Stocking up a Mexican Pantry
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Mexican cuisine is very diverse with each region distinct from the other. Geography, climate, and biodiversity play a key role in influencing a region’s cuisine.
The Essential Mexican Ingredients
The foundations of Mexican cuisine are centered on corn, chiles, and beans. These essential ingredients may change across the different regions of Mexico but they form the foundation of the cuisine alongside a wealth of spices, herbs, seeds, fruits, and nuts (how long do nuts last?).
Mexican influence plays a key role in Texan cuisine, the term Tex-Mex entered into American vocabulary in the 1920s to describe not just the Texas Mexican Railway and people of Mexican descent born in Texas but also became the name of a cuisine that combines the two cultures. TexMex can be considered a variant of Mexican cuisine or one that is considered American.
With the pervasiveness of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine in the state, most Texan homes have Mexican pantries in their kitchens. And if you want to stock up on a Mexican pantry you can start by getting the most common ingredients found in most pantries.
These widely-used ingredients include:
Tortillas
Limes
Herbs (cilantro, Mexican oregano, mint)
Chiles
Avocados
Beans
Mexican Cheese
Chorizos
Achiote
Vinegar
Tortillas
Whether corn or flour (how long does flour last?), the tortilla is the most basic ingredient of any Mexican meal as it is the element that completes the meal or it is the meal itself.
They can be tostadas which are tortillas that are baked, fried, or grilled. Or they can be enchiladas or chilaquiles which are stale and poured with sauce. Tacos dorados and flautas are tortillas that are stuffed, rolled, and fried.
Limes
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are found in many Mexican dishes. The most preferred is the lime. That unmistakable tartness makes it a popular ingredient for dishes like ceviches, salads, soups, and drinks like margaritas.
The Limon Chico is usually associated with the Mexican lime, which is a citrus hybrid native to Southeast Asia. The citrus fruit measures around 2.5 and 5 centimeters in diameter with thin, bright green skin and green-yellow pulp. In the United States, they are labeled as Key Lime or West Indian Lime.
When choosing lime to buy, the skin of the fruit should still be soft and shiny. They should be brightly pigmented and still green as a yellow-colored lime means it is overripe. Don’t pick fruits with large brown spots.
Herbs
Mexican cuisine uses herbs a lot as it gives it a distinctive flavor. Essential herbs include cilantro, oregano (preferably Mexican oregano), thyme, and mint. So they should be an important ingredient in your Mexican pantry.
Tomatillos
Another popular ingredient is the tomatillo. It is also known as the Mexican Husk Tomato. These are firm, green fruit wrapped in a papery husk. Except for the husk, the unripe tomato and the tomatillo look the same (they belong to the same nightshade family). The tomatillo stays green even when it is ripe.
The tomatillo is a native of Mexico and has been planted by people since the pre-Columbian era. They are used as savory ingredients for salsa, tacos, enchiladas, salads, and a variety of dishes. They are the key ingredient to the well-loved Salsa Verde.
If you can’t find a tomatillo you might want to buy under-ripe tomatoes with a squeeze of lime juice as a substitute.
Chiles
Fresh chiles are very important elements in Mexican cooking. Popular chiles include jalapeño, chipotle, habanero, poblano, chilaca and serrano. Each chile serves a purpose, providing flavor and spice to foods.
Dried chile has a different flavor profile as compared to fresh ones. A dried jalapeño which is used in salsas has a smoky and sweet flavor. Also, the name changes: a dried jalapeno is called a chipotle, a dried poblano is ancho, a dried chilaca is a pasilla, and a dried serrano is the chile seco.
Mexican Cheese
Mexican cheese has so many kinds you have the essential cheeses such as the Queso Oaxaca, Queso Fresco, Cotija Cheese, and Panela Cheese.
Cheese is used in dishes such as quesadilla, enchilada, queso fundido, burritos, carnitas and many others.
Avocados
This creamy nutritious fruit is an integral part of the very popular guacamole. The fruit is also used in salads and tacos.
Aside from being tasty, one reason why avocado is popular is the health benefits it brings. It is rich in Vitamins C, E, K, and B6 along with riboflavin, niacin, and potassium. It's good for those on the diet as avocado makes you feel fuller between meals.
Get the Hass variety of avocado as it is the tastiest, if the Hass variety isn't available you can buy the Fuerte variety. If you’re stocking it for the pantry it is best to buy unripe avocados.
Beans
Frijoles or beans have become a Mexican staple and they are common ingredients in numerous dishes. The popular beans include:
Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)
They are seasoned with salt, onions, garlic, and oregano and used in burritos, salsas, and Mexican-style salads.
Pinto Beans
It is a bean native and grown in Mexico. A popular and common bean it is high in fiber and protein, and it is served whole or mashed. They are used in creating Frijoles de la Olla or the Mexican Bean Stew.
Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans)
Originally used by Mexican cowboys, it is actually pinto beans (how long does pinto beans last?) prepped by cowboys. The Frijoles Charros is a stew that has beans, garlic, bacon, chorizos, and sausages in it.
Refried Beans
Refried beans are not fried; these are pinto (most common) or black beans (how long do black beans last?) that have been softened, mashed and seasoned.
Chorizos
Mexican chorizo is a highly seasoned uncooked sausage made from either beef or pork. It is one of the most flavorful chorizos and is best for sauteing, pairs well with eggs and cubes of potatoes.
For the best-tasting Mexican chorizo for your pantry, it is best to buy them in butcher shops in Latin markets.
Achiote
Gives food its distinctive red color and an earthy flavor to dishes. You can buy them in seed form or paste.
Lard
Lard is widely used in Mexican cuisine. It is the preferred fat used in Mexican kitchens as it gives food a depth of flavor. Lard is used in making flour tortillas and tamales.
It is also a frying fat for antojitos (tortilla-based snacks) that is used in cooking traditional carnitas and chicharron and is also used to fry beans, chiles, and nuts.
Vinegar
Vinegar brings acidity to salsas, pickles, salsas, and adobo marinades. Mexico has many fruit-based vinegar which include bananas and pineapple. Popular vinegar includes apple cider and vinagre de caña or cane vinegar (made from sugarcane).
If you are thinking of starting a Mexican pantry, the above-mentioned ingredients are commonly found in pantries. With it, you can create some Mexican dishes or well-loved Tex-Mex recipes right in your kitchens.
