Me and my stomach have decided that one of my missions is to try the variety of different common foods sold on the streets here (as long as it looks clean and sanitary). There are always tons of food vendors in the streets both day and night. It's very common for people to buy something and then walk around eating it outside.
So far I have tried:
- "Nieve de Limon" = lemon snow. A slushy ice cream-like thing, made with natural lemon juice. It was pretty tasty.
- "Elotes" = corn kernels in a styrofoam cup, mixed with mayonaise, quesilla (white, grated cheese), chili powder and lime juice. It was good but a little too juicy for me. The other variation is just corn on the cob, stuck on a wooden stick and smeared with the mayo and chili powder.
- Fruit cup mix. It has a specific name, but I forget what they call it. Basically they chop up whatever fruits you choose (papaya, mango, watermelon, etc.) and put it in a cup or a plastic bag. Then they sprinkle chili powder and lime juice over it.
- Aguas frescas (Fresh waters?): different juices made with fruit, water and sugar. I've tried the hibiscus one, but there is also watermelon, orchata, tamarind and other flavors.
- "Paletas" = popsicles. They come in all different crazy flavors here. I tried one that was mamee flavor. It was interesting. I also tried the mango with chile flavor. I really liked that one.
- Pizza. The pizza here is pretty much the same (you can get pepperoni, hawaiian, etc.). However, when you sit down at the table or counter, there are a wide variety of sauces to apply to the top of your pizza. Most people use these lavishly. The choices of sauce are: hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, mayonaise with chilis, and ketsup.
* A note about hotdogs. Here, people do things with hotdogs that people the States couldn't even imagine. In the morning, we have eggs with hotsauce and hotdogs. People make hotdogs and spaghetti, pizza with hotdogs on top, and of course there's always the simple hotdog in a bun. In a coffee kiosk in the University, I ordered a "Sandwich" from the menu. The girl took a hotdog, sliced it, and put it on a piece of bread with mayonaise.
6 comments:
Of course I love hearing about the food. It sounds like the fruit there is incredible. I hope you'll collect some recipes before you come home so that we can re-create some of the meals you like most. :)
Love, Mom
Here's another uniquely Mexican take on hotdogs perhaps your Mom would embrace, knowing her feelings about bacon! But, perhaps not if her sentiments toward hotdogs are a little cooler. At both street vendors and in sit-down places they always serve weenies wrapped in bacon; with or without the bun. They are usually grilled but in restaurants they are sometimes roasted. M says the condiments can be the same as in the States with the addition of hot chile peppers. You ever see 'em that way there, Amanda? Maybe it's a regional thing.
My references (M, of course) state that the "aquas frescas" mean flavored waters, usually fruity and sweet, such as horchata, jamaica, etc. And the "fruit cup mix" is known around the TJ area as pico de gallo. Same there?
Cheers,
Tio Ricardo
One more thing, if they have tacos de adobada you have to try them!
I thought pico de gallo was the diced tomato/onion/cilantro mix that goes on tacos.... well at least in the US! I'll have to ask around for more info! :-)
Yeah, I thought it was that stuff, too. But M says it IS just a US thing; that in Mexico or at least in TJ that fruit stuff is called pico de gallo and the diced chile/tomato thing is called salsa fresca. She is checking her sources, too. :o)
Hmm, I still haven't seen the hotdog and bacon thing, but I did ask around about the fruit cup thing. The said its basically called a fruit cocktail (coctail de fruta), and they use pico de gallo to describe the tomato thing. I've also heard the tomato thing called "chismol" by my bf... that might be a honduran word for it.
Another street food I've tried recently is mango on a stick with chili powder and lime on it. It's amazing. But since my stomach has been sick lately, I have been trying to tone it down with the street food. :-)
Post a Comment