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Learning How to Use Mexican Spices

It is the herbs and spices used in Mexican cooking that truly make the meal. If these ingredients were not added, a Mexican dish would not differ greatly from many others. The herbs and spices used in Mexico help make the cuisine special. It is good to learn all you can about them.

Chile powder is used in almost every Mexican dish. This common spice is usually a mixture of many different chilies. Chipotle is one kind of seasoning you may find. It is made from dried smoked jalapeno peppers. Ancho peppers, on the other hand, give food a more sweet, fruity flavor. Many commercial chile powders that you find at the market are actually a combination of oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic, salt, and chilies.

Epazote is a green herb that grows fairly tall. Also known as, Mexican tea, this herb is used in bean dishes to add flavor and relieve digestive problems that beans may cause. Epazote is potent and should only be used in small quantities. Large quantities can be toxic. Just add a couple of leaves to your bean dish as it cooks.

If you need a distinctive flavor or a yellow coloring to a dish, use annatto seeds. They are often added to sauces and rice dishes. The seeds are soaked for at least an hour in water before use. The water can also be used in cooking. The crushed seeds are often used in marinades.

Cilantro is an herb that looks a lot like flat leaf parsley. In reality, they are the leaves of the coriander plant. Cilantro is always used fresh. The flavor is a bit pungent and it adds a nice tanginess to a recipe. It works well in salsas, rice, beans, moles, stews, and soups. Cilantro brightens up the flavor of many dishes.

The seeds of the cumin plant are often used in Mexican cooking. Cumin seeds can be used ground into powder or whole. It is often used with chile powder to create a nice balance in the flavors. Soups, stews and many other dishes are better after you add cumin. Azafran, also known as safflower or Mexican saffron, adds flavor and color to a dish, making it a beautiful yellow. This spice is used sparingly because it can be bitter. It is frequently added to rice or seafood.

If you are looking for free traditional Mexican recipes you will find that you need many of these spices as well as thyme and oregano. Mexican oregano is very different from Italian oregano. It has an earthy quality that really adds a lot to the food. Unless you live in an area with a large Mexican population, it may be difficult to find. You can sometimes find it in the grocery store or in specialty herb catalogs.

Take time to learn the familiar flavors of Mexico by paying attention to the spices and herbs they use every day. An authentic Mexican taste is impossible without them. Make the most out of your Mexican cooking by learning the correct way to use these spices. Your meals will be amazingly good once you learn the secrets of these seasonings.

When it is warm outside and you don’t want to eat hot food, what about making a Mexican salad recipe? Mexican salad is refreshing, flavorful and simple to make, featuring such delicious Mexican style ingredients as corn, tomatoes, avocado, chicken and more. Mexican salad is healthy and full of nutrients too.

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