Pati's Mexican Table » Ingredients

Achiote or Annatto Seeds

patiadmin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:25:00 +0000

Achiote or Annatto seeds is a spice that grows heavily in the Yucatán area and is unique and native to this area. The seeds come from the Annatto tree, which grows beautiful pink flowers that produce a prickly pod which has dozens and dozens of these seeds inside (continue for more information and photo).

The seeds have a beautiful brown, brick, reddish warm and appealing color. The Mayas used the seeds since Pre-Hispanic times to color their skin, garments, art and they also mixed them with their chocolate drink as a symbol of blood, given the color, in their rites. The seeds provide a strong, pungent and sort of permanent flavor to the dishes they are used in.

Achiote Paste or Recado Rojo

patiadmin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:00:00 +0000

The achiote paste or recado rojo, is one of the main seasonings of the Yucatecan cuisine. Although it is mainly known for its use as the base of a marinade in the Pibil style dishes, it is used in many other ways.

This paste is made of achiote seeds, charred garlic, toasted herbs and spices such as oregano, cloves, cumin, black peppercorns, allspice, coriander seeds, salt and bitter orange or its substitute, which is a mix of citrus juices and/or vinegar (continue for more information and photo).

Achiote paste has, like achiote seeds, a beautiful and warm brick-like color and a strong and pungent flavor. It keeps for months stored in a fresh and shaded area of the kitchen.

Luckily, it can now be found in many international and Latin stores or online.

Acitrón

patiadmin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Acitrón is one of the few ingredients used for Mexican cooking that is still very hard to find outside of Mexico. Acitrón is made with the pad or paddle -leaf- of a cactus plant called biznaga, which is similar to the prickly pear but rounder in shape and it also grows in dry land. To make acitrón, the leaves are peeled off the outer skin along with the little thorns, sometimes soaked in a lime solution, dried in the sun and finally simmered in a syrup made with water and sugar or honey, then left to dry again.

In Mexico it is sold in stores and markets in square or rectangular small blocks along with other candied fruits or vegetables, of which my favorite is the candied sweet potato or camote (continue for more information and photo).

Acitrón, with its pleasant and mildly sweet flavor and chewy consistency, is mixed with other ingredients ironically heightening the flavors of those other ingredients. It is used to make many dishes such as the famous Chiles en Nogada, picadillos or meat fillings for other chiles and tamales, in their savory or sweet takes, as well as in breads like Rosca de Reyes and also just as a candy.

For dishes that call for acitrón, if you can’t get your hand on any, you can substitute with candied pineapple, mostly the kind that comes without a heavy sugar coating.

Allspice or Pimienta Gorda

patiadmin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:06:22 +0000

Funny, it wasn’t until recently that allspice became incorporated into Mexican local cuisine. Allspice has been grown in Mexico since the 1600′s but was seen as an exotic and expensive spice for export.

Allspice is as unique and simple as it sounds. It is the only spice that grows exclusively in the Western Hemisphere. When the Spaniards first encountered it in Jamaica, they named it pimienta because of its close resemblance to peppercorn. Because allspice is much larger than peppercorn it earned the name pimienta gorda, which literally means fat peppercorn. The english name allspice comes from its aroma, which smells like “all the spices” with hints of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg (continue for more information and photo).

Allspice is grown in the tropical climates of Veracruz, Tabasco and in the Sierra area of Puebla, where the same mountain vapor helps the growth of coffee.

Allspice, for some reason, goes really well with chiles.

Ancho Chile

patiadmin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:33:43 +0000

The Ancho chile is a stellar ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It is probably the most used dried Chile throughout Mexico and no wonder why: Its flavor is unmatchable.

The Ancho is the Poblano Chile that has been ripened to a deep red and then dried. This concentrates the already exuberant and fruity flavors of the Poblanos (continue for more information and photo).

It is wide, chubby, wrinkled and very pliable, different from other dried chiles. It has a deep reddish brown skin, with a bit of shine, which sort of imitates its flavor as well. Deep and rich, sharp and fruity, it has a hint of bittersweet notes and a resemblance to the flavor of prunes. It is very mild in heat.

