After a little break, I’m back here writing about street food culture in Mexico. As I was living in Mexico last spring, I saw that street food has a big role in Mexico’s culture. There are street food stands all around the cities. Food brings people together from all backgrounds.

For this blog post, I interviewed some Mexicans from different backgrounds such as a Mexican cook, students, and people that were born in Mexico but live elsewhere nowadays. I wanted to hear what the street food culture means for them and all the Mexicans. I asked them a few questions about the street food culture such as what makes it important for the people, how’s the hygiene, are there places where they wouldn’t buy anything, and what are the most common street foods. It was super interesting to read all the answers and I’m hyped to share it all with you guys.

Mexicans cannot even imagine a city or town without street food. It’s deeply rooted in their culture. For Mexicans, street food is like a network that connects all the people together, no matter where they come from. Food is a common language that they all share. In Mexico you can find yourself enjoying a plate of food and a community you feel you belong to. You might hope to see people you know at the food stands and share news, talk and make jokes with them.

When visiting a new place in Mexico, one of the things you should do is to visit a local food market. The food tells a story about the place, what are the customs of its people, how they think etc. Even though the most popular street foods such as tacos, tortas, tamales, elotes, quesadillas, enchiladas, and tostadas are mainly made the same way, there are still regional differences and specialties. Trying out the regional specialties you get to know the place and its local customs better.

Many of the street food stands are family-owned that has been passed from generations to generations. The food stands are not just a business for them but also a tradition and a way of life. The same recipes are passed for new family members and the whole families dedicate their daily lives to the process of preparing the food and sharing the joy of delicious food to others. With time some stands get popularity among the society and they become the places you preferably go to satisfy some particular appetite.

The street food culture is important for Mexicans but also for the economy. Many Mexicans wouldn’t have the money to pay rent for a place where they sell food at so selling the food on the streets make their businesses possible. Also, some people couldn’t afford to eat in restaurants so they get their food from the street stands. It’s a winning situation for both, the businesses and the customers. Buying food in the streets is part of Mexicans daily routine, they could not imagine their life without it. It’s the way how people socialize.

The hygiene on the stands cannot be compared to the hygiene standards for example in Europe but in most places, it’s still fine. For foreigners, it might seem that the stands don’t have good hygiene but the locals think it’s okay. Of course, there are some stands that are not so clean but those stands are not popular among people. Usually, the stands where you can see many people enjoying and eating their food are clean and safe places to eat. When ordering food at the stand or a restaurant, the plates are often covered with a plastic bag (see the picture above with meat tacos). I visited one of these places where that was the case and stupidly just thought that the plate was new and I was supposed to take the plastic bag away when starting to eat. Luckily I was there with my Mexican friends and they told me to keep the plastic on the plate because the restaurant doesn’t clean the plates, just cover with new plastic bags. So that’s their way to keep the plates clean. Well, we got a good laugh at it :D.

Usually, a good tip when traveling to Mexico is to wait for 2-3 weeks before buying food on the streets. During this time you and your stomach will get used to the new climate and the food so you wouldn’t get food poisoning or any sicknesses from the stands. Also, you should always check the hygiene on the stands and see if the stand is clean and it’s safe to buy food from there. Another thing you should avoid, especially in the beginning is buying fresh fruits on the streets. You might think that those are safe to eat but the problem with those is that how are the fruits washed, are they washed with clean bottled water or not? If not, there’s a chance to get ill.

Some of my favorite street foods I tried in Mexico were tacos, esquites, and churros. Tacos are a perfect snack any time of the day and you can eat them as many as you want depending on your hunger. Esquites are “corn in a cup” with seasoning, mayo, chili powder, and cheese. It’s similar to elote which is made with the same ingredients but the corn is in a stick. And then there are churros… always a good choice when you are craving something sweet. In Mexico the churros are often filled with some sweet sauce, my favorite is churros with caramel. Ahh, I really miss all the Mexican food!

Now it’s your turn. Tell me in the comment box what is your favorite street food. I’m excited to read your opinions. Also, I would love to hear some feedback on my new banner and the layout. How do you like it? Do you like it more than the previous one? I felt like I wanted to make it more simple this time. Looking forward to your comments! 🙂

Love, Emilia

PS. If you didn’t know, I’m writing this blog as part of my thesis so getting all the comments and having conversations with you mean A LOT to me. It’s part of the way how I will analyze my work and success. So I’m very grateful for all the comments and conversations that I have with you ❤