Mexican Techniques

Mexican adobo is a paste of dried chiles (guajillo, ancho, pasilla), garlic, vinegar, and spices (cumin, oregano, black pepper) used to marinate and coat pork, chicken, or beef before roasting, grilling, or braising. Unlike Philippine adobo (vinegar-soy stew), Mexican adobo is a dry or semi-dry marinade paste that penetrates the meat and forms a crust during cooking. The vinegar acts as a tenderiser and preservative. Foundation of cochinita pibil, recado rojo, and dozens of regional dishes.

Concentrated hibiscus infusion used as the base for agua fresca, cocktails, and tepache mixing. Correct cold-brew technique preserves colour and floral acidity without extracting bitter tannins.

Horchata is a rice-based agua fresca — blended raw rice soaked overnight in water, drained, blended with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, then strained through a fine cloth to produce a cloudy, milky, sweet drink. The Mexican version (horchata de arroz) descends from Spanish horchata de chufa (tiger nut milk) but evolved separately. Served over ice at taquerías and market stalls across Mexico. The texture should be cloudy and slightly thick — not thin or watery.

Jamaica (hibiscus) agua fresca is made by cold-steeping or briefly hot-infusing dried hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in water with sugar, then straining and serving over ice. The resulting drink is deep crimson, tart, fruity, and deeply refreshing. It is the most popular agua fresca in Mexico and one of the most widely consumed cold beverages in the country. The tartness is from hibiscus acids (citric, malic) — naturally balanced with sugar.

Agua fresca ('fresh water' in Spanish) is one of Mexico's most important beverage traditions — a lightly sweetened infusion of fresh fruit, flowers, seeds, or cereals in water, served at room temperature or over ice as the standard non-alcoholic accompaniment to Mexican cuisine. The category spans from the vibrantly crimson agua de jamaica (hibiscus, described in the hibiscus tea entry), to the milky-white tamarind-lime agua de tamarindo, to the cucumber-lime-salt agua de pepino, to the creamy, cinnamon-spiced rice milk agua de horchata. Sold from enormous glass barrels (vitroleros) in Mexican taquerías, mercados, and roadside stalls, aguas frescas are the world's most approachable beverage category — requiring only water, fruit, sugar, and occasionally lime and salt. Their value as non-alcoholic alternatives in fine dining and casual restaurant contexts is extraordinary: real fruit flavour, minimal sugar, zero alcohol, and infinite variety. The trend toward elevated aguas frescas in US and international fine dining (Cosme NYC, Enrique Olvera's menus) has introduced this working-class tradition to premium audiences.

Tamarindo con chile is a Mexican street beverage and candy culture hybrid — tamarind agua fresca spiked with chile powder, lime, and salt. The combination of intensely tart tamarind, spiced chile heat, salt, and lime juice is the foundation of Mexican candy culture (Lucas, Pulparindo, tajín) applied to beverages. More intensely seasoned than plain agua fresca, this version bridges the drink and snack categories. Also served over ice as a granita-style beverage.

Tamarindo agua fresca is made from extracting the pulp from tamarind pods, dissolving in warm water, straining out the fibrous strings and seeds, then sweetening with sugar. The resulting drink is intensely tart, dark brown, and deeply refreshing. Tamarind is native to Africa but was brought to Mexico via the Philippines during the Manila galleon trade (16th–17th centuries) and became fully integrated into Mexican candy, drink, and sauce culture.

Arroz rojo (Mexican red rice) is the canonical side rice of Mexican cooking — long-grain rice toasted in oil until golden, then cooked in a tomato-based broth with garlic, onion, and often vegetables (carrot, corn, peas). The toasting step is essential — it creates a nutty, non-sticky rice. The tomato is either blended fresh and added as the cooking liquid or used as a stir-in puree. The rice should be fluffy, each grain separate, and evenly orange-red in colour.

