Mexican Cuisine

Mexican food is a rich mixture of indigenous and Spanish cuisines. Food is a

typical example of the variety of Mexican culture.

When Hernán Cortés, the Spanish explorer, arrived in

Mexico in 1519, he found types of food, fruit,
vegetables and wild animals that Europeans had never
seen before.

Cortés found that the people ate such things as

mangoes, pineapples, avocados, tomatoes, coconuts
and basic staples like maize, beans and hot chillies.
Cortés and his followers brought with them Spanish
tastes and dishes, such as garlic, cereals, rice, wine, meats and sausages
flavoured with spices.

Mexican dishes are very colorful and are popular even outside of Mexico. The
cuisine is a mix of indigenous Mexican and Spanish cooking. The basic
ingredients of most meals are beans, avocados, tomatoes, corn and chili
peppers. Corn is the basis of most Mexican dishes, it is used to make masa, a
dough that is used to make tortillas and tamales. The Spanish added many
other ingredients, such as beef, pork, chicken and cheese to the regular Mexican
diet.
Answer:
1. Name 3 fruit that European people had never seen before coming to Mexico
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…
2. Name basic ingredients of most Mexican meals.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What is used to make masa.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Complete the crossword.

Guacamole Taco Burrito Salsa Tortilla

1
3
2

5
4

Which Mexican dishes are described below?

A tortilla rolled around a filling of beans and shredded beef. ___

A dip made of avocado with onion, tomatoes, and chili peppers. _____
A thin pancake of cornmeal flour.
Spicy tomato sauce.
A fried and folded tortilla filled with various mixtures.
 Mexican Cuisine

chilles culture dishes avocados cuisines

ingredients diet explorer
Mexican food is a rich mixture of indigenous and Spanish
…………………… . Food is a typical example of the variety of
Mexican ……………….

When Hernán Cortés, the Spanish ……………………, arrived in

Mexico in 1519, he found types of food, fruit, vegetables and wild animals that
Europeans had never seen before.
Cortés found that the people ate such things as mangoes, pineapples,
…………………………, tomatoes, coconuts and basic staples like maize, beans and hot
……………………... Cortés and his followers brought with them Spanish tastes and
dishes, such as garlic, cereals, rice, wine, meats and sausages flavoured with spices.

Mexican dishes are very colorful and are popular even outside of Mexico. The cuisine is a mix of
indigenous Mexican and Spanish cooking. The basic …………………… of most meals are beans,
avocados, tomatoes, corn and chili peppers. Corn is the basis of most Mexican ……………….., it is used
to make masa, a dough that is used to make tortillas and tamales. The Spanish added many other
ingredients, such as beef, pork, chicken and cheese to the regular Mexican ……………….. .

Food that originated in Mexico: TOMATO, AVOCADO, BEANS, CHILES, PAPAYA, CORN,
COCOA
The name comes from a Nahuatl (Aztec) word “ahuácatl” . The Aztecs
believed avocados gave you strength and the fruit was also important to
the Maya who depicted it in their calendar.
They are present throughout Mexican cuisine –– they’re served as a side,
in soups, used as fillings and toppings, for refried beans, and more.
It was used in a variety of ways from rituals to currency, and a bitter drink
made with spices like vanilla or chile.
Aztecs called them Nahuatl. There are 64 types of them from sweet to
VERY hot.
It is a sacred plant. You will see it used to almost every dish in Mexico.
Mexico grows most of the world’s papayas, followed by Hawaii, Brazil and
Belize. In Mexico City you'll find papaya used as a key ingredient in fruit
cups topped with chile and lime, in refreshers like paletas (popsicles) or
aguas frescas (fruit water).
The name comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl and this staple ingredient
in traditional Mexican cooking. You’ll sometimes see the word jitomate in
reference to red tomatoes, while the little green tomatoes are
called tomatillos.
Look at the wordsearch and label the pictures:

.... G ….. ….. …..

B …. ….. ….. S

…A… …P… …O

… I…A… …R…

C … …. C … …. A … E
MEXICAN PUMPKIN
…Q…A… …

MEXICAN GRILL
C… I…O…L…

.… …. C …. S

…. O …. N
 T …. …. A …. …. S

…. O …. …. I …. L ….

… U … … S … D … L L ….

… …M… …I…LO…
Look at the wordsearch and label the pictures:
The personification of the plant,
Mayahuel, is the Aztec goddess of
fertility and nourishment. It’s name
is………………………..

This simple food is a staple in Mexican

national diet. They are……………….

It’s medium-sized chile pepper.

It’s name is…………………..

Perhaps no other herb defines Mexican

cuisine better than cilantro, otherwise
known as fresh coriander, and Chinese or
Mexican parsley. It’s called…………

The first uses of this in Mexico were likely as

bitter drinks that had important religious
significance. It’s a…………………….

MEXICAN PUMPKIN …Q…A… …

MEXICAN GRILL C… I…O…L…

They are corn or flour tortillas which wrap or

fold around a typically meaty filling.
They are……………………..

…. O …. N
 It is a traditional Mexican dish, made
of masa or dough which is steamed in a corn
husk or banana leaf. They can be filled with
meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables,chillies.
They are called…………………………………..

It’s a round, thin, flat bread of Mexico.

It’s called…………………………………………..

It is a Mexican dish consisting of a

thin dough or tortilla that is filled primarily
with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices,
and other fillings, and then cooked on
a griddle or stove. It’s……………………………….

It is a small round fruit with a green color

and papery husk. They're native to Mexico
and are commonly used in Mexican cuisine
to make salsas, sauces and more.
They are……………………………