We have been travelling for one and a half month and I could have started blogging about food with Texan Barbeque or New Orleans' Po' Boy sandwiches. Instead, I chose Birria. Our most recent and one of the best food experiences so far. I advice you try it.
What is Birria? It's a stew made of goat or sheep meat, seasonned and cooked in a pot underground for about eight hours. It's then shredded. It's served hot in a broth made of water that marinated with the meat. Freshly-made tortillas on the side.
On the table, you have access to diced onions, fresh cilantro and lime to season your bowl of Birria as you please. Everything is fresh and delicious. The best two things about Birria is that it's cheap - a little more than $3 for a half serving and shy of $4 for a full serving - and that the meat tastes so good. Half a serving is plenty, by the way.
Birria is also a perfect example of what Mexican food seems to be all about. Good and affordable. They use fresh and local ingredients, know how to spice their dishes properly, and they also know how to present their food in attractive ways. It pleases the palate and the eyes.
Birria also shows that Mexican food is very versatile in that they have great recipes for all types of meats, fishes and vegetables. One doesn't get bored. The variety of foods and local specialties that you can find in Mexico is rather overwhelming. There is more to it than tacos and fajitas.
Mexican cuisine is also the one that would make you like things that you didn't like before. For example, fish and me. I used to not eat any kind of fish, cooked or uncooked, because of the way it was prepared. A dab of butter and fried on the pan. In Mexico, they add onions, green peppers, fresh jalapeno and cilantro, sliced tomatoes and lime juice. It brings the fish to life and excites the palate.
Finally, the restaurant we went to, El Sinaloense, is a good example of casual Mexican dining. Cheap, communal and extremely good. It reminded us of what we know of tables communes or "communal tables."
So Birria is decilious and it is a food that we wouldn't have tasted outside of the U.S. Travel to eat, eat to travel. And it is making me very happy to know that there will be many more opportunities to taste something unique. What's next?