It’s important for anyone traveling Mexico to try “real” Mexican food. Oddly enough, the Mexican food that is common in the US is not quite an accurate representation of true Mexican food. The kind of Mexican food that Americans often eat actually originates from New Mexico, which was once a part of Mexico, and it often gets mistaken for Mexican food as a whole. Most Americans are unaware that most of the food served at their local restaurant is more American and less Mexican than they think. Also, in some “authentic” Mexican restaurants, many key sauces such as mole are replaces with tomato based sauces. Many who have tried much of the cuisine that really exists in Mexico say that American Mexican food and real Mexican food differ as much as American Chinese food and real Chinese food. Many Mexicans who have tried the American version of Mexican food have described it as unfamiliar. Sure, travelers can get burritos, tacos, and salsa in Mexico, but this is not what Mexican food is all about.

Mexican food varies by region because of the variance of flora and fauna in the different regions and because of different influences and cultures. Many regions have Spanish influence and some regions even have some middle eastern influence in the food. The northern areas of Mexico are known for dishes containing ostrich, beef, and goat. In Southeastern Mexico, many of the dishes are spicy and often contain chicken. Because of its geographical location fish and other seafood are also highly popular here. In the west of Mexico and the Oaxacan region, many dishes are very spicy. The Yucatan area is known for using less hot spices in their food and, instead, using more sweet spices such as sugar in their food. Central Mexico, because of its geographic location, has a mixture of the types of foods from other areas in Mexico.