Abobora
A round, hard shelled winter squash. It's similar in texture and flavor to butternut squash
Aceituna
Olive
Aceituna Negra
Black Olive
Acitrón
Candied cactus fruit
Achiote
Annato tree seed, usually in the form of a red paste after grinding the seeds
Adobo
A spicy paste used while cooking meats, poultry and fish or storing chipotles
Agua
Water (can also be fruit flavored water)
Aguacate
Avocado
Aguamiel
Juice of the maguey plant
Ahumado
Smoked
Ajo
Garlic
Alambre
The skewer used in anticuchos
Albóndiga
Meatball (does not need to actually be meat)
Albahaca
Basil
Almeja
Clam
Almendra
Almond
Almíbar
Syrup
Almuerzo
Second breakfast
Anaheim Pepper
Used in mild dishes as a seasoning
Albóndigas
Meatballs
Al Horno
Oven-baked
Anis Estrellado
Star anise - star shaped spice from Southeast Asia with a smoky, licorice like flavor
Annatto
Small, dark red seed used by the Maya Indians to color and flavor food.
Ancho (means: wide)
A Poblano chile that has been dried and turned a black-red color. The most popular dried chile in Mexico and the US. It’s dried poblamo chile and the smoky-sweet flavor accents numerous dishes. Approx. 3”-4” long, dark, reddish brown, sweetest of all the dried chiles and slightly fruity flavor.
Anona
Sugar apple - an oval fruit covered with light green knobby protuberances
Antojito
A hors d'oeuvre or small snack food (appetizer)
Apio
Celery
Arrachera
Marinated tender skirt steak (from the breast of the cow)
Arroz
Rice
Asadero cheese
A white cow's milk cheese of Mexican origin: comes in braids, balls or round. Also known as Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheese.
Asar
To roast or broil
Ate
Thick fruit jelly, typically made of quince or guave and often served with cheese.
Atole
A thick beverage made form corn or rice, can be flavored with chocolate
Atún
Tuna (fish or canned fish)
Azafrán
Saffron
Azucar
Sugar
Bacalao
Dried fish
Bañar
To immerse in sauce
Barbacoa
Barbecued meat, also tacos barbacoa
Bizcochos
Sweet cakes and cookies often eaten for breakfast such as chilindrinas or campechanas.
Bolillo
Crusty rolls stuffed for sandwiches
Borracho (means: drunk)
Food, usually a meat cooked with wine or tequila
Buñuelo
Puffy, sweet, deep-fried pastry served with a sugary caramelized syrup
Burrito/Burro
Large flour tortilla wrapped around a filling, not like Taco Bell
Cabrito
Young goat
Cacahuatas
Peanuts
Cafe
Coffee
Cajeta de Celaya (or just Cajeta)
Caramel sauce made with goat's milk
Calabaza
Squash, pumpkin
Calamar
Squid or calamari
Caldo
Soup, broth
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Caliente
Hot to the touch (temperature)
Do not confuse this with spicy! If you ask if the tortilla soup is “caliente” you will hear, “por supuesto!” (of course)
Camarón
Shrimp
Camote
Latin American sweet potatoes
Campechano
Seafood cocktail
Canela
Cinnamon
Capirotada (means a little bit of everything)
Spicy bread pudding, made with raisins, fruit and cheese, served during Lent
Caramelo
Caramel
Carne
Meat, specifically beef, but beef is also res
A butcher is a carnicero
Carnero
Lamb
Carnitas
Shredded Pork, usually with a nice dose of fat for flavor
Cebolla
Onion
Cerveza
Beer
Ceviche
Salad made of raw fish "cooked" in lime juice combined with tomatoes, onions, spices, shredded carrot, chiles, served with tostadas.
Chalupa
Boat shaped, fried corn tortillas, garnished with sauce, lettuce and onions.
Chicharrones
Deep fried pork rinds, a favorite snack in Mexico and no carbohydrates!
Chilaquiles
Hard corn tortilla pieces marinated in chile, layered with a filling, sauce and cheese, and baked in a casserole .
Chiles en nogada
Called the "independence dish" as its colors are those of the Mexican flag. Made with green chilies stuffed with ground meat and almonds and covered with walnut sauce, and then garnished with pomegranate kernels. Very popular in September!
