What Are The Most Commonly Used Mexican Spices?

Mexican cuisine makes most of us think of assertive spices; mostly chilies and cumin. This combination of spices is one, which is a perfect representative of the country's culinary history; an ingredient, which came from the old world with the Spanish and one, which has been a central part of Mexican food for thousands of years.

Chilies are one of the most ancient of Mexican spices, having been used for millennia. Hot peppers, just like bell peppers, potatoes and tomatoes are actually native to the Americas. Peppers have always been an important part of the diet in Mexico, a status they retain to this very day.

Jalapenos are the most familiar of these peppers to people in the US. They are commonly used in salsas and pickled for use as a condiment as well as diced for use fresh. The Serrano pepper, a smaller, slightly hotter pepper is also seen relatively often in the US. Many Mexican food recipe are nearly unthinkable without these fiery vegetables. Other peppers such as pasillas and anchos are commonly dried and then ground; others are smoked, such as chipotle peppers (which are actually smoked jalapenos).

Culantro, Mexican oregano and epazote are three common herbs used in Mexican cooking which are native to the Americas. Culantro is used widely in Central America and the Caribbean, but is largely unknown outside of the region. Like many other Mexican spices, it is easier to find in the US than it once was, but it has a flavor which is similar enough to cilantro that cilantro can safely be substituted if cilantro is unavailable.

Do not let the name fool you - Mexican oregano may taste something like a more assertive version of the familiar Greek oregano, but this herb is actually a close relative of lemon verbena. Its flavor is an important component in a number of Mexican dishes, but you can substitute the old world herb if needed. However, Mexican oregano is becoming easier to find. You can usually purchase this herb from specialty spice shops as well as Mexican groceries. It is usually used dried, just like Greek oregano.

Epazote, on the other hand, is an herb for which there is no real substitute. This herb is used to flavor beans in traditional Mexican recipes. While its flavor is something like that of tarragon, it is not recommended to substitute this or any other herb in a Mexican recipe, which calls for epazote. It has a flavor which is all its own.

While we often think of cumin when we think of Mexican food, this spice is one, which came across the Atlantic with the conquistadors, being a common herb in Spanish cooking and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, cumin works so well with many of the ingredients native to the new world that this spice quickly became an integral part of many Mexican recipes.

In a way, Mexican food represents one of the world's first fusion cuisines, with flavors and ingredients both native to the Americas as well as those, which came over to the new world from Europe. It is a marriage of flavors and culinary techniques, which has been an incredibly successful one - without the blend of old world and new world flavors, which define Mexican food, it just would not be the same.

Mexican food is flavorful, colorful and fresh. The rich heritage of the Mayan and Aztec cultures shines through as well as the Spanish influence. If you would like to make your own delicious Mexican recipes, you will find plenty of inspiration on MexicanFoodRecipes.org, as well as cooking tips and articles.