10 Must-Try Mexican Street Foods You Haven't Heard Of

Criteria for Inclusion

Before we dive into the delicious details, it's worth explaining how we selected the 10 street foods featured in this article. To make the cut, a street food had to meet the following criteria:

• It had to be relatively unknown to most foreigners or visitors to Mexico.
• It had to represent a unique or unusual flavor profile, preparation method, or regional specialty.
• It had to be widely available from street vendors or local markets, rather than restricted to high-end restaurants or exclusive events.

With these guidelines in mind, we set out to discover 10 must-try Mexican street foods that will surprise and delight you.

The 10 Must-Try Mexican Street Foods

Now, without further ado, let's explore the 10 Mexican street foods you need to try:

1. Tostilocos - a savory snack made with chips, jicama, cucumber, peanuts, hot sauce, and more.
2. Tlacoyos - a kind of thick tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese, and meat or vegetables, topped with cactus, salsa, and queso fresco.
3. Gringas - a quesadilla-like dish with meat, cheese, and pineapple, wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled.
4. Sincronizadas - a cross between a quesadilla and a sandwich, with ham, cheese, and avocado layered between two tortillas and grilled.
5. Esquites - a popular snack made with boiled corn kernels, mayonnaise, lime juice, cheese, and chili powder.
6. Gorditas de nata - small, round corn cakes filled with sweet cream and topped with cinnamon sugar.
7. Tortas de camarón seco - a sandwich filled with dried shrimp, tomato, onion, and avocado, served on a soft bun.
8. Quesadillas de huitlacoche - a quesadilla filled with a unique ingredient known as corn smut, a fungus that grows on ears of corn and has a savory, earthy flavor.
9. Tamales de elote con rajas - sweet corn tamales filled with strips of roasted poblano peppers and cheese.
10. Chalupas poblanas - small, crispy fried tortillas topped with shredded meat, lettuce, tomato, and queso fresco.

Each of these street foods offers a distinctive flavor, texture, and cultural context that is worth exploring. Don't be afraid to try something new and expand your culinary horizons.

Where to Find Them

One of the joys of Mexican street food is its accessibility - you don't need to go to a fancy restaurant to enjoy these tasty treats. In fact, many of the best street foods in Mexico are found in local markets, food stalls, and street corners. Here are some suggestions for where to find each of the 10 street foods we've highlighted:

• Tostilocos: Look for vendors selling chips, nuts, and candy on the street or in markets in cities like Guadalajara or Mexico City.
• Tlacoyos: Visit the market in Coyoacán or try street vendors in Tlaxcala or Puebla.
• Gringas: Head to the Mercado de San Juan in Mexico City or look for vendors in Monterrey or Tijuana.
• Sincronizadas: Check out the markets in Oaxaca or try street vendors in Morelia or Guanajuato.
• Esquites: Look for vendors in parks, plazas, or markets across Mexico, especially in the evenings.
• Gorditas de nata: Try vendors in the historic center of Mexico City, or look for carts selling traditional sweets in smaller towns and villages.
• Tortas de camarón seco: Visit the seafood markets in Veracruz or try street vendors in the coastal towns of Sinaloa or Nayarit.
• Quesadillas de huitlacoche: Look for vendors in the central highlands of Mexico, such as the markets in Tlaxcala or Hidalgo.
• Tamales de elote con rajas: Try street vendors in Oaxaca or Chiapas, or visit the markets in San Miguel de Allende or Guanajuato.
• Chalupas poblanas: Check out the markets and street vendors in Puebla or try the food stalls in the historic center of Mexico City.

Of course, these are just a few suggestions - part of the fun of exploring Mexican street food is discovering your own favorite spots and vendors. Just be sure to take some precautions to stay safe and healthy while indulging in all the delicious food:

• Look for stalls or vendors that are busy and have a high turnover of fresh food.
• Watch how the food is prepared and make sure it is cooked thoroughly and served hot.
• Avoid any street food that looks or smells suspicious, especially if it has been sitting out in the heat for too long.
• Be cautious about hygiene and sanitation, and bring hand sanitizer or wipes to clean your hands before eating.
• Consider bringing a Spanish phrasebook or a translation app to help you communicate with vendors and ask questions about ingredients or preparation methods.

Conclusion

Mexican street food is a vibrant and essential part of the country's culinary heritage, and there's no shortage of delicious dishes to try. Whether you stick to the classics like tacos and elote or venture off the beaten path to sample some of the lesser-known street foods, you're sure to find something to satisfy your appetite and your curiosity. So go forth, explore, and buen provecho!