Nopal

May 15, 2009 6 comments
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Other Names nōpalli, nopales (plural) Description Nopales are the young pads of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus, which is the same species from which prickly pears are harvested from. They’re eaten as a vegetable in Mexico after the spines have been removed. What’s it taste like? Nopales have a moist crunchy texture with with a slightly [...]

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Mexican Chocolate

February 26, 2009 11 comments
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Other Names Chocolate para mesa, unconched chocolate Description Chocolate as we know it has only existed for a few hundred years. Modern chocolate is “conched” by grinding it for up to 72 hours to give it a smoother texture. Before the Europeans perfected the process of refining chocolate, the cacao bean was used to make [...]

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Masa Harina

February 23, 2009 20 comments
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Other Names Masa de Harina Description Masa Harina literally means dough flour in Spanish and in Mexican cuisine, it refers to flour made from maize that has been soaked in lime water (calcium hydroxide). It is not the same thing as cornmeal and cannot be used interchangeably. The process of soaking the maize in lime [...]

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Tomatillo

February 8, 2009 9 comments
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Other Names ground tomato, husk tomato, mexican tomato, ground cherry, tomate de cáscara, tomate verde. Description These little guys look almost exactly like small green tomatoes, but unlike tomatoes, they naturally grow in a papery husk. While different varieties come in a multitude of colors, tomatillos are most widely known for their bright green color. [...]

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