme pleasure every time I can check a site off as visited) is famous for its canals and agricultural system. These canals are  vestiges of an ancient waterway system from pre-colonial times. Co-operative farmers raise crops on man-made islands called chinampas.  Visiting these canals feels like stepping back in time.

My tour was led by Culinary Backstreets. We started at a café in the city with pinole (a traditional drink made with corn, sugar, and spices) and pastries, while our guide Victor set us up with the background of Xochimilco. Then we were off on our 45ish minute ride to Xochimilco. We started at the huge market. Seafood, meats, fruits…it was all there. The market was a feast for the senses, with sellers laying out their wares with care and artistry. For example, all the onions were peeled, as it’s more attractive. At one point we were standing in the midst of several seafood and meat stalls and our guide pointed out that there was no smell. The ventilation and airflow in the building took care of that.

Our first offering was tlacoyo, a traditional street food with potatoes, peppers, and cheese on a thick tortilla.  Delicious. So simple, but so filling and tasty. We were given various salsa options for our spice preference. I personally like enough spice to add and bring out flavor without being so hot it’s all I can taste.

Next, I had what may be my favorite thing I ate the entire trip: a chile relleno taco. This deliciousness was comprised of a poblano chile stuffed with cheese on a bed of beans, covered in salsa wrapped in a soft tortilla. This is not something I would normally order for myself. I’m more of a meat taco person, but I loved this taco. If I ignore all the cheese, I can tell myself this taco is healthy, because it is, while still being too delicious.

The tour continued on with a brisket taco where I think there were about 13 different salsa topping options.  We then saw a tortilla machine in action and had a tortilla with salt fresh off the line. Tortillas made in Mexico just taste different. It seems to be due to the nixtamalization process and being made fresh daily.  In the US, I tend to prefer flour tortillas. In Mexico, I could eat the healthier corn option all day.

We ended our time at the market with agua fresca and a quesadilla. I have to admit by this point, I was really struggling to keep eating. But I had to at least taste it! Such a simple lunch. Blue corn tortilla, cheese, vegetables. It was so good, but I may have been too full to really appreciate it.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we moved to a boat to explore the canals. Yes, there were more snacks on the boat and other than trying the guacamole (because I always try the guacamole) I was done eating. There are a number of party boats on the canals as a number of farms have a growing side business taking tourists out.  While we relaxed with our snacks, our guide made a point of educating us on the agricultural system and the challenges in the modern era. It was hard to believe this peaceful spot was in the city. It was a perfect way to end the day.

After this, I continued to explore food in the city.  More in my next post.