Tag: Mexico

Welcome to our list of things that are Mexican!

In our list we’ve included animals, buildings, food, drink – as many categories of things we could think of as possible! We hope we’ve covered what you’re after in our list of things that are Mexican.

Here’s a visual list of things that are Mexican:

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Hopefully that visual list of Mexican things was useful! Here’s a longer and more descriptive list of things that are Mexican:

• Antojitos: Mexican street snacks or appetizers commonly sold by street vendors.
• Cemita: A type of torta from Puebla.
• Huaraches: An oval flatbread that looks like a huarache (Mexican sandal) sole.
• Chilaquiles: Crispy tortilla pieces in salsa and topped with cheese.
• Menudo: A stew dish with potato and carrots.
• Molotes: A corn-based pastry that is filled and served as a snack or appetizer.
• Flautas: Also known as a taquito or rolled taco. A small tortilla that is rolled up and filled before being fried.
• Sopes: Fried maize dough that looks like a thick tortilla. Topped with vegetables and meat.
• Tacos: A dish made from a wheat tortilla that is used to hold beans, vegetables, cheese and various condiments like salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
• Aguachile: A seafood dish made with chili, lime juice, cilantro, salt, onione and cucumbers.
• Bolillos: A savoury bread with an oval shape.
• Burrito: A dish consisting of a flour tortilla that is used as a wrap to hold rice, beans, vegetables and sometimes meat.
• Chahuis: An insect that is also known as xamoes, stick worm and rhinoceros beetle.
• Chalupa: A thin layer of maize dough that is deep fried in the shape of a shallow cup. Filled with meat, onione, peppers and salsa.
• Chapulines: Grasshoppers that are eaten in Mexico.
• Charales: A freshwater green algae.
• Cocido: A traditional stew whose name means “to boil”.
• Corunda: A type of tamale that is wrapped in corn leaf and folded, giving it either a pointed or spherical shape.
• Curtido: Fermented cabbage-based relish.
• Elote: An ear of corn that can be prepared as either a sweet or salty food.
• Empanadas: A pastry that is either baked or fried. The filling is savoury and generally includes cheese, tomato and corn.
• Enchilada: A flour or corn-based tortilla that is rolled around beans, cheese, potatoes and sometimes meat. Topped with savoury sauce.
• Entomatadas: A folded corn tortilla which is fried then soaked in tomato sauce, garlic, onion, chilli, oregano and salt. The tortilla can also be filled with savoury ingredients.
• Escamoles: Larvae and pupae of ants that is eaten in Mexico City.
• Gorditas: A dish made with maize meal dough that is stuffed with meat, cheese and other savoury fillings.
• Gringas: Grilled tacos that are filled with cheese, pineapple and meat.
• Jicama: A Mexican yam bean or turnip.
• Jocoque: A dairy spread made from fermented milk.
• Jumiles: Stink bugs that live in Guerrero, Mexico.
• Longaniza: A sausage that is similar to chorizo.
• Nachos: A meal consisting of warm tortilla chips that have been covered with cheese, guacamole, beans, salsa and sour cream.
• Quesadilla: A type of taco that is cooked on a stove or griddle.
• Salsa: A type of sauce that is commonly used as a dip or condiment.
• Tamales: A dish made from maize dough that is steamed in a banana or corn leaf.
• Taquitos: Also known as a flauta or rolled taco. A dish consisting of a filled, rolled tortilla.
• Migas: A meal made from stale or leftover bread.
• Huevos Rancheros: An egg-based breakfast meal.
• Guacamole: A dip made from mashed avocados commonly mixed with lemon, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Arroz Rojo: Also known as Spanish rice, red rice or Mexican rice. A side dish consisting of rice, garlic, onions and tomatoes.
• Pico de Gallo: Also known as fresh salsa or raw sauce. A mix made from onion, tomato, peppers, salt, lime and coriander.
• Frijoles Pintos: Fried pinto beans.
• Bionico: A dessert made from cubed fruits that are topped with cream, granola, coconut and raisins.
• Cajeta: Also known as dulce de leche, milk jam or caramelised milk. A sweet made by slowly heating sugar and milke.
• Amaranto:  An ornamental plant with edible seeds. Also known as pigweed.
• Arroz Con Leche: Rice pudding made with cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.
• Churros: A stick of fried dough that is commonly served with cinnamon sugar. Sometimes filled with a sweet sauce or melted chocolate.
• Flan: Also known as flan de leche or creme caramel. A custard-based dessert served with caramel sauce.
• Fried Ice Cream: Ice cream that is frozen hard, crumbed or coated in batter and deep fried.
• Jarritos: A popular Mexican soft drink brand.
• Paletas: A frozen ice pop.
• Palmier: Also known as palm heart, elephant ear or pig’s ear. A curled puff pastry served with sugar.
• Pan de Muerto: Translates to “bread of the dead”. A traditional sweet bread bun that is baked for the Dia de Muertos
• Pan Dulce: Translates to “sweet bread”. Inexpensive snack breads usually eaten for breakfast or supper.
• Hot Chocolate: A hot, sweet chocolate-based drink.
• Horchata: A plant milk drink that is served hot or cold.
