Cuisine of Mexico City

The cuisine of Mexico City is rich and diverse, offering food from all over Mexico. You can find restaurants that serve the special dishes of each of Mexico's 31 states, so there is always something new to try. Besides local flavors, Mexico City also has many famous restaurants from around the world, making it a great place for food lovers.

History

In 1325, the Aztecs settled near Lake Texcoco in Central Mexico. They used the lake’s rich resources and built canals and special gardens called chinampas to grow food.

By the late 1500s, people in Mexico City enjoyed sweetened chocolate drinks with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Fancy meals for rich families often started with soup like albondigas, followed by fried Spanish rice and meats like roast chicken. Desserts included custard or sweet pastry.

Over time, foods like tacos became popular. Workers from rural areas brought their traditions, and street vendors began selling dishes such as tacos de barbacoa, enchiladas, and gorditas. By the 1940s, breakfast might include hot drinks and sweet bread, while lunch and dinner featured dishes like chilaquiles and mole sauces for special occasions.

Specialties

Barbacoa de borrego, a slow-cooked lamb dish, is one of the most popular traditional dishes in Mexico City. It is often made in the nearby suburbs, like Texcoco, where people have been cooking this way for centuries. The lamb is wrapped in maguey cactus leaves and cooked overnight in an earthen oven, a method from old Maya cuisine. Many families from Mexico City like to visit these places, especially on Sundays, to enjoy this tasty meal together.

Markets

In the 1940s, Mexico City had few roads, so major food markets like La Merced and Mercado Jamaica got most of their supplies by canal. There were not many restaurants, and people mostly cooked meals at home using corn, squash, beans, chiles, and meat from local markets.

Today, Mexico City is famous for its fresh fish and seafood. La Nueva Viga Market is one of the largest seafood markets in the world, second only to the Toyosu Market in Tokyo, Japan.

Restaurants

Mexico City has many restaurants with special foods from long ago. Some dishes, like lobster in red chile sauce and tortillas made from cactus fruit, have roots that go back before European explorers arrived.

In the 1800s, fancy restaurants with beautiful views started appearing, and in 1891, a chef from Paris opened a restaurant. Old menus from that time show meals inspired by European styles, without any Mexican dishes. At a big party for a president, only men were allowed to sit for the meal while the women watched from a balcony.