Barbacoa is one of the oldest cooking methods of the Americas, predating European contact and forming the root of the English word 'barbecue.' In its central Mexican form — particularly in the states of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Mexico City — barbacoa means lamb (formerly goat or deer) wrapped in maguey leaves and slow-cooked in an underground pit overnight. The maguey leaves, from the agave plant, impart a subtly sweet, grassy aroma to the meat while functioning as a natural wrapper that retains moisture. The pit (hoyo) is prepared the day before: a hole approximately one metre deep is lined with wood, which is burned down to coals. Large flat stones are placed over the coals and heated until radiating. The maguey leaves are passed over fire to make them pliable, then used to line the pit, hanging over the edges. The lamb — ideally whole cheeks, legs, and ribs, with the head included — is placed on the leaves with no marinade other than salt and dried herbs. The leaves are folded over to seal the meat, a clay pot of broth is placed at the bottom of the pit to catch drippings (this becomes the consommé), and the pit is sealed with a sheet of metal and earth. The barbacoa cooks overnight, typically 8 to 12 hours, in an environment of falling heat — as the coals cool, the temperature drops gradually, creating a perfect braising environment. The final temperature inside the pit may be as low as 80°C, but the sustained heat over many hours has converted all collagen to gelatin. In a domestic approximation, lamb cheeks and shoulder wrapped in softened banana leaves (maguey being unavailable in most markets) are cooked at 120°C for six to eight hours sealed in a heavy pot. The fall-off-the-bone tenderness is similar, though the mineral agave note is absent. Served on warm tortillas with diced white onion, cilantro, salsa verde, and lime, barbacoa is a Sunday morning tradition across central Mexico.

Barbacoa is one of the oldest cooking methods of the Americas, predating European contact and forming the root of the English word 'barbecue.' In its central Mexican form — particularly in the states of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Mexico City — barbacoa means lamb (formerly goat or deer) wrapped in maguey leaves and slow-cooked in an underground pit overnight. The maguey leaves, from the agave plant, impart a subtly sweet, grassy aroma to the meat while functioning as a natural wrapper that retains moisture. The pit (hoyo) is prepared the day before: a hole approximately one metre deep is lined with wood, which is burned down to coals. Large flat stones are placed over the coals and heated until radiating. The maguey leaves are passed over fire to make them pliable, then used to line the pit, hanging over the edges. The lamb — ideally whole cheeks, legs, and ribs, with the head included — is placed on the leaves with no marinade other than salt and dried herbs. The leaves are folded over to seal the meat, a clay pot of broth is placed at the bottom of the pit to catch drippings (this becomes the consommé), and the pit is sealed with a sheet of metal and earth. The barbacoa cooks overnight, typically 8 to 12 hours, in an environment of falling heat — as the coals cool, the temperature drops gradually, creating a perfect braising environment. The final temperature inside the pit may be as low as 80°C, but the sustained heat over many hours has converted all collagen to gelatin. In a domestic approximation, lamb cheeks and shoulder wrapped in softened banana leaves (maguey being unavailable in most markets) are cooked at 120°C for six to eight hours sealed in a heavy pot. The fall-off-the-bone tenderness is similar, though the mineral agave note is absent. Served on warm tortillas with diced white onion, cilantro, salsa verde, and lime, barbacoa is a Sunday morning tradition across central Mexico.

Birria is a Jaliscan dish of goat (or beef) marinated in a complex dried chile adobo, then slow-braised in a clay pot until the meat falls from the bone. The adobo marinade (guajillo, ancho, pasilla, spices, vinegar) penetrates the meat overnight before cooking. The broth produced during cooking becomes consomé — drunk separately or used for quesabirria taco dipping. Traditionally served at celebrations, weddings, and Sunday markets.

Buñuelos — fried cheese dough fritters — are one of Latin America's great Christmas preparations, consumed across Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela during the holiday season. The Colombian version (buñuelos de nata) and the Mexican version (buñuelos) differ significantly: Colombian buñuelos are made from fresh cheese, corn starch, egg, and milk, producing a puffed, slightly hollow ball with a crisp exterior and soft interior; Mexican buñuelos are thin, flat, fried flour discs sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) syrup. Both are consumed from December through January, prepared in large batches and shared across extended families, their fragrance (hot oil, sugar, and spice) one of the sensory markers of the season across Latin America. The preparation is simple but requires confidence at the fryer: the temperature must be correct for the Colombian version to puff properly.

