
MEXICO !!! MEXICO !!! MEXICO !!!
In the heart of every Bulgarian there is a piece of Mexico. For football fans it is because of Mexico 94, for those who mourn socialism it is due to Lyudmila Zhivkova’s special passion for Aztec and Mayan culture, exotic fans of it is due to Acapulco, and for us it is due to three types of chilli peppers – chipotle, ancho and jalapeno. Well, due to poblano and guajillo too. These peppers have invaded our menu – we eat everything with marinated jalapeno and chipotle
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Mexican cuisine results from the combination of Mayan, Aztec and Spanish conquerors’ traditions, enriched by immigrants from China and the Middle East in the late 19th century. It is one of the most popular cuisines in the world – wherever you go you will find a Mexican restaurant, even in Bulgaria there are some. Much of Bulgarian cuisine is also influenced by Mexican cuisine – our favorite beans, corn and chilli peppers come from Mexico.
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Chillies are a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine – they carry specific aroma and spiciness. In Mexican recipes a combination of several types of dried chillies is used. They are hydrated and used as a base of the main sauce of the dish, to which all other ingredients are added and finally more fresh or marinated chillies are added.
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The most popular Mexican chillies are:
Habanero – very hot about 100 000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units)
Arbol – red hot dried chili about 50 000 SHU
Jalapeno – mildly hot thick and meaty green chili 10 000 SHU
Chipotle – mildly hot smoked dried ripe jalapeno chili 15 000 SHU
Serrano – mildly hot green chili about 10 000 SHU
Guajillo – slightly hot red dried chili about 5 000 SHU
Poblano – slightly hot green dried chili about 1 000 SHU
Ancho – crimson dried poblano about 1 500 SHU
Mulato – dried ripe poblano with smoky aroma about 3 000 SHU
Pasilla – dried red chili with smoky cocoa aroma about 2 000 SHU
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Enchiladas are a family dish for friends and special occasions. When children come home in Mexico their mothers always make enchiladas. You can’t make just one or two in a hurry after work, you need a whole pan – same with moussaka. Authentic enchiladas are made with beans, tortillas and Mexican salsa. Watch our video to see how to cook them at home with our Hot Mexican spice mix, made with chipotle, ancho and guajillo chillies.
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And if you wish to enjoy a real Mexican culinary adventure, you must try Shrimps Diablo. Aromatic, sweet, spicy, light and addictive are only some of the definitions of this delicacy. And yes, extremely easy
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Certainly the easiest and fastest way to add a Mexican note and spiciness to any dish, every recipe, every grill, and even minced meat is with pyramidal sea salt, flavored with crushed chipotle chilies. Pyramid salt is used for salting ready meals, just before or after serving. It is one of the highest quality sea salts, formed in only a few places on earth, one being Cyprus. It is famous for the pyramidal shape of its crystals, which are very thin and fragile and can be easily broken with fingers. The crushed chipotle adds the unique smoky aroma and sweet-spicy taste and turns every dish into a culinary masterpiece.