Mexico City street food evokes images of tacos: al pastor, carnitas, barbacoa. While delicious, they only scratch the surface of this city’s vibrant culinary scene. This guide explores the diverse world of Mexico City street food, offering a glimpse into a world beyond tacos.
We’ll embark on a 24-hour food tour, starting with breakfast, venturing into lunch, and culminating in the late-night scene, primarily within the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods. This exploration focuses on food found on the streets: stands, tents, carts, even steamers brimming with tamales. It’s not an exhaustive list, but rather an introduction to the variety available.
Our first stop is for tamales. These steamed corn dough pockets can be found all over the city, often from vendors with large metal steamers. We’ll try three varieties: tamal dulce (sweet, often with fruit), tamal verde (with salsa verde and chicken), and tamal rojo (with red salsa and a variety of fillings).
Steaming tamales in a pot
Next, we’ll try a torta de chilaquiles. This unique sandwich features chilaquiles (fried tortilla chips in salsa) tucked into a torta roll. You can usually find both red and green salsa versions, with a choice of fillings like milanesa (breaded cutlet) or cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork).
Torta de chilaquiles with various fillings
Moving on to lunch, we’ll begin with quesadillas. These grilled tortillas are filled with a variety of ingredients, including steak, potatoes, nopales (cactus), and Oaxaca cheese. The carne enchilada (meat marinated in chili sauce) is another popular filling.
Quesadillas with different fillings and salsas
Continuing our lunch adventure, we’ll sample tlacoyas and gorditas. Tlacoyas are oval-shaped blue corn masa cakes filled with ingredients like frijoles (refried beans), while gorditas are similar but circular and often filled with chicharrón (fried pork skin).
Tlacoyas and gorditas with various toppings
Finally, we’ll grab some tacos. These ubiquitous street food staples come with countless filling options, from shredded pork in chili sauce to picadillo (ground meat with peas and potatoes).
Tacos with various fillings on blue corn tortillas
For dinner, we’ll indulge in a pambazo, a sandwich made with bread dipped in chili sauce and filled with chorizo and potatoes. We’ll also try a quesadilla frita (fried quesadilla) and a tostada (crispy fried tortilla topped with various ingredients).
Pambazos, fried quesadillas, and a tostada
This 24-hour culinary adventure provides a starting point for exploring the vast landscape of Mexico City street food. Each bite offers a new flavor, texture, and experience, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of this vibrant city.