Chiles rellenos
Translates to "stuffed peppers", cheese-stuffed mild green chilies, dipped in an egg batter and fried until crisp, usually with more cheese on top and a red sauce.
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Chili con carne
Translates to "chili with meat", diced or ground beef, chilies and chili powder.
Chimichanga
Deep-fried meat-filled burritos
Chipotle
Ripened and smoked jalapeno. Fiery hot with lasting smoky flavor
Chongos
Milky desert of curds in syrup and cinnamon
Chorizo
Spicy pork and beef sausage, traditionally from Spain
Churro
Mexican specialty made of a sweet-dough spiral, deep-fried, coated with cinnamon and sugar usually served with hot chocolate or atole.
Chuleta
Pork chop or cutlet
Cilantro
A pungent green herb used in Mexican food cooking, Indian and Central Asian recipes. The seed produced at full maturity is coriander. Usually you love it or hate it.
Coco
Coconut
Cocina
Kitchen
Comal
Heavy, round griddle for baking tortillas.
Cumin (Comino)
A pungent spice commonly used in Mexican dishes. Available in seed and ground form. Has a nutty flavor and aroma. Used in dishes such as chili and tamales.
Crema
Cream
Crema de batir
Heavy cream for whipping, excellent in coffee
Cucharada
Tablespoon
Cucharadita
Teaspoon
Derretir
Melt
Desayuna
Breakfast
Dulce
Sweet. candy
Durazno
Peach
Ejote
String bean or green bean
Elote
Corn. Sometimes called helote
Empanada
A pie made by baking meat or fruit that has been wrapped in dough.
Enchilada
A corn tortilla dipped in red chile sauce, rolled around just about anything, then topped with sauce and cheese.
Enfrijoladas
Lightly fried tortillas which are folded and then smothered in a smooth sauce made with beans. A variety of toppings are added.
Enrollado
Rolled
Ensalada
Salad
Escabeche
Pickled
Fajita
Thin strips of grilled meat, chicken or seafood with grilled peppers and onions, usually topped with tequila and set aflame, eaten in tortillas
Fideos
Vermicelli. Thin pasta pieces used in soups
Flan
Baked custard with caramel coating
Flauta
Means "flute". Corn tortilla tightly rolled around a filling, then deep-fried.
Fresas
Strawberries
Frijoles
A traditional Mexican dish made from pinto beans and served with any meal as a side dish. Fried beans are mashed and then refried in lard. Refried beans can be purchased in supermarkets in a can.
Galletas
Cookies also crackers
Gallina
Hen
Garbanzo
Chickpea
Gazpacho
Cold, spicy tomato and vegetable soup
Granada
Pomegranate
Granadilla
Round, lime size fruit has bright orange, highly perfumed, bracingly tart flesh. Also called passion fruit, parcha and maracuya
Gorditas
A thick tortilla, deep fried and stuffed in the air pocket similar to pita bread
Guacamole
Mashed avocado mixture that is made from ripened avocados and lime juice, diced onions, tomato and cilantro. Served with totopos (nacho chips)
Habanero
Mexico’s hottest pepper. Delicate looking green, yellow and orange "lanterns" are prized by the Yucatecos for their hotter-than-heck fire. Green and crispest, orange are softest. The special fruity flavor compliments fresh salsas made with tropical fruits.
Harina
Wheat flour
Helado (also known as nieve)
Ice cream
Horchata
A sweet rice drink
Huevo
Egg. Also blanquillo
Huavos a la Mexicana
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, chilies and onions
Huevos motuleños
Tortilla topped with ham, fried eggs and a sauce made with cheese, peas and tomatoes
Huevos revueltos
Scrambled eggs
Jalapeño
The most widely used fresh green (ripens to red) chile in the US and Mexico. Averages 2" in length. The "hot" comes from the seed and the membrane. When ripened and smoked, it becomes a chipotle chile.
Jamón
Ham
Jícama
A white-fleshed root vegetable also called a Mexican potato. It is crunchy and sweet and can be eaten either raw or cooked. Makes a great addition to salads or can be boiled and baked like a potato, or sprinkled with lime and chili powder.
