MEXICAN STREET FOOD: THE SAVORY

When we talk about street food in Mexico, the first thing that comes to mind for foreigners is tacos, and while they are indeed iconic to my country, they are not the only things you can find on Mexican streets. That's why today I have compiled a variety of foods that you can discover on the streets of Mexico, aside from tacos.

• Sopes
  

  • This is a traditional dish that consists of a slightly thick circular corn base, with raised edges to create a boundary for the ingredients on top. While it can vary from state to state, most versions include beans, some type of protein, lettuce, cream, and salsa.

• Prepared chicharrones
  

  • The quintessential Mexican snack, these chicharrones are usually large and rectangular in shape. They are topped with various salsas, cueritos (pickled pork rinds), salt, and lime; sometimes other types of meat are added, making them quite adventurous. These chicharrones are commonly found at fairs and popular events.

• Elotes and esquites
  

  • One of the street foods you can find even in the middle of the highway, these elotes are typically prepared with mayonnaise or cream, cheese (usually Cotija or any other easy-to-grate cheese), salt, lime, and chili powder. Here, you need to be cautious with your choices because whoever prepares them will ask if you want spicy chili or non-spicy chili, but let's be honest, both are spicy if you're not a fan of heat.
    

  • Esquite is the same dish but made only with the kernels of corn, served in a styrofoam cup. When you mix it with a bit of the water it was cooked in, you get a blend of exceptional flavors. A fun fact about esquite is that in the northern part of the country, it's known as "Elote en vaso" (Corn in a cup), which while not incorrect, is a source of jokes between the north and south regions of the country (I'm from the central part, so I call it esquite).

• Tamales

  • From 5 in the morning, you can see people with bicycles carrying large pots filled with tamales, which make for a breakfast that can either give you a lot of energy or cure a hangover. You can find a wide variety of flavors and fillings, such as green sauce with pork or chicken, red sauce with cheese or beef, strips of poblano pepper with cheese, mole with chicken or refried beans.
    

  • Additionally, if you fill a bolillo roll with a tamal, you get the "torta de tamal," an excellent combination that only Mexicans could have come up with.

• Dorilocos

  • As the name suggests, this crazy mix is popular all over Mexico, from events like fairs, parties, to small businesses offering this snack at your gatherings, foreigners never overlook this crazy dish.

  • This dish is a bag of Doritos-style chips opened on one side, filled with sliced or grated cucumber, chopped jicama, grated carrot, pickled pork rinds, peanuts, salt, lime juice, and spicy sauce. This variety of flavors is one of Mexico's most curious and oddly delicious creations when it comes to snacks.

This is just a small compilation of the vast diversity of street food that exists in my country, so that all those who intend to visit Mexico have the chance to try things less known worldwide, and explore something beyond tacos.