From the beaches of the Riviera Maya to the deserts of Chihuahua, Mexico is an extraordinarily rich and delicious culinary destination and a paradise for food lovers. While the tourist spots and big cities are rightly feted and famous as foodie hotspots, the most authentic and traditional places to eat are found off the beaten track, in towns, markets, and local communities where the real essence of Mexico can be found.
Packing your bags and setting off on a solo foodie adventure as part of an unforgettable cruise to Mexico is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Touring the lesser-known parts of this glorious country gives you an unparalleled opportunity to taste amazing new flavors and immerse yourself in local culture and traditions. Here are a few of the best spots to visit to discover the exciting, vibrant, and utterly delicious cuisine of Mexico.
Oaxaca
Oaxaca is renowned as the gastronomic capital of Mexico and is genuinely unmissable for food lovers. The state capital (Oaxaca City) is famous as a cultural and tourist destination, but there are plenty of amazing yet hidden towns and villages in the surrounding countryside where the authentic flavors that make up Oaxacan cuisine can be found.
- Santo Domingo Tehuantepec: This traditional Oaxacan town is the center of the indigenous Zapotec culture, a fiercely matriarchal society with a delicious culinary heritage. From gueta caldo (a rich beef stew) to tortilla de camaron seco (dried shrimp), there are some wonderful food experiences to discover.
- Tlacolula de Matamoros: Tlacolula is known for its Sunday market and its vast grills and BBQs, similar to the Pasillo de Humo in Oaxaca City. The air is filled with the smell of barbacoa de chivo or carne asada, washed down with a tejate, a traditional corn and cacao drink.
Puebla
Puebla is best known for mole poblano, a rich sauce of chilies and chocolate served with meat and rice. However, there’s plenty more hidden away in this central Mexican city. Chalupas, for example, are a twist on the classic salbutes and panuchos – small fried tortillas topped with salsa, chopped onions, and shredded meat. Puebla also does its own version of the classic torta sandwich, known as cemitas. These towering creations are stuffed with avocado, meat, cheese, and papalo, a local aromatic herb.
Veracruz
Veracruz is a fascinating cultural melting pot, one of the places in Mexico with the most varied influences, including indigenous, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean. This, combined with its Gulf of Mexico location, means that it has a truly unique cuisine.
Start off at Tlacotalpan with a dish of arroz a la tumbada, a seafood and rice stew similar to paella. Move on to Papantla, the center of Mexican vanilla production, and taste zacahuil, a jumbo-sized tamal stuffed full of pork and steamed underground wrapped in banana leaves. Finish your journey off in Coatepec, in the heart of Veracruz coffee country, with some of the best brews you’ll ever taste.
Yucatán
Yucatecan food is unique in Mexico, a blend of Spanish and Mayan flavors with additional European influences. As a result, it delivers some pretty interesting and different flavors.
Cochinita pibil is probably the best-known dish from the Yucatan Peninsula, a slow-cooked pork shredded pork stew served with pickled red onions. Travelers might also like to try longaniza de Valladolid, a delicious chorizo-like smoked sausage, or relleno negro (turkey in a dark sauce) from Izamal. And no visit to Yucatan is complete without tasting queso relleno, a ball of Dutch cheese stuffed with ground meat and served swimming in a spicy tomato sauce!
Traveling through Mexico solo gives you the chance to move at your own pace and indulge your taste buds as you see fit – the perfect way to taste the best and most unusual cuisine this awesome country has to offer.