• Pozol: A cocoa drink that is made from fermented corn dough.
• Tamarindo: A tamarind-based drink.
• Tejate: A non-alcoholic cacao and maize drink.
• Cerveza: Beer.
• Mezcal: A distilled agave alcohol.
• Pulque: Agave alcohol that is milky and viscous.
• Tequila: Distilled blue agave alcohol.
• Vero Mango: Mango flavoured lollipops covered in a layer of mild chili.
• Spider Monkey: Large forest-dwelling monkeys with dark fur and long fingers. Social animals that are highly intelligent.
• Cacomistle: Nocturnal mammals with long ring-patterned tails. Live in tropical areas and mountain forests.
• Axolotl: Salamanders that remain gilled rather than undergoing the usual amphibious metamorphosis.
• Flying Squirrel: Squirrels that don’t technically fly, but rather glide through the air using webbed membranes that stretch between their arms and legs.
• Mexican Prairie Dog: A medium-sized rodent that is considered an agricultural pest.
• Whale Shark: A shark that is slow-moving and filter-feeding. Known for their large size, non-aggressive nature and spotted bodies.
• Coati: Mammals with long tails, dark fur and sharp teeth.
• Ocelot: A wild cat with a spotted coat. Solitary and generally active at nighttime.
• Mexican Grey Wolf: A smaller wolf with a darker coat.
• Mexican Redknee Tarantula: A large, fluffy spider with a long lifespan and orange and black colouring.
• Quetzal: Birds with bright red and green colouring and very long tails in comparison to their body size.
• Booby: Seabirds with a white body, dark wings and light blue feet. Also known as the blue-footed booby.
• Northern Tamandua: A tree-climbing anteater with a fur pattern that looks like a vest.
• Opossum: A marsupial with grey fur, a pointed white face and long pink tail.
• Armadillo: Their name translates to “little armored ones”. Mammals with an armour-like, flexible shell that is able to curl into a protective ball.
• Mexican Burrowing Toad: Lives in subtropical and tropical areas. Has a pointed snout and a wide, flat body.
• Mexican Spinytail Iguana: Also known as the broad-ringed spiny-tailed iguana. A large lizard with a frill that stretches down its back.
• Jaguar: A large wild cat with a spotted coat. Great at climbing and swimming and kills by biting through the victim’s skull.
• West Indian Manatee: Also known as a sea cow. Herbivoes that communicate vocally.
• Gila Monster: A large venomous lizard with a mottled black and yellow pattern. Typically heavy and slow-moving.
• Black Widow Spider: Black spiders with a red spot on their abdomen. Extremely venomous.
• Coral Snake: Snakes with a striped black, red and yellow pattern.
• Chilean Recluse Spider: Has an entirely yellow body and a potentially fatal bite.
• Rattlesnake: A venomous snake with a distinctive rattle on the end of its tail, which it shakes as a warning signal.
• Scorpion: Arachnids with eight legs, two large pincers and an arched tail that has a stinger on the end.
• Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake: A venomous snake with a yellow belly and black back.
• Box Jellyfish: Jellyfish known for their cube-like body. They have powerfully venomous tentacles and can be fatal to humans.
• Vaquita: A small endangered porpoise.
• Mexican Howler: A large monkey with a long tail and a deep jaw that helps it make resonating howls.
• Alligator Gar: A long fish with a pointed snout. Considered as living fossils and can breathe both air and water.
• American Robin: A thrush that sings at dawn. Has an orange belly and otherwise grey feathers.
• Carpenter Ant: Ants that live in hollow trees.
• Collared Peccary: A mammal also known as the quenk or musk hog. Although referred to as a pig, isn’t technically classified as being part of the pig family.
• Cooper’s Hawk: A hawk that is small and agile. Also known as the swift hark, striker, hen hawk and quail hawk.
• Mexican Sunflower: A flower with bright, downturned orange petals.
• Laelia Orchid: A pink orchid with long, thin petals.
• Pineapple Sage: Also known as tangerine sage. A shrub that lives in pine-oak forests.
• Mexican Honeysuckle: A shrub with orange tubular flowers.
• Poinsettia: Has bright colours like a flower, but is actually a bush. Used as a decorative Christmas plant for its red and green leaves.
• Mexican Marigold: A native flower that is traditionally used and displayed during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
• Mexican Morning Glory: A flower with bright blue, trumpet-shaped petals.
• Chocolate Cosmos: A flower with ridged, dark red petals that look almost a rich brown.
• Passion Flower: Also known as passiflora or passion vines. Tendril-bearing vines with light purple blooms.
• Belize Sage: Tubular orange-red flowers that grows on mountainous hillsides.
• Dahlia: Bushy perennial plants that grow flowers with many layers of petals.
• Mexican’s Lady Slipper: Also known as slipper orchids. An orchid with a pouch that traps insects as they pollinate.
• Mexican Hat Flower: Also known as upright prairie coneflower. A flower with downturned red and yellow petals.
• Sword Lily: Also known as gladiolus. A flower with long, thin petals.
• Ano Nuevo: Mexican New Year.
• Epiphany:  A Christian feast day observed in Mexico.
• Candlemass: A Christian feast.
