Street foodie’s guide to Mexico City

 

A detailed guide to Mexico City’s street delicatessens. Or, how to drive your body into morbid obesity with a complete sense of pleasure.

Unbutton your jeans, we won’t judge…

 

 

Churros

Tubes of fried-dough pastry sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. They’re very, very tasty by themselves, but if you fill them with nutella, lechera or cajeta (our favorite flavors), they go to a whole new level.

You’ll find them everywhere, especially in Coyoacán, just be sure to ask for a fresh batch– the outside must be crunchy and the inside slightly ‘raw’.

 

 

 

Esquites/Elotes

Boiled corn with mayonnaise, fresh cheese, lemon, salt and chili powder. The only difference between these two is that an ‘Esquite’ is served in a cup, which makes it less messy.

They always ask you what type of chili powder you want -definitely go for “el que no pica” (the one that isn’t hot). Also, if you ask for an ‘Esquite’, tell them to add a layer of mayonnaise and cheese in the middle; this way the bottom half won’t be tasteless.

 

 

 

Quesadillas

The fried ones are the best, of course. And you can top them with a little bit of cream and salsa. The usual fillings are:

• Queso- cheese (Oaxaca-stringy type)
• Chicharrón prensado- pork rind with salsa
• Tinga- shredded chicken with tomato sauce
• Papa con chorizo- smashed potato with chorizo

 

 

Tlacoyos

Corn dough (it can be blue or yellow) filled with beans, and served with cream, cheese and salsa on top. Some like to add chopped ‘nopales’ with onion and tomato.

 

 

 

Sopes

Similar to the ‘tlacoyos’, but instead of being filled, the beans are placed on top of the corn dough along with the cream, fresh cheese and salsa.

 

 

 

Gorditas

Also similar to the ‘tlacoyos’, but this time the filling is ‘chicharrón prensado’ (pork rind with salsa). Then, the patted dough is cut in the middle and filled with cheese and salsa. It’s our go-to dinner on weekends!

 

 

 

Tacos

Corn tortilla with loads of combinations: Pastor (pork meat marinated in a special sauce), Bistek (beef), Costilla (pork ribs), Carnitas (tender pork meat), etc. If you want, you can add cheese into the mix. Check out our favorite places in Mexico City, here.

 

 

 

Pambazo

Bolillo bread dipped in salsa and filled with papa con chorizo (smashed potato with chorizo) or tinga (shredded chicken with tomato sauce), fresh cheese, cream and lettuce.

 

 

 

Chicharrones preparados

A large crispy pork rind topped with pieces of cooked pigskin, cabbage, cream, avocado, tomato, lemon, salt and salsa.

 

 

 

Papas

In almost every corner there’s a cart selling potato chips. There are many options: chipotle, natural or adobado (a more sour chili) flavored chips; churritos (corn sticks); popcorn and cheetos. ‘Con todo’ means with lemon, salt and salsa.

 

 

 

Dorilocos

A bizarre, but delicious, invention where they open a bag of Doritos chips and add shredded cucumber and jícama, lemon, Valentina sauce, esquite and peanuts –some also add ‘cueritos’ (cooked pigskin). Reserved for those with a trained ‘Mexican’ stomach.

 

 

 

Fruta preparada

Fresh peeled and chopped fruit (mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc.) served with lemon, salt and chili powder. Oh yes, we add chili to EVERYTHING…

 

 

Tacos de Canasta

A tortilla heavily soaked in oil with the filling of your choice: chicharrón prensado (pork rind with salsa), frijol (smashed beans) or tinga (shredded chicken with tomato sauce). They are called this way because the tacos are stored in a ‘canasta’ (basket), normally attached to the back of a bike. You’ll love them!

 

 

 

Tamales

Corn dough mixed with the combination of your choice and steamed in a corn husk.

• Dulce: sweet strawberry flavored dough with raisins.
• Verde: shredded chicken with green salsa.
• Rajas: jalapeño chili strips with cheese and epazote.
• Mole: shredded chicken with mole sauce.

 

 

 

Torta de tamal

The tamal by itself it’s delicious, but stuffed in a bolillo bread is AMAZING. Just be sure to have something to drink, because the combination of dough with bread can be hard to swallow. Coffee or ‘Atole’ (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry hot corn-based beverage), for example, go excellent with it.

 

 

 

Gorditas de nata

If you’re walking down a street and catch a whiff of a vanilla-like smell, there’s a lady nearby making these little sweet hotcakes that are made out of a butterfat, egg, milk and sugar dough. We don’t know why, but they mostly sit outside churches.

 

 

 

Dulces mexicanos

You’ll see men or women carrying in their heads a big board with loads of Mexican sweets, especially in the highways near the toll booths. But, if you’re in Mexico City’s downtown, head to ‘Dulcería de Celaya’ (Av. 5 de mayo #39) and stock up. Plus, you’ll fall in love with the store’s design dating back to 1874.

In the picture you can see:

• Pepitorias: thin colored wafers glued together with a piloncillo honey and decorated with pumpkin seeds.
• Jamoncillo de piñón: a pine nut with condensed milk paste.
• Oblea: two white wafers with cajeta in the middle.
• Gloria: dulce de leche with nut wrapped in a red cellophane paper.

 

 

 

Torta de chilaquiles

A bolillo bread stuffed with chilaquiles (red or green salsa).

There’s a famous stall, ‘La esquina del Chilaquil’, in La Roma neighborhood, in the corner of Tamaulipas and Alfonso Reyes streets, that serves these tortas with a twist. ‘La bomba’ has chilaquiles, cochinita pibil, breaded meat fillet, beans, cream and fresh cheese. They’re very tasty, but don’t go on weekdays; we were in line for almost 2-hours, and nothing is worth that amount of time.

 

 

 

Tortas

A bolillo bread stuffed with every combination you can imagine: ham & cheese; breaded meat fillet with avocado, cheese and tomato; pastor with cheese, etc. A perfect meal to fill you up and to eat on the go.

 

 

 

Burritos

This one you know… Our favorite combination is the flour tortilla filled with beef, cheese, lettuce, French fries, cream and salsa.