Varieties+of+Mexican+Cuisine

Mexican cuisine is not just one type of food or style of cooking. There are many different varieties of Mexican cuisine that can be seen in the different regions of the country. These varieties of Mexican cuisine arise from the different geographical locations of each region, the climate of the region, and the ethnic differences among indigenous inhabitants. Central Mexico, due to it's geographical position, is heavily influenced by the rest of the country. Because of it's central location, many travelers from other regions in Mexico pass through or come into Central Mexico for trade purposes. These travelers introduce new food, spices, and ingredients; however, Central Mexico also has it's own unique dishes. Among these dishes are barbacoa, pozole, menudo, and carnitas. Southeastern Mexico cuisine is largely influenced by Caribbean due to it's geographical location. Seafood is commonly used in dishes in Southeastern Mexico as well as vegetables and chicken. Typically the dishes prepared in Southeastern Mexico are spicier dishes than some due to the Caribbean spices that have influenced the cooking in this region. The Yucatan region is known to add sweetness to their dishes rather than prepare spicy foods which appear in most of the other regions in Mexico. This is due to the Yucatan people's “unusual love for achiote seasoning.” Achiote is “a shrub from the tropical region of the American continent.” Honey is also used in many Mexican dishes in the Yucatan region due to people's involvement with beekeeping. A popular dish in this region that uses honey as a main ingredient is the rosca de miel, which is a very sweet, bundt-like cake. More exotic dishes are seen in the Pueblos (villages) of Mexico and the dishes are prepared Mayan style which is known as comida prehispanica. The dishes prepared in these areas use ingredients that are not typically seen being used in the other surrounding regions such as “rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, grasshoppers, ant eggs, and other kinds of insects.”
 * Varieties of Mexican Cuisine**