Food in Daily Life. Mexico possesses an extensive and sophisticated culinary culture, with a great variety of regional dishes. Three products constitute the heart of most Mexican dishes: corn, hot peppers (chiles), and beans, products that stem from pre-Columbian times. Corn is consumed in all possible forms: as a cooked or roasted corncob ( elote ), cooked grain of corn, porridge ( atole ), as wrapped and steamed dough with filling ( tamal ), but most importantly as a tortilla, a thin, round "pancake." Tortillas are made from corn dough and come in many sizes, although the traditional tortilla that accompanies most meals has a diameter of approximately six inches (15 centimeters). When tortillas are filled with meat or other ingredients they are called tacos or quesadillas, which are especially popular in central Mexico. Much of the sophistication of Mexican cuisine comes from the use of more than one hundred different types of chiles, which range from the large and "sweet" chile ancho to the small and extremely hot chile habanero .

Mexicans generally have a light breakfast of coffee and/or fruit before they leave for work or school. Halfway through the morning, people may eat a warm tortilla-based snack or a bread roll. The most important meal of the day is served between two and four in the afternoon (the comida ) and consists of three or four courses: soup; rice or pasta; meat or chicken—if affordable—accompanied by tortillas and refried beans; and dessert. Dinner is served between eight and ten at night and consists mainly of sweet rolls, coffee, and milk. Mexicans frequently eat outdoors. Homely restaurants serve inexpensive fixed menus known as comida corrida . Mexicans drink huge quantities of soft drinks and beer. Although the national liquor is tequila, which is produced from the maguey cactus, Mexicans prefer rum with cola during weddings and other celebrations, or fiestas.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. There are numerous religious and secular occasions in Mexico that are accompanied by special food. A popular religious fiesta is the Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas) on 2 February, which celebrates the purification of Mary and the presentation and blessing of Jesus. After the church ceremony family and close friends join for tamales . During the Day of the Dead, 2 November, people consume pan de muerto (bread of the dead), a long and flat sweet bread prepared with many eggs and sugar. At Christmas people eat romeritos , a plant similar to rosemary served with sauce and potatoes; bacalao , dried codfish cooked and served in a sauce of tomatoes, olives, and onions; and all sorts of stuffed turkey. In September people commemorate independence and, in central Mexico, eat a sophisticated dish called chile en nogada , a stuffed chile poblano dressed with a white walnut sauce, red pomegranate, and green parsley, in a representation of the Mexican flag.

Traditional Mexican FoodWith all the fast food imitations, people outside of Mexico may forget what real traditional Mexican food is!  But the reality is, Mexico has a rich culinary tradition - much of it coming out of hundreds or eventhousands of years of history.

Our interest here is connecting what was eaten in the Prehispanic world of the Aztec empire and what is eaten daily in Mexico even now.

The basics

You can get a good overview of the food the Aztec peoples at here.  Many of the staples of the Aztec diet are still familiar in Mexico today - maize (corn), beans, avacados, squash, chillies, and tomatoes.  The tomatoes used today are a different variety than were eaten before the arrival of the Europeans.  The nopal cactus was and is used for food, in many dishes.

We all know that chilli peppers play a big part in traditional Mexican food.  These and salt were so important to the peoples of central Mexico that special religious fasts involved avoiding them.

Many of the meats eaten today were an addition from the Spanish.  Today, much traditional Mexican food is prepared the same way, but with different meats.

Common in the days of the empire were turkey and dogs.  At times hunters would also provide deer, rabbit, duck, and other birds.  From the sea came axolotl, a type of salamander, and acocil, a crayfish.  Acocil tacos are still eaten in Mexican restaurants.

From the world of bugs, grasshoppers and the maguey worm are two creatures that were probably eaten by the Aztec peoples and are still eaten today.

Recipies for acocil tacos and other authentic Prehispanic food can be found in Cocina Prehispanica Mexicana (Prehispanic Mexican Kitchen) by Heriberto Garcia Rivas.

To drink

The alcoholic beverage octli or pulque was and is made from the maguey plant.  This was an important plant in the days of the Aztecs, but it's use is rarer today because of conservation concerns.

The Aztecs made corn drinks, and today in Mexico we drink atole which has the same ingredient.  Chocolate was, of course, introduced to Europe by Mexico.  A bitter drink known as xocolatl was popular among the upper class, and the Spanish introduced sugar which led to the sweet chocolate atole and spiced hot chocolate popular today.

Preparing the food

The Mexican staple, the tortilla, is still prepared much the same way as it was traditionally.  Maize, and lime, cooked on a stone slab.  Tamales, a type of corn cake sometimes accompanied by tomato, also survived. But the favourite dishes evolved as new foods were introduced from Spain...

European additions

Some key additions to traditional Mexican food were chicken, beef and pork, cheese, garlic and onions, and rice. These are mixed in with the typical Aztec cuisine. For example, the cheese quesadilla (cheese + tortilla), chapulines (grasshoppers + garlic and lemon juice).