Mexican chicken broth (caldo de pollo) differs from European stock in its aromatic profile — charred onion and garlic (comal-blackened), fresh herbs (cilantro, epazote), and serrano or jalapeño provide a distinctly different base than Western mirepoix. A whole chicken (or carcass + pieces) simmers slowly for 1.5–2 hours. The resulting broth is the foundation for soups, rice, tamale masa, and sauces. The charred aromatics give it a distinctive smoky-sweet depth.

Pozole — the ancient hominy and meat stew of Mexico — is eaten across the country on September 15–16 for Mexican Independence Day celebrations. The red version (pozole rojo), made with dried guajillo and ancho chiles, pork, and nixtamalised hominy corn, is one of the most ancient preparations in Mexican cooking — a direct descendant of Aztec ritual foods consumed at sacred ceremonies, in which the hominy represented the corn of life. Pozole rojo is a deeply substantial soup: the pork (shoulder and trotters for maximum gelatin and richness) simmered until completely yielding, the hominy cooked until the kernels have bloomed ('flowers'), and the soup seasoned with the rehydrated red chile sauce. At the table, a generous spread of garnishes — shredded cabbage, radish, oregano, lime, tostadas, and avocado — allows each diner to customise their bowl. This garnish table is traditional and non-optional.

Caldo de res is Mexico's hearty bone-in beef soup — beef shank, ribs, or chuck with marrow bones, cooked with corn on the cob, chayote, carrot, potato, and cabbage in a fragrant broth. Unlike European beef stock (strained, refined), caldo de res is a complete meal — the meat, bones, and vegetables are all served together in large portions with the broth. A Sunday family dish that exemplifies Mexican home cooking at its most generous and nourishing.

Cubed pork shoulder (3cm pieces) marinated for 24-48 hours in a generous quantity of red chile sauce (enough to submerge the pork completely), then braised in a covered pot at 150°C for 2-3 hours until the pork is completely tender and the chile sauce has reduced and thickened into a dark, concentrated, intensely flavoured coating. The finished dish should be deep brick-red, the pork falling apart at the touch of a fork, the sauce thick enough to cling to each piece without pooling.

Carne adovada — the most distinctive New Mexican preparation — is pork cut into chunks and marinated in a large quantity of red chile sauce for 24–48 hours, then braised in the same marinade until the pork is falling apart and the red chile sauce has concentrated into a deep, dark, glossy coat on each piece of pork. The extended marination is essential — the chile's compounds penetrate the pork's interior through osmosis over 24 hours in ways that a brief marinade cannot achieve.

Mexican ceviche differs from Peruvian leche de tigre ceviche — the Mexican version uses tomato, coriander, onion, and jalapeño alongside the lime-'cured' fish, producing a fresher, lighter, more herb-forward result. The acid 'cooks' the proteins in the fish without heat, denaturing them to a firm, opaque texture. The ceviche should be eaten within 30 minutes of preparation — beyond that, the fish becomes rubbery from over-acidification.

Champurrado is a thick hot chocolate drink made with masa (nixtamalized corn flour), Mexican chocolate, piloncillo, cinnamon, and milk or water. It is the chocolate version of atole — the masa provides body and a distinctive corn flavour beneath the chocolate. Traditionally prepared in an olla (earthenware pot) and stirred constantly with a molinillo (wooden whisk) to develop froth. A breakfast drink, tamale companion, and cold-weather comfort food across Mexico.

Chicharrón en salsa verde is one of Mexico's most beloved everyday preparations — fried pork skin (chicharrón) simmered briefly in salsa verde until softened and the sauce thickens from the chicharrón's gelatin. The chicharrón must be the thick-cut, Mexican style (puffy, air-fried) not the thin, chip-style. The salsa verde is made fresh and the chicharrón simmers in it just long enough to soften and absorb flavour — 5–8 minutes; longer and the chicharrón dissolves into the sauce.

Enchiladas verdes — corn tortillas dipped in warm salsa verde, filled with shredded chicken, rolled, and baked under more salsa verde with crumbled cotija and crema. The tortillas must be dipped in warm salsa before rolling — this softens them and infuses them with the tomatillo flavour from the outside in. Dry-rolled enchiladas are a different, inferior dish.