Jocoque
A Mexican style of sour cream with equal or less fat content than American sour cream. Flavors range from mildly tangy to refreshingly sharp.
Jugo de Naranja
Orange juice
Kahlúa
Coffee-flavored liqueur made in Mexico.
Leche
Milk
Lechuga
Lettuce
Maíz
Corn
Mano (Means hand)
A piece of volcanic rock used with both hands to grind food against another rock.
Manteca
Lard or shortening, can be animal product or vegetable
Mantequilla
Butter
Manzana
Apple
Margarita
The national drink of Mexico, made with Tequila, Controy and fresh lime juice served either blended with ice or on the rocks in a salt-rimmed glass
Mariscos
Seafood
Masa
Dough called nixtamal. Masa is the corn based tamale dough surrounding the tamale filling. Masa is made from stone-ground corn, lard, and spices. Masa is spread onto softened corn husks, topped with a filling and then folded to create a tamale.
Masa Harina
Masa Harina is a flour that is made from cooking dried corn kernels with lime and then grinding. It can be used to make corn tortillas and masa for tamales. It can also be used for breads and other foods.
Menudo
Tripe soup. Known to cure hangovers. A spicy soup made from tripe, chile, hominy and spices. Served with lemon slices, onion, oregano, avocado, and chile which you add to taste. Also served with warm tortillas.
Mexican Chocolate
Chocolate that has been flavored with cinnamon, almonds and vanilla. It is available in Mexican markets and is used for hot chocolate or mole sauces.
Miel
Honey
Molcajete
A volcanic rock- stone mortar and pestle used in traditional Mexican cooking. Used to grind spices, corn, and vegetables.
Mole
Term used for a thick sauce or paste. A spicy rich traditional Mexican sauce that is usually served with poultry. The most common ingredients include nuts, seeds, spices, Mexican chocolate, and chiles. The most famous moles are Mole Poblano and Oaxaca's black mole.
Molinillo
This intricately carved wooden beater is used for making drinks like Chocolate Mexicano
Mora
A cordovan-colored chipotle with a fruit-leather texture. This midsize Jalapeno is lightly smoked and often used for canned chipotles in adobo. Mostly used in salsas and sauces.
Moros con cristianos
A nutritious rice dish made with black beans and garnished with fried plantain.
Naranja
Orange
Nopales
Known as the "prickly pear" cactus in America, this cactus is cleaned of spines, diced and used in many Mexican dishes. The cactus leaf looks like a large green paddle with spines.. The cactus is usually boiled or grilled. Cooked cactus can be added to soups, stews, scrambled with eggs or in salsa.
Oja
Cornhusk, used to wrap tamales; sometimes called hoja.
Olla
Clay pot. A utensil in which beans are simmered.
Olla de Presion
Pressure cooker
Ostión
Oyster
Pan
Bread
Pan Dulce
Sweet bread
Panela
A soft yet crumbly cheese, usually served with fruit or on eggs or in tortillas with beans
Parrilla
Cast-iron grid or grate is used for grilling or making tortillas
Pastel
Cake
Pay
Pie
Pepino
Cucumber
Pepitas
Pumpkin seeds
Pescado
Fish (as in on your plate. Swimming around is pez)
Picadillo
Meat hash usually with a mild red sauce and vegetable pieces. The hot-dish of Mexico
Picante
Hot to the taste buds, as in spicy.
Pico de gallo
Translates to rooster's beak in Spanish. This is a relish of fruit topped with a sprinkle of chile.
Piloncillo
Brown sugar formed into a cone. Served with coffee at Café de Olla.
Pimienta
Black pepper
Piña
Pineapple
Pipián
A sauce made of pumpkin seed, chile and spices.
Plantain
Plantains are closely related to bananas, but have more starch and are
always cooked. Green ones are unripe and are baked like potatoes, for a
similar period of time. Yellow ones are half-ripe and are also cooked like
potatoes but not so long. Black ones are ripe and are peeled, sliced, and
fried in butter/oil for a few minutes, until golden. They are creamy and
vaguely reminiscent of bananas.