Some cooking styles changed too - for example, the above ground oven was introduced in more recent Mexican history.

For more, check out this fabulous introduction to traditional Mexican foodby Karen Hursh Graber.  To bring real traditional Mexican food to your own kitchen, one of my favourite cookbooks is an ebook - Recipes from an Aztec Garden by Kent Swanson and Veronica Iglesias de Swanson.

Traditional Mexican Costumes

A wonderful blend of Native American and European styles, these costumes are distinct and attractive. There is also evidence of a strong influence of Mayan and Spanish elements. Traditional Mexican clothing is available in many attractive varieties, where major items of Mexican clothes and costumes are quechquémitl, huipil, rebozo, sombrero, including folklore dresses.

These costumes are made from a variety of fabric, including cotton, agave, wool, silk, and bark. Cotton, agave, and bark were specifically used by the pre-Hispanic civilizations. Later on, the Spanish introduced silk and wool. Native Mexicans usually prefer earthy colors such as dark red or brown. However, they also like vivid green or bright yellow in their clothes. In the past, Mexicans dyed clothes with natural components present in local plants. With the discovery of aniline dyes in Europe, the Mexicans have adopted their dyeing technique, likewise.

Traditional Attire for Women

Mexican clothes are known for their use of bright colors and intricate craftsmanship. Traditional women's clothing includes the huipil, rebozo, and quechquémitl. Let's take a look at the clothes and costumes that you'll find on a Mexican woman.

Huipil is the most common form of women's traditional attire. It can be described as a sleeveless tunic, made from cotton or wool. A huipil is made in distinctive designs, which convey the wearer's marital status, personal beliefs, or the community she belongs to. This garment has a religious significance as well.

Quechquémitl is another traditional Mexican clothing item worn in Mexico. It looks like a stylish poncho and is worn for parties or special occasions. It is made from handwoven cloth and is beautifully embroidered with graphic designs and floral prints.

Rebozo is a type of shawl or scarf, typically made from wool, cotton, or silk. It is a popular item of a woman's attire used in indigenous and non-indigenous communities. It is a multi-functional garment, also used to carry market goods, fruits, and even babies. Different colors of stripes are woven into the Robozo to represent the different communities in Mexico.

Mexican skirts are identified by different names such as chincuete, enredo, posahuanco, enagua, or refajo, depending on the area of origin. Some women prefer to wear ankle-length skirts, while others favor knee-length ones. The skirts are generally made from wool and cotton. Nowadays, silk and lace are also used to make skirts for women.

Blouses are an integral part of the wardrobe of a Mexican woman. Some Mexican women prefer to wear a blouse rather than a huipil. Blouses are heavily embroidered using beautiful lace, beads, and colorful patterns. They are available in a wide variety of styles, in terms of length, width, and design.

Traditional Attire for Men

In tropical regions of Mexico, many men prefer a light, comfortable button-up shirt called the Guayabera. It is the perfect attire for casual or formal occasions. These shirts are available in a variety of colors and styles and are decorated with beautiful embroidery. However, the most traditional pieces of clothing for men in Mexico are the following:

Sarape is the only native addition to a man's wardrobe. It is a vibrantly colored garment with a fringe. It represents a combination of Mayan elements and the Mexican poncho. It is usually made in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

Charro Suit is a traditional piece of Mexican clothing that is generally worn on the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday celebrated to remember the death of loved ones. A Charro suit is often paired with a sombrero.

Sombrero is a wide brimmed hat that made from straw and worn traditionally by men all over Mexico. This accessory is one of the most significant denotations of the culture and customs of Mexico.

Men in the northern states of Mexico, like Chihuahua, use cowboy hats and boots. Most Mexicans use straw and palm hats to cope with the extreme heat. Sombreros are popular Mexican round hats, made from straw, felt, or other material.

Traditional Accessories

Most Mexicans like to use elaborate accessories with garments. The choice of accessories is distinct to every region. Women like to wear ribbons as a necklace around their necks, including bracelets, and

beaded rings too. Other Mexicans like to use unusual material like fishbones or seashells as accessories. These kinds of ornaments are believed to act as amulets or medallions to ward off evil.

Mexicans consider their clothes as the mirror of their culture, social status, and ethnic group. When I was in Mexico, I couldn't stop myself from purchasing a magnificent rebozo and handcrafted skirts. Theirs is truly a clothing splendor to lay one's eyes on, even if proportionately billowy.

