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 slimy texture similar to okra. In terms of flavour, they are tart, with a slightly citrusy taste.

Where do I get it?
They’re available fresh in most Latin American groceries, and you may even find them in western groceries in areas with a large Hispanic population. You can also find them bottled or canned.

When is it best?
There is no season for nopales, but the pads should be picked young. Look for small tender pads that are firm with tight skin. They should not be spongy or wrinkly, and the color should be bright green.

How do I use it?
Nopales can be grilled, pickled or sauteed and served with eggs, in tacos or by themselves as a vegetable.

Nutrition:
High in dietary fiber, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.

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 a beverage for over 3000 years in Central America.

Mexican chocolate is closer to what chocolate probably tasted like prior to the development of the conching process. It’s very gritty with a crumbly texture that reveals granules of sugar. A look at the ingredients of Ibarra, the most common brand of Mexican chocolate, reveals that there are only 4 ingredients: sugar, cacao nibs, cinnamon and an emulsifier.

What’s it taste like?
It’s typically not eaten straight because of the texture but when mixed with hot water or milk, it makes a fantastic beverage. It’s nutty and sweet with a faint spiciness coming from the cinnamon.

Where do I get it?
Grocery stores in North America that have a Latin American food section should carry it. Otherwise go to a Latin American specialty food store. Ibarra, the most common brand comes in a yellow and red hexagon shaped box with individually wrapped wheels of chocolate inside.

When is it best?
There’s no season, but it can go rancid if it’s too old. Try to buy it from a store that looks like they go through a lot of it.

How do I use it?
The most common use is for making Mexican hot chocolate by mixing a few wedges of a wheel with a cup of hot water or milk. You can add extra cinnamon or some cayenne pepper for some extra kick. Mixed with Masa Harina and cooked with water it makes a thick porridge-like beverage called atole de chocolate. It’s also added to mole to add sweetness, body and a nutty flavour to the sauce.

Nutrition
It contains a lot of sugar, but the cacao in it is high in iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and anti-oxidants.

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 water softens the kernels changing the texture so that the finished dough is more elastic and workable. After the maize is soaked, it’s ground then used fresh as masa, or dried to make masa harina.

In the photo above you can see the fine almost white powder on the right with the dough it forms on the left. In the back is a bag of Maseca brand Masa Harina.

What’s it taste like?
It has a nutty slightly minerally flavour that unsurprisingly tastes like corn.

Where do I get it?
Grocery stores in North America that have a Latin American food section should carry it. Otherwise go to a Latin American specialty food store. It typically comes in bags that look like a bag of flour. Personally I like the Maseca brand.

When is it best?
There’s no season, but if you are able to find fresh masa, which looks more like a dough, the flavour and texture are better than rehydrating dried masa harina.

How do I use it?
Masa harina can be worked into a dough by adding water then allowing it to rest for about an hour to fully rehydrate. This dough can then be pressed into corn tortillas which can be “baked” on a hot cast iron skillet. These tortilla’s can then be used to make tacos or enchiladas or just served along side a stew. If they are cut and deep fried you will have tortilla chips. Masa harina can also be used to make tamales, although there is a special kind for tamales (para tamales) that has a more course grind than the kind for tortillas.

Nutrition
The lime water used to treat the maize adds calcium and releases niacin from the niacytin which greatly increases the nutritional value of the corn.

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. When purchasing, look for a dry green or brown, papery husk that is evenly colored. Looking inside the husk, make sure the tomatillo is firm when gently pressed and that the skin is shiny and smooth (not wrinkled). It’s okay if they are slightly sticky as this is a natural byproduct produced by the plant as the fruit matures.

What’s it taste like?
Bright green, citrusy flavour with small seeds. It’s probably closest to a green tomato in taste, although it is much more sweet and fruity.

Where do I get it?
They are widely available in North American supermarkets, but if you can’t find them in your local supermarket, try going to a Latin American market which should definitely have them.

When is it best?
Tomatillo season closely overlaps with tomato season with the best ones coming on the market late summer to early autumn. They are however widely grown in Central and South America, so they are typically available all year round in North America.

How do I use it?
Tomatillos are widely used in Mexican and other Latin American cuisines in sauces. It’s delicious roasted and turned into Salsa Verde, and is also the primary ingredient in Chile Verde. While roasting concentrates the flavour and intensifies the sweetness, fresh tomatillos taste great chopped into a salad, or turned into a raw salsa.

Nutrition
High in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, niacin, potassium and manganese.