Ingredient guide
What these recipes use that your usual shop may not stock: what it is, where to find it, and what you can put in its place.
Achiote pasteBrick-red seasoning paste of ground annatto seeds, spices, garlic and acid, typical of Yucatán cooking.2 recipesAncho chilesA dried ripe poblano pepper, broad, wrinkled and nearly black-red, with mild heat and a sweet flavour of raisins and cocoa.3 recipesbacon fatThe rendered fat of smoked bacon, smoky and salty.1 recipeBanana leavesLarge, pliable leaves of the banana plant used to wrap food for steaming, baking or braising; they lend a mild, grassy aroma and are not eaten.1 recipeblack beans!Small black-skinned beans with a creamy interior and an earthy, slightly sweet flavour.1 recipecalcium hydroxide (cal)!Food-grade slaked lime, a white, strongly alkaline powder in which dried corn is soaked and cooked for tortillas and tamales.1 recipeChipotle chileA smoked, dried jalapeño, smoky and assertively hot.2 recipeschipotle powderGround smoke-dried jalapeños, smoky, hot and faintly fruity.1 recipechipotles in adoboSmoked, dried jalapeños packed in a dark, sweet-sour sauce of tomato, vinegar and spices, smoky and properly hot.6 recipescilantroThe fresh leaves of the coriander plant, with a bright, citrusy and slightly peppery taste.12 recipescorn tortillasThin flatbreads made from nixtamalized corn dough, with a gently earthy corn flavour.10 recipesCotija cheeseAn aged Mexican cow's milk cheese, white, dry and crumbly with a pronounced saltiness; it is scattered over dishes and does not melt.1 recipecotija cheeseA Mexican cow's milk cheese, salty and dry, crumbled or grated over finished dishes.3 recipescrispy tortilla stripsNarrow strips of corn tortilla, fried or oven-baked until crisp and lightly salted.1 recipedried corn kernelsFully mature, hard-dried maize kernels, not sweetcorn; the starting point for nixtamal, masa and pozole.1 recipedried New Mexico chileA long, dark red dried chile pod from New Mexico, mild to medium hot, with an earthy, slightly sweet and fruity flavour.1 recipedried árbol chilesA small, slender, bright red dried Mexican chile, clearly hot, with a nutty, slightly grassy note.2 recipesEpazote!A Mexican herb with jagged leaves and a sharp, resinous aroma reminiscent of camphor, mint and anise.2 recipesGuajillo chilesA dried, deep red Mexican chile with smooth, glossy skin, mild to medium hot, fruity and slightly tart.2 recipesHabanero chiliA small, lantern-shaped chili, usually orange, with very strong heat and a fruity, almost tropical aroma.1 recipeHabanero chilliA small, lantern-shaped chilli from Yucatán, usually orange, very hot and distinctly fruity and floral in aroma.2 recipesjalapeñoMedium-sized green chilli from Mexico, thick-fleshed and juicy, with a fresh, moderate heat.9 recipesmasa harinaFinely ground flour made from corn that has first been cooked in lime water. Mixed with water, it becomes the dough for tortillas and tamales.2 recipesMexican chocolateCoarsely ground chocolate made from cacao, sugar and usually cinnamon, pressed into tablets or discs with a noticeably gritty texture.1 recipeMexican cremaA lightly soured, pourable Mexican cream, milder and runnier than sour cream, drizzled over dishes.1 recipeMexican crema / sour creamMexican crema is a cultured, pourable cream, milder and thinner than typical sour cream.1 recipeMonterey Jack cheeseA mild, semi-firm cow's milk cheese from California that melts softly and evenly.1 recipemulato chileA dried pod from a poblano type that ripens to a deep brown, broad and leathery, with a dark, sweetish flavour and mild heat.1 recipepasilla chileA dried chilaca pepper, long, narrow, almost black and wrinkled, with mild to medium heat and a flavour of raisins, cocoa and herbs.1 recipepinto beans!Medium-sized beige beans with reddish-brown speckles that fade during cooking. Once cooked they turn soft, creamy and mildly earthy.1 recipeplantainA large, starchy banana that is only eaten cooked; firm and potato-like when green, soft and sweetish once the skin turns black.1 recipeQueso frescoA young, unaged Mexican cow's-milk cheese: white, mildly salty and slightly tangy, with a crumbly texture.4 recipesqueso frescoYoung, unripened Mexican cow's-milk cheese – white, moist, crumbly, mild and lightly salty.1 reciperefried beansCooked beans, usually pinto or black, mashed and fried in lard or oil into a creamy, savoury purée.2 recipesSerrano chilesA small, slender green chile from Mexico, usually used fresh. Noticeably hotter than a jalapeño, with a bright, grassy flavour.1 recipeSmoked paprikaPaprika made from peppers smoked and dried over oak fires, mild to hot, with a distinct smoky note.1 recipesour creamMexican cultured cream, thinner and milder than sour cream, with a gently tangy note.1 recipeSour orange juiceJuice of the bitter orange (Seville orange), sour like lime, with a tart, bitter undertone and little sweetness.1 recipetelera rollsA flat, oval Mexican white roll with two lengthwise grooves across the top, a soft crumb and a thin, tender crust.1 recipetomatillosA green, tomato-like fruit wrapped in a papery husk, firm and distinctly tart, and the base of many green salsas.4 recipestortillasThin flatbreads made from corn masa or wheat flour, cooked on a griddle; in Mexico the word usually means corn tortillas.1 recipewhite hominyLarge white corn kernels cooked in an alkaline lime solution and hulled, so they burst open as they cook. Soft yet slightly chewy, with a mild, distinctly tortilla-like flavour.1 recipe