Wednesday, May 4, 2011

El cinco de mayo

El cinco de mayo es un día festivo muy importante para mí, porque yo nací en Puebla.  Además, es el cumpleaños de mi hermanita.  Ya no vivimos en México, pero espero volver en el futuro.  Claro que lo más importante es estar con familia y amigos.  Sin embargo, hay otras cosas que también me encantan de México.  Por supuesto, la comida poblana es riquísima.  Algunos de mis platos favoritos son:

The Cinco de Mayo is an important holiday for me, because I was born in Puebla.  (BTW, for my friends who are not from Mexico, the 5th of May is NOT the Mexican Independence Day, or a Hispanic Awareness Day outside of the US, but it celebrates a battle that took place in Puebla).  Besides, it is my sister's birthday.  We no longer live in Mexico, but I hope to return in the future.  Of course, the most important thing is to be with friends and family.  Nonetheless, there are other things that I also love about Mexico.  Of course, the food from Puebla is delicious.  Some of my favorites are:

Image credit leon www.fotosdepuebla.org on Flickr
1. Tacos árabes
These are not Taco Mayo, folks.  They are made from marinated pork cooked on a rotisserie, sliced off and served on a tortilla that is similar to  pita bread with onions and a smoky chipotle salsa that is reminiscent of barbeque sauce.


2. Mole poblano
Of all the moles out there, this is my favorite (naturally).  It is an amazingly complex dish that balances chiles, chocolate, seeds, nuts, and spices to create the perfect sauce for chicken.  A little sweet, a little spicy, a little nutty, a little bitter--when it is done right, there is nothing like it.

Image credit Vaguely Artistic on Flickr
3. Krankys
OK, this doesn't really count, I suppose, but I love these little chocolate covered corn flakes. Totally addicting.

4. Gringas
Similar to the tacos árabes, these feature marinated pork cooked on a rotisserie with pineapple, onions and chiles caramelizing and bathing the meat in juicy yumminess.  Add the delicious melty cheese, and you are in heaven. 

Image credit Scaredy Cat on Flickr
5.  Helado de pétalo de rosa
Rose petal ice cream.  Amazingly delicious.

I intended to leave it at 5 things.  It just seems fitting, after all, for a celebration on the fifth day of the fifth month.  But there is so much more that I love and want to share--cemitas, chalupas, tacos orientales, Sidral, Señorial, agua de sandía, limonadas, café de olla, pipián verde, pastel de tres leches, and so many other flavors that take me back home when I taste them.  But since I have already got your mouth watering, (I'm drooling now, anyway!) I am going to stop with a feast for the eyes of some of the beautiful spots in Puebla.  Except for the first one, they are all from the area around the zócalo.

 
Image credit Russ Bowling on Flickr
 
Image credit RussBowling on Flickr
 
Image credit RussBowling on Flickr
Image credit RussBowling on Flickr
Image credit RussBowling on Flickr

8 comments:

Kelly said...

I had the wonderful opportunity to live in Mexico City for a year when I was in college (my Spanish has totally lapsed now...I've been thinking about taking some classes) and have traveled in Oaxaca, Baja California, and Chihuahua among other areas. If I could convince hubby to move there, I would do it in a second (and believe me, I've tried). :)

It's hard to say what I miss most - the people, the beauty, or the food!! You are definitely making me drool over this post (and that chocolate cake you posted the other day - evil!). ;)

I hope it is a wonderful day for you and your sister! :)

Staci said...

My mouth IS watering! Anytime you want to share some of your authentic recipes let me know.

Also wanted to comment on how beautiful the architecture is. I especially loved the 3rd & 4th pics! <3

Corey said...

me encanta mexico! yo estudie en chiapas y no puedo esperar para volver! mi tipo favorito de comida es mexicana. no puedo tenerlo suficiente.

dulce de leche said...

Muchas gracias, amigas! <3

Rae, mi suegro es de Yucatán, y me encanta la comida yucateca. Panuchos, salbutes, sopa de lima, poc chuc...

dulce de leche said...

@Kelly, I love DF, too! We used to spend a week there every summer, and there is so, so much to do and see there. The Ballet Folklorico, El Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Chapultepec, Teotihuacán...

dulce de leche said...

Staci, it is so lovely. I wish we could take a trip down there together! <3

Amy said...

I have not had enough authentic Mexican food in my life--something that must be remedied! Although, at the moment, I could devour a plate of good old-fashioned USA-style Mexican food, because the stuff you can get in the UK just doesn't cut it. My in-laws put coleslaw on their "fajitas".
:P

dulce de leche said...

Coleslaw??? Um, they do know that "mayo" does *not* mean the same thing in Spanish, right? ;) Although, we actually use shredded cabbage more than shredded lettuce, so they aren't that far off. :)