Chilaquiles are the Mexican answer to leftover tortillas — day-old corn tortillas fried until crispy, then simmered briefly in salsa (red or green) until just beginning to soften. They should hold their shape when lifted but yield immediately when bitten. Topped with crema, cotija, white onion rings, and a fried egg. They are a breakfast dish, a hangover cure, and one of the most satisfying preparations in Mexican cooking.

Mexico's quintessential breakfast-of-leftovers — tortilla chips (or day-old tortillas cut and fried) simmered briefly in red (rojo) or green (verde) salsa until just softened but retaining some texture, topped with fried or scrambled eggs, crema, queso fresco, sliced onion, avocado, and fresh coriander — is the canonical Mexican hangover cure and the dish most Mexicans cite when asked what they eat for breakfast on weekends. Chilaquiles exists at the intersection of the fresh and the leftover: tortillas that are one day old fry more crisply than fresh; the salsa can be freshly made or from a jar; the eggs can be any style. The critical technique is the brief simmering of the chips in the salsa — long enough to absorb the sauce and soften slightly, short enough that some crunch remains. Chilaquiles rojo uses red salsa (ancho, guajillo, or tomato-based); chilaquiles verde uses tomatillo-based green salsa; both are equally canonical depending on regional tradition.

Chilaquiles are Mexico's canonical hangover and breakfast dish — fried or baked tortilla chips simmered briefly in red or green salsa until partially softened. The chips must not be fully soft (that is migas or a different dish) — they should retain some crunch at the centre while the edges soften into the sauce. Topped with fried or scrambled eggs, crema, queso fresco, onion, and avocado. The salsa-to-chip ratio and timing are the critical variables.

Chile de árbol salsa is one of the most common and intense salsas in Mexican cooking — made by dry-toasting dried chiles de árbol until dark (not charred, but deep brown), then blending with a small amount of tomato, garlic, and vinegar. It is a condiment salsa — small quantity with high heat and brightness. The de árbol chile has thin walls and toasts very quickly — seconds too long produces bitterness. Very thin consistency compared to thicker cooked salsas.

Chiles en nogada is Mexico's most patriotic dish — roasted poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo (meat, fruit, nut filling), topped with walnut cream sauce (nogada), pomegranate seeds, and fresh parsley. The green (parsley/chile), white (nogada), and red (pomegranate) replicate the Mexican flag. A seasonal dish — pomegranates and walnuts peak in late summer, making August–September the traditional window. The nogada sauce uses fresh walnuts, which must be peeled of their papery skin for whiteness.

Chiles rellenos are roasted and peeled poblano chillies, stuffed with Oaxaca cheese (or picadillo — spiced meat), battered in a light egg white batter, and fried until puffed and golden. They are served in a simple tomato broth or salsa roja. The dish requires patience: the chilli must be completely roasted and peeled, the stuffed chilli must be cold before battering, and the oil must be at the right temperature for the batter to puff.

Cubed beef (chuck is the standard — its collagen converts to gelatin during the long cook, producing a thick, unctuous sauce) seared hard, then simmered for 2-3 hours in a sauce built from dried chillies (ancho, guajillo, and/or New Mexican varieties) that have been toasted, rehydrated, and puréed. Cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, onion, and sometimes a small amount of masa harina (for body) complete the seasoning. The finished chili should be thick enough that a spoon stands in it, dark red-brown from the chillies, and the beef should be tender enough to shred with a fork. The flavour should be chile — deep, earthy, warm, complex — not tomato, not cumin, not just heat.

Mexican chorizo is a fresh (not cured) pork sausage made with guajillo and ancho chiles, vinegar, garlic, cumin, and oregano — completely different from Spanish cured chorizo. It is sold fresh in casings or loose (without casing) and must be cooked before eating. When cooked, the fat renders and the red chile paste coats everything in the pan. Used as a taco filling, quesadilla filling, breakfast scramble component, and as flavouring for beans and rice.

Churros are fried choux pastry — the same panade technique as profiteroles, but piped through a star-tipped nozzle directly into deep oil. The star ridges create a larger surface area that produces a more uniformly crisp exterior. They should be eaten immediately, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and dipped into Mexican hot chocolate or dulce de leche.

