| Like all countries, there are Mexican food traditions, | | | | Mexico, families and friends hold "posadas," a traditional |
| which are unique to the country. Food, after all, is an | | | | Christmas morning party. |
| important part of any country's culture and Mexico is | | | | On this occasion, you will often find traditional dishes |
| certainly no exception. There are Mexican food | | | | served such as mashed potatoes with cranberry and |
| customs, which are attached to certain holidays and | | | | chili relish, rather than the gravy you would find at the |
| other occasions, with special dishes being cooked on | | | | table in the US. Punch is also traditionally served at a |
| these days. | | | | posada, as are other dishes including turkey soup and |
| Mexican Holidays Recipes and Typical Mexican Food | | | | codfish. A piata is also a traditional (and very festive) |
| Perhaps the best known of Mexican holidays is Cinco | | | | addition to the Christmas day festivities in Mexico. |
| de Mayo. This celebration on May 5th every year is | | | | The feast of Epiphany is another holiday with its own |
| commonly thought to be Mexico's Independence Day | | | | special Mexican food traditions. The traditional Spanish |
| holiday. As it happens, the holiday was declared not to | | | | ring cake has been enthusiastically adopted into |
| celebrate Mexican independence from Spain, but the | | | | Mexican Epiphany celebrations, along with the new |
| victory of the Mexican army over the French in 1862 | | | | world treat of hot chocolate as an addition. |
| at Puebla. | | | | Naturally, we cannot talk about Mexican food culture |
| Outside of the state of Puebla, the holiday is a minor | | | | without a few words about Dia de los Muertos. This is |
| one - though there are some special Cinco de Mayo | | | | how Mexico celebrates All Saints Day. On "the day of |
| dishes, which are served on this day, especially in | | | | the dead," there are special holiday sweets which are |
| Puebla. This state is the region of Mexico where mole, | | | | eaten. These include dulce de calabasa, a candy made |
| an important ingredient in many traditional Mexican | | | | from pumpkin and pan de muerto. Pan de muerto is a |
| recipes was developed; and this is a popular sauce | | | | bread, which is glazed and decorated with colored |
| nationwide. | | | | sugar, and smaller pieces of bread shaped like bones. |
| One traditional Cinco de Mayo recipe often made in | | | | However, sugar skulls are without a doubt the best |
| Puebla for this holiday is turkey cooked in a mole | | | | known of Mexico's food traditions surrounding the day |
| sauce. This would be mole poblano in particular (the | | | | of the dead. These are skull shaped candies, which |
| name means "Puebla-style mole"), a rich, nutty and | | | | are made by pressing sugar into a mold. These |
| spicy sauce which is worth every bit of the | | | | candies are often decorated with great care, making |
| considerable time and effort needed to make it. | | | | for a holiday treat, which is so beautifully decorated |
| Turkey is a popular food in Puebla and in fact, in much | | | | that you may not want to eat them! |
| of the country. Turkey shows up not only here, but | | | | The food traditions of every nation reflect their unique |
| also in many Mexican recipes, even some of Mexico's | | | | culture, something which Mexican food traditions |
| other special holiday dishes. | | | | certainly do. The country's amalgam of new world and |
| Religious Holidays Including Christmas And Others | | | | old world ingredients, recipes and cooking methods |
| As a largely Catholic nation, Mexico celebrates | | | | have resulted in a culture - and a set of traditional |
| Christmas and other religious holidays with aplomb; and | | | | foods which are an integral part of Mexican life and |
| when it comes to celebrating with food, Mexican food | | | | culture. |
| traditions are second to none! On Christmas morning in | | | | |