Cuisine

Mexican cuisine is known for its blending of Indigenous and European cultures. Popular dishes include tacos, enchiladas, mole sauce, atole, tamales, and pozole. Traditionally the main Mexican ingredients consisted of maize, beans, meat, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, chili peppers, habenero peppers, onions, nuts, avocados and guavas. Popular beverages include water flavored with a variety of fruit juices, and cinnamon-flavored hot chocolate prepared with milk or water and blended until it becomes frothed using a traditional wooden tool called a molinillo. Alcoholic beverages native to Mexico include mescal, pulque, and tequila. Mexican beer is also popular in Mexico and are exported. There are international award-winning Mexican wineries that produce and export wine.[8]

The most important and frequently used spices in Mexican cuisine are chili powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. Chipotle, a smoked-dried jalapeño pepper, is also common in Mexican cuisine. Many Mexican dishes also contain onions and garlic, which are also some of Mexico's staple foods.

Next to corn, rice is the most common grain in Mexican cuisine. According to food writer Karen Hursh Graber, the initial introduction of rice to Spain from North Africa in the 14th century led to the Spanish introduction of rice to Mexico at the port of Veracruz in the 1520s. This, Graber says, created one of the earliest instances of the world's greatest Fusion cuisine's.[citation needed]

On the other hand, in Southeastern Mexico, especially in the Yucátan, is known for their spicy vegetable and meat dishes. The cuisine of Southeastern Mexico has quite a bit of Caribbean influence, given its geographical location. Seafood is commonly prepared in the states that border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes, à la veracruzana.

In modern times, other cuisines of the world have become very popular in Mexico, thus adopting a Mexican fusion. For example, sushi in Mexico is often made by using a variety of sauces based on mango and tamarind, and very often served with serrano-chili blended soy sauce, or complemented with vinegar, habenero peppers and chipotle peppers.[citation needed]

Chocolate originated in Mexico and was prized by the Aztecs. It remains an important ingredient in Mexican cookery.[citation needed]

Music and dance[edit]

Main articles: Music of Mexico and Folk dance of Mexico

Indigenous Aztec dancers in Mexico City.

Jarabe Tapatío in the traditional China Poblana dress.

The foundation of Mexican music comes from its indigenous sounds and heritage. The original inhabitants of the land, used drums, flutes, maracas, sea shells and voices to make music and dances. This ancient music is still played in some parts of Mexico. However, much of the traditional contemporary music of Mexico was written during and after the Spanish colonial period, using many European instruments. Some instruments whose predecessors were brought from Europe, such as the vihuela used in Mariachi music, are now very Mexican. Mexican society enjoys a vast array of music genres, showing the diversity of Mexican culture. Traditional music includes Mariachi, Banda, Norteño, Ranchera and Corridos. Mexicans also listen to contemporary music such as pop and Mexican rock. Mexico has the largest media industry in Latin America, producing Mexican artists who are famous in Central and South America and parts of Europe. Folk songs called corridos have been popular in the country since the 16th century. It may tell the story about the Mexican Revolution, pride, Mestizo, romance, poverty, politics or crime.

Today, musical groups known as Mariachis perform along streets, festivals and restaurants. A Mariachi group includes singers, guitar, trumpets, violin and marimba players. The most prominent Mariachi group is Vargas de Tecalitlán, which was originally formed in 1897.

Veracruz dance performed at ITESM-Campus Ciudad de México.

Other styles of traditional regional music in México: Son Jarocho (Veracruz, with guitars and harp), Huapango or Son Huasteco (Huasteca, northeastern regions, violin and two guitars known as quinta huapanguera and jarana), Tambora (Sinaloa, mainly brass instruments) Duranguense, Jarana (most of the Yucatán peninsula) and Norteña (North style, redoba and accordion).

Folk dances are a feature of Mexican culture. Significant in dance tradition is the "Jarabe Tapatío", known as "Mexican hat dance". Traditional dancers perform a sequence of hopping steps, heel and toe tapping movements.

Among the most known "classical" composers: Manuel M. Ponce ("Estrellita"), Revueltas, Jordá (Elodia), Ricardo Castro, Juventino Rosas ("Sobre las olas"), Carrillo (Sonido 13), Ibarra, Pablo Moncayo (Huapango) and Carlos Chávez.

Popular composers includes: Agustín Lara, Consuelo Velázquez ("Bésame mucho"), "Guty" Cárdenas, José Alfredo Jiménez, Armando Manzanero, Luis Arcaraz, Álvaro Carrillo, Joaquín Pardavé and Alfonso Ortiz Tirado.

Traditional Mexican music has influenced the evolution of the Mexican pop and Mexican rock genre. Some well-known Mexican pop singers are Luis Miguel and Alejandro Fernández. Latin rock musicians

such as Carlos Santana, Café Tacuba and Caifanes have incorporated Mexican folk tunes into their music. Traditional Mexican music is still alive in the voices of artists such as Eugenia León and Lila Downs.

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.[1][2] Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world. In Brazil Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain there are festivals and parades and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

Capital of Mexico is sinking at a rate of 10 inches per year, 10 times faster than the Italian city Venice.

Mexico City was built in an area where groundwater blanket is very close to the surface, so that the city can be recognized sinking of cracked sidewalks, buildings that are falling and the 23 extra steps added to the angel statue INDEPENDENCE