Crema mexicana is Mexico's cultured cream — a soured, tangy cream with approximately 18–24% fat content, pourable consistency, and a slightly acidic flavour. It is produced by culturing cream with bacterial cultures similar to crème fraîche. Unlike sour cream (20–30% fat, thicker, more tart) or American heavy cream (no acidity), crema mexicana is the canonical garnish and cooking cream for Mexican dishes. Used to finish enchiladas, tostadas, soups, and many antojitos.

The complete chile en nogada technique — documented from Mexican culinary sources.

The complete cacao-to-chocolate continuum — from pre-Columbian technique to contemporary Mexican chocolate.

The food traditions of Día de los Muertos — their symbolism and technique.

The mole system — principles and the seven Oaxacan moles.

Elote (Mexican street corn) is grilled corn on the cob, slathered with mayonnaise, rolled in cotija cheese, dusted with Tajin or chilli powder, and finished with lime. Every element must be present — the charred corn, the creamy mayo, the salty cotija, the acidic lime, and the chilli heat. This is Mexican street food at its most perfect.

Elote (whole corn on the cob, grilled or boiled) and esquites (corn kernels in a cup) are Mexico's most beloved street snacks. Elote is rolled in mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chile powder, and lime. Esquites are the same corn kernels cut from the cob, served warm in a cup with the same toppings plus a spoonful of lime juice. The corn must be properly cooked — grilled corn develops char and sweetness; boiled corn is softer and starchier. The toppings are applied in sequence and the combination is specific.

Enchiladas verdes are corn tortillas briefly fried in oil, dipped in warmed tomatillo-based salsa verde, filled with chicken or cheese, rolled, and topped with more salsa verde, crema, and queso fresco. The tomatillo sauce is cooked (not raw salsa) to develop depth. Enchiladas must be assembled and sauced immediately before service — the softened tortillas break down quickly. One of the three canonical enchilada styles (rojas, verdes, mole).

Flan de cajeta is Mexico's most celebrated dessert — a baked custard made with eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk (or fresh milk), and cajeta (goat milk caramel from Celaya, Guanajuato) instead of plain caramelised sugar. The cajeta adds a distinctive burnt caramel, slightly tangy goat milk character that elevates flan from simple custard to complex dessert. Baked in a bain-marie (water bath), unmoulded when cold, and served with additional cajeta drizzle.

Frijoles de olla (pot beans) are the foundation of Mexican cooking — dried beans cooked low and slow in water with onion, garlic, and lard until creamy, with unbroken skins and a rich, thick bean broth (caldo de frijoles). The method eschews soaking (optional, not required) and relies on long, gentle simmering. The bean broth is valued as highly as the beans themselves — it is used as a drink (jarro de caldo) and as a sauce base. Black, pinto, or peruano beans are most common.

Refried beans (frijoles refritos — re-fried, not twice-fried) are cooked beans mashed and fried in lard or oil in a heavy pan until they form a smooth, creamy paste that pulls from the pan edges. The frying is the key step — it transforms the starchy, watery bean into a concentrated, savoury, spreadable paste. Pinto beans are most common (and the US standard), but black beans (southern Mexico and Central America) and peruano beans (central Mexico) are also widely used. Each produces a different colour and flavour.

Fresh green chiles (Hatch, Big Jim, Sandia, or other New Mexican varieties — *Capsicum annuum*, long, tapering, medium-to-hot) placed in direct contact with flame (rotating drum roaster, gas burner, open grill) until the skin is charred completely — blackened, blistered, and separating from the flesh beneath. The charring takes 3-5 minutes per batch in a drum roaster. The roasted chiles are immediately sealed in a bag or covered container to steam for 10-15 minutes, after which the charred skin peels away easily, revealing the soft, intensely fragrant, green flesh beneath. The roasted flesh is smoky, sweet, and moderately to intensely hot depending on the variety — the Hatch chile's specific character is a bright, green, vegetal heat with a smoky depth from the roasting.

Traditional guacamole is a molcajete (volcanic stone mortar) preparation — avocado, fresh chiles, onion, cilantro, lime, and salt mashed and mixed to a coarse, chunky texture. The molcajete is essential for texture: blenders produce a smooth purée, not guacamole. The quality of the avocado is the single most important variable. Additional garnishes (tomato, pomegranate, chapulines) are additions to the base, not components of the base itself.

