Mexican gastronomy is very wide in colors, flavors and textures, however, there are extremely popular dishes on the tables of families in Mexico that are not really native to the country.
Churros
Although churros can be easily found in the streets of Mexico, or in some CDMX Metro stations, the truth is that their history begins in China.
There, the Portuguese merchants discovered Youtiao, a strip of fried dough that was served for breakfast in pairs, as a symbol of the Song Qin Hui dynasty and his beloved wife.
The Portuguese took this food to the Iberian Peninsula where they added sugar and gave it the characteristic star shape, giving rise to what we know today as churro in Mexico.
With the passage of time the preparation was extended until during the time of the Conquest, the Spaniards brought it to the Mexican territory and the rest of the American continent.
Currently, in Mexico, it can be tasted in various ways, since Mexican ingenuity has given rise to churros stuffed with cajeta, dulce de leche, chocolate, and jam, usually accompanied with hot chocolate or some coffee-based preparation.
Rosca de Reyes
The Rosca de Reyes is a dish that cannot be missed on January 6, its origin had its beginnings in the Middle Ages in European countries such as France and Spain, and shortly after it arrived in Mexico during the Conquest.
The oval-shaped bread is a symbol of the eternal love of God, since it has no beginning or end, according to tradition.
In Mexico, there is a tradition that whoever finds the figure of the Child Jesus must take care of it until February 2, the day that Candlemas is celebrated.
In the early morning of January 6, children receive gifts that the wise men leave them in their homes.
Ceviche
In the Lent season or in hot weather it is very common to prepare a ceviche to refresh the body, however, the dish is of Peruvian origin.
One of the most accepted theories around the world is that it is related to the Mochica culture, which inhabited the coastal zone of Peru during the 2nd and 7th centuries, it was prepared with tumbo juice, a typical fruit of the region.
In Mexico, its flavor is mainly spicy and it is traditionally prepared with chili, avocado, shrimp, surimi, tomato, and lemon.
The similarities between the preparations are the importance given to citrus in its preparation and the unanimity when it comes to placing it as one of the star dishes of Latin American cuisine.
Ceviche was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2004 by the National Institute of Culture and every June 28th its National Day is celebrated, a date established in 2008 with the purpose of promoting and disseminating Peruvian ceviche nationally and internationally.
Horchata water
Mexicans always argue, when it comes to water flavors, to which team they belong: horchata or jamaica, and despite the fact that the flavor is extremely popular, it is not native to the country.
Its true place of origin comes from the Mediterranean, it is attributed to the city of Valencia, where it is prepared from tubers known as tiger nuts, which are shaped like knots and come from a plant called hazelnut sedge.
Horchata water came to Mexico through the Spanish after the Conquest. The ingredients for its preparation are very similar to those of Valencia, but instead of using tiger nuts, soaked grains of rice are added and no lemon is added since they are normally prepared with cinnamon and vanilla to flavor the drink.
