Mexican Food Descriptions
- Burrito: A white flour tortilla, filled with meats, beans, cheese, or a combination of these, and rolled. Often served smothered with chile sauce and melted cheese.
- Chalupas: (Little boats) corn tortillas fried into a bowl shape and filled with shredded chicken, and/or beans, and topped with guacamole and salsa.
- Chile con queso: Chile and melted cheese mixed together into a dip.
- Chiles Rellenos: Roasted, peeled and stuffed (often with cheese) chiles, usually dipped in a batter and fried.
- Chimichanga: A a burrito that's deep fried, and smothered with chile and cheese.
- Chorizo: A spicy pork sausage, seasoned with garlic and red chile.
- Cilantro: A pungent green herb used in salsas, etc; the seeds are coriander.
- Empanada: A turnover, filled usually with a sweetened meat mixture or fruit. Enchiladas: corn tortillas filled with meat, beans or cheese, and either rolled, or stacked, and covered with chile sauce and cheese. Fajita: strips of grilled steak or chicken that come with tortillas, sauteed peppers and onions, and other side dishes to make do-it-yourself burritos.
- Flautas: Tightly rolled, fried to a crunch, enchiladas. Frijoles: beans.
- Guacamole: Mashed avacado, usually with chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, lime and chile. Horno: outdoor, beehive-shaped ovens.
- Huevos Rancheros: Corn tortillas, topped with eggs, usually fried, smothered with chile and cheese. Jalapenos: small, fat chiles, very hot, frequently used in salsa.
- Nachos: Tostados topped with beans, melted cheese, sliced jalapenos, sometimes served "Grande" with ground beef, or shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream.
- Pico de Gallo: Salsa with chopped fresh chiles, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
- Posole: A thick stew made with hominy corn simmered for hours with red chile and pork.
- Quesadilla: A turnover made of a flour tortilla, filled with cheese or other ingredients, then toasted, fried or baked.
- Refritos: Beans that have been mashed and fried, most often in lard.
- Salsa: Generally an uncooked mixture of chile, tomatoes, onions.
- Taco: A corn tortilla either fried crisp, or just softened, and filled with meats, cheese, or beans, and fresh chopped lettuce, onions and tomatoes.
- Tostados: Corn tortilla chips, also, a open face corn tortilla covered with refried beans, salsa, cheese, and chopped lettuce and tomato.











Tom Amodei