Platano
Banana
Poblano
A variety of chile
Pollo
Chicken (as in dead) Living ones are gallos and gallinas
Postre
Dessert
Pozole
A spicy soup made from beef or pork, chile, hominy and spices. Served with lime slices, onion, oregano, avocado, shredded cabbage and chile which you add to taste. Also served with warm tortillas.
Puerco
Pig as in alive. Pork is cerdo in Mexico, as in the stuff you eat.
Quesadilla
Grilled corn or wheat tortillas filled with cheese and a variety of fillings.
Queso
Cheese
Rábano
Radish
Rajas
Chili strips and onion slices in tomato sauce.
Refrescos
Soft drinks
Relleno
Stuffed
Repollo
Cabbage
Ristra
String of dried red chiles, found hanging in kitchens and restaurants as decor.
Sal
Salt "Sin sal" means without salt, useful to know when ordering a tequila cocktail called a margarita, which usually is served with its rim coated with salt.
Salchicha
Sausage or hot dog
Salsa
Usually refers to a tomato-based condiment used to dip or to accent dishes. If the salsa is uncooked, as in Pico De Gallo, it is referred to as "salsa cruda." If it is processed, in Tex Mex lingo, this is called "chile." If cooked and then bottled, this is called "salsa picante".
Sangría
A drink made of red or white wine, sugar, oranges, lemons and lime.
Sangrita
Cocktail made of orange juice, grenadine, chile and tomato juice served on the side of tequila
Seco
Dry
Serrano Pepper
The serrano pepper is a very hot pepper, slightly hotter than a jalapeno pepper. Used often in salsa's and table sauces, the serrano chile pepper is thin skinned making it easy to work with (no need to remove the skin).
Sopa
Soup. Varieties include de aguacate (avocado), de fideo (chicken broth with noodles), de lima (chicken stock flavored with lemon) tortilla with a red base, chicken, avocado and tortilla strips and sour cream on top.
Sopes
Miniature fried corn-dough bowls filled with beans and sauce and topped with cheese. Many varieties can be found.
Taco
A corn tortilla folded over a filling.
Tacos al carbon
Soft corn tortillas wrapped in around cooked meats.
Taco de tripa
Tripe tacos.
Tacos al Pastor
Pork tacos. The meat looks similar to gyro meat as it is sliced and on a pole which turns towards hot bricks or charcoal to cook. Sliced off and served on a tortilla with a slice of onion and a sliver of pineapple.
Tamal (plural is tamale)
A corn husk stuffed with masa, meat or beans. Masa (dough) that surrounds your choice of filling, traditionally pork. The 5"-6" long and 1" thick tamale is wrapped in a soaked cornhusk and steamed to cook dough. A traditional Mexican Christmas dish.
Tatemar
Verb meaning to roast, peel and seed green chiles.
Té Caliente
Hot Tea
Té Helado
Iced Tea
Tejano
Spanish word meaning "Texan".
Tomatillo
Looks like a tiny green tomato, actually a relative of the gooseberry family. Enclosed in a paper-like husk that is removed before cooking. Used in a variety of Mexican dishes and sauces to add an acidic flavor. Native to Mexico but can be found fresh or canned in many grocery stores.
Torta
A Mexican sandwich made from bolillo (hard Mexican roll) cut in half and stuffed with tomatoes, avocados or guacamole and carne asada, shredded beef or chicken, cheese and salsa.
Tortilla
A thin, flat bread made from wheat flour or corn masa.
Tostada
A fried flat corn tortilla topped with a layer of beans, shredded beef or chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado and salsa.
Totopes
Tortillas cut into triangular pieces and deep fried. Best with salsa! Think Doritos, but REAL!
Tripe
The stomach lining of a cow, pig or sheep. Must be cleaned for cooking. The primary ingredient used in menudo soup.
Uvas
Grapes
Uva pasa or pasa
Raisin
Vainilla
Vanilla
Al Vapor
Steamed
Veracruzana
Fish (usually red snapper or dorado) cooked with tomatoes and onions
Vino
Wine
Vino tinto is red wine, vino blanco is white wine, vino de casa is house wine.
Zanahoria
Carrot