Ancho chiles can be easily found in grocery stores throughout the US. They are typically rinsed, seeded and then toasted and/or soaked or simmered in hot water.

Avocados

patiadmin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:34:54 +0000

The smooth, soothing, creamy qualities of avocados are the perfect combination to the richly flavored and sometimes spicy Mexican food. My favorite avocados are the Hass variety and for some reason… I like the Mexican ones the most (!) They tend to be larger, meatier, creamier and just more luxurious than others (continue for more information and photo).

Though many people think of avocados as vegetables, they are fruits…

Since they are harvested green (mature but not yet ripened), in some stores you may find them when they are not ready to eat. If the skin still looks green and the avocado feels firm to the touch, they probably need 3 to 6 days of ripening. You can bring them home and place them in a paper bag or newspaper in a warm area of your kitchen to speed up the ripening process. You can also just leave them outside of the refrigerator. They are ripe and ready to eat when the skin is almost completely black and the avocado gives in a bit if you gently squeeze it. Once ripe, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week if not opened and about one or two days if opened and covered with plastic wrap.

Banana Leaves

patiadmin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:57:52 +0000

Incredibly long leaves from the banana tree, the banana leaves have a beautiful deep green color and a strong fragrant smell. They are often used in Mexican cooking to wrap and cook many kinds of foods including tamales, meats, fish and poultry. They are both malleable and strong. Cooking in them not only concentrates the flavors of the wrapped ingredients but it also infuses them with a grassy, intensely aromatic and fresh feel.

Banana leaves used to be hard to find in the US when I moved here more than a dozen years ago (continue for more information and photo).

Yet these days, banana leaves can be found in many large grocery stores in the frozen vegetable sections as well as in Latin and ethnic shops.

Banana Pepper or Chiles Güeros

patiadmin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:31:56 +0000

Banana peppers are called chiles güeros in many regions of Mexico. Güero, translates to blond, name given because of their pale, yellowish color. There are different varieties or banana peppers, but they are pale and light in looks, have waxy skin, and a similar flavor to Jalapeños. Their heat level can range from mild to hot (continue for more information and photo).

There is a variety of banana peppers different from the one in this photo, that is a bit more elongated in shape, which is very popular for pickling. Banana peppers are sold in many stores in the DC-MD-VA area, but if you are unable to find them, you can substitute with Jalapeños.

Beans: Black Beans

patiadmin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:10:32 +0000

Beans are a crucial part of any Mexican meal, where the black bean is the most common bean used generally speaking. However, speaking regionally, it is favored in the Southern states and also in Veracruz. In the northern areas of Mexico, the lighter colored beans such as the Pinto are more common, and in the center areas, both kinds are eaten as well as Peruvian beans (continue for more information and a photo).

With shiny black skins, they have an intense, sort of inky, flavor that develops while cooking.

Beans: Fava Beans

patiadmin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Fava beans have been around for quite a long time. Ancient Egyptians prized them so much that they were buried with them inside of their tombs! Originally native to Africa and southwest Asia, today Favas are cultivated all over the world. Thanks to the Spaniards, Mexicans have been enjoying them since the XVI century, in may different ways.

Filled with nutrients and Vitamins, they are also filled with a deep strong flavor. In Central Mexico, they are commonly found fresh at markets in the spring time where they range in size from the mini to the large and in colors from the pale green to the deep purple. When fresh, they come with a shell and a leathery skin underneath it, both of which needs to be removed before eating. Which can be quite laborious. Then they are eaten in soups, stews and salads mostly (continue for more information and photos).

They are also found in the stores and markets dried year round, in two variations. And they are used to make dishes, year round too…

First, you can find them hulled, but not peeled. In which case they need to be soaked before cooking, then simmered for hours until soft and peeled. They look pretty, but it is quite laborious too.

That’s why its just easier to get them in the second variation, as below. Already hulled and peeled. In this case, Fava beans just need to be cooked until soft, and then they can be the base of tasty soups, stews and even salads. They are also famously used to make a Fava bean paste that is used in many Mexican antojitos like gorditas and tlacoyos.

Another popular and delicious way to eat this wholesome ingredient, is by toasting or frying them and covering them with chily powder, lime juice and salt. They are called habas tostadas, a favourite snack for movie goers.