• Constitution Day: A holiday that honours the constitution of a country.
• Semana Santa and Pascue: A Christian holy week.
• Children’s Day: Known locally as Dia Del Nino. A day where teachers organise special events and treats for their students and there are no official classes.
• Labor Day: Celebrated as International Workers’ Day.
• Cinco de Mayo: The celebration of the Mexican army’s victory over France during the Franco-Mexico War.
• Teacher’s Day: A nationwide celebration for educators.
• Student’s Day: Also known as El Dian del Estudiante. A commemoration of the violence students suffered by police during a protest at the National University in Mexico City. A remembrance of educational freedoms that have been fought for.
• National Maritime Day: Also known as Mexican Navy Day. A flag flying day that celebrates the civil and maritime sectors.
• Dia de Muertos: A joyful celebratory holiday that remembers friends and family that have passed. Spans multiple days.
• Las Posadas: Devotional prayer that is celebrated during December each year.
• Quinceaneras: The celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. Considered a coming of age day and a milestone for young women.
• Pinatas: A papier-mache container (sometimes made of cloth or pottery instead) that is filled with candy, decorated and then broken during a celebration.
• Alebrijes: Mexican folk sculptures that have been brightly coloured.
• Mexican Hat Dance: The national dance of Mexico.
• Cancun: A city in the Southeast of Mexico. A popular tourist destination.
• Mayan Riviera: A resort and tourist district in Cancun.
• Puerto Vallarta: A beach resort city and tourist destination in Jalisco.
• Copper Canyon: A group of six canyons in Northwestern Mexico.
• Mexico City’s Historic Center: Also known as the Centro Historico. A plaza which can hold up to nearly 100,000 people.
• Chichen Itza: A city built by the Maya people in Yucatan State.
• Guanajuato: A Mexican state which houses several historically important cities.
• Ixtapa: A resort city in Guerrero.
• Ancient Fortress of Tulum: An enclosed city that was built by the Mayas.
• Cozumel: An island in the Caribbean known for scuba diving, snorkeling and tourism.
• Guadalajara: A city in western Mexico. An international center of business, arts and culture.
• Monte Alban: An archaeological site in south Mexico.
• Great Pyramid of Cholula: The largest archaeological site in the New World, and the largest pyramid (by volume) that is known.
• El Malecon: The roadway and seawall that stretches along the Havana coast.
• Uxmal: An ancient Maya city that is considered one of the most important sites of Maya culture.
• Zipolite: Also known as Playa Zipolite. A beach community that is Mexico’s only legal public nude beach.
• El Tajin: An archaeological site in southern Mexico. Houses numerous temples, courts, palaces and pyramids.
• Bonampak Murals: Well-preserved Maya murals.
• Isla Mujeres: Translates to “Island of Women”. An island known for its safety and low crime rate.
• Acapulco Cliff Divers: A group of professional divers that perform daily shows for the public.
• El Arco: A rock formation that has a natural arch.
• Palenque: Also known as Lakamha (translates to “Big Water”). A Maya city state in southern Mexico.
• Tulum: The ruins of a Maya walled city.
• Mesoamerican Ballgame: A historical ballgame where the rules are unknown, but it’s theorised it was played using a ball that was bounced using hips, forearms, bats, stones or rackets.
• Basque Pelota: Ball sports played in a court using hands, a racket or a bat against a ball.
• Lucha Libre: The name for professional wrestling in Mexico. Known for its use of colourful masks and high-flying stunts and holds.
• Football: A team sport that involves kicking a ball to score a goal.
• Baseball: A team bat and ball sport that involves trying to get more points, known as “runs”.
• Frida Kahlo: A famous surrealist painter who explored identity, class, race, gender and postcolonialism in her work.
• Guillermo del Toro: A director, screenwriter, author and producer. Best known for his films Pan’s Labryrinth and The Shape of Water.
• Julio Cesar Chavez: A former boxer who was a world champion in multiple weight divisions.
• Salma Hayek: An actress and producer. Best known for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo.
• Lupita Nyong’o: A Kenyan-Mexican actress best known for her roles in 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther.
• Javier Hernandez: A professional footballer for the Mexico national team.
• Pyramids: Similar to Egyptian pyramids, but with flat tops (rather than pointed) and stairs going up the sides.
• Chocolate: Mesoamericans first used chocolate as medicine and during rituals, later considering chocolate to be the drink of the gods.
• Sisal: A strong, natural fibre derived from agave leaves.

We hope this list of Mexican things was useful and that you found what you needed!

We did our best to cover all of the varied meanings of “Mexican” with our visual gallery of Mexican things and descriptive list. But if you feel there’s something we missed, please feel free to let us know and leave a comment.

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