Heritage lager represents the recovery and reinterpretation of pre-industrial and regional lager styles that were replaced by standardised mass production — beers produced with heritage barley varieties, traditional hop schedules, decoction mashing, and extended lagering that recall the quality and diversity of lager before global consolidation. Pre-Prohibition American lager (before 1920) used exclusively barley malt (no adjuncts), all-malt Cluster hop additions, and longer lagering than modern industrial equivalents — producing a richer, more flavourful result. Vienna lager (developed by Anton Dreher in 1841 at his Schwechater brewery) was the template for Märzen and Festbier but nearly disappeared as industrial pale lager displaced it, surviving primarily in Mexico (Modelo Negro, Dos Equis Amber, Negra Modelo) after Austrian immigrants carried it there in the 19th century. Pre-Prohibition lager revival (Captain Lawrence Brewing, Schell's, Brooklyn Lager), Vienna lager (Devils Backbone Vienna Lager, Tall Grass Velvet Rooster), and Czech-inspired světlý ležák (light lager, Pilsner style) all represent heritage lager's contemporary expressions.

Hibiscus tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa), known as agua de jamaica in Mexico, karkadé in Egypt and Sudan, bissap in Senegal, and sorel in the Caribbean, is one of the world's most widely consumed herbal tisanes — a deep crimson, tart, fruit-punch-like infusion made from dried hibiscus calyces that delivers dramatic visual impact alongside genuine flavour complexity of cranberry, pomegranate, citrus, and rose. Consumed hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened, plain or spiced, hibiscus tea bridges cultures from Mexico to Egypt, from Jamaica to West Africa — demonstrating the universality of this indigenous African plant's appeal. It is naturally caffeine-free, rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins (antioxidants), and provides one of the most striking visual presentations in the beverage world — a drink that photographs perfectly and requires no artificial colour enhancement. As a cocktail ingredient, cold-brew hibiscus concentrate rivals Aperol in visual impact and tartness profile.

Horchata is one of the world's most nutritionally sophisticated plant-based beverages — a cold infusion or blend of starchy seeds or nuts with water, sweetener, and spice that varies dramatically between cultures. Mexican horchata de arroz (rice water) is the global standard: long-grain white rice soaked overnight, blended with cinnamon and almonds, strained through cheesecloth, and sweetened with cane sugar or piloncillo. Spanish horchata de chufa (tiger nut milk) is the Valencian original — an AOC-protected product made exclusively from Cyperus esculentus tubers grown in the Huerta de Valencia, producing a nutty, slightly sweet, opaque white beverage of exceptional complexity. West African kunnu (millet-based horchata), Salvadoran morro seed horchata, and Nigerian kunu aya (tiger nut) represent the global family of this category. All versions share the principle of hydrophilic starch or lipid infusion — releasing nutrients unavailable through direct consumption of the source ingredient.

Huevos divorciados (divorced eggs) is the Mexican breakfast presentation of two fried eggs — one sauced with salsa roja, the other with salsa verde — separated by a dividing line of refried beans. The visual contrast of red and green, the different flavours, and the symbolic divorce is the point of the dish. A playful, classic Mexico City breakfast. Both salsas must be cooked (not raw), and the eggs must be separately sauced so each retains its individual flavour.

Huevos rancheros (ranch-style eggs) are fried eggs served on warm corn tortillas, covered in a cooked tomato-chilli salsa, and garnished with refried beans, crumbled cotija, coriander, and Mexican crema. The salsa must be cooked — raw tomato salsa is not huevos rancheros. The eggs should be fried to a runny yolk. The tortilla should be warm but not crispy. This is the Mexican countryside breakfast: simple, direct, deeply satisfying.

A small corn tortilla (doubled) holding thin-sliced bulgogi (beef sirloin or rib-eye marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and pear juice — the pear's enzymes tenderise the meat), grilled or seared on a flat-top until caramelised. Topped with: napa cabbage kimchi (chopped), cilantro-onion relish, a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of gochujang-mayo or salsa roja. The combination is sweet (the bulgogi's sugar caramelisation), sour (the kimchi's fermentation, the lime), spicy (the gochujang), and fresh (the cilantro).

The defining techniques and ingredients of Oaxacan cooking.