A taste of history
Mexican cuisine offers many regional varieties for taste buds to explore
By Ivy Dai 07/09/2009
Slow-simmered pork cooked in its own fat, folded into a warm corn tortilla and topped with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lime. A carnitas taco — simple, authentic and satisfying.
Traditional Mexican food is peasant fare, plentiful and filling, with regional dishes from around the nation that reflect Spanish, Aztec, Mayan and Caribbean influences.
In the Yucatan Peninsula, tamales are wrapped in banana leaves, Caribbean style, instead of the traditional corn husk. Banana leaves also lend aroma and depth of flavor to cooked meats, as in the classic Yucatan dish cochinita pibil. A specialty dish at El Portal restaurant in Pasadena, marinated pork is wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked in the oven for three to four hours.
“Pibil means cooked on the ground,” says El Portal owner Abel Ramirez. “Many houses in Mexico have an excavated pit in their backyards. Meat is marinated, covered with banana leaves, placed on top of charcoal and hot stones, then covered.”
Food of the Yucatan region also uses unique flavorings such as bitter orange and achiote. Bitter orange has a coarser peel, and its juice tastes like a cross between a lemon and an American orange. Achiote, or annatto, is a common Yucatan spice that lends a brilliant yellow color and mild earthiness to fish, pork and chicken. The flavoring is subtle, like that of saffron or paprika.
Other authentic dishes, like fried whole fish, come from Spain, while Caribbean influence comes through again in desserts such as dulce de papaya, caramelized papaya and cremitas de coco (flan made with coconut milk).
When done sampling Yucatan fare, travel northwest to Sonora at the famous El Cholo restaurant’s Pasadena location. Their “green corn” (fresh corn) tamales are made with Wisconsin cheddar cheese and Ortega chili. This seasonal specialty is served from May to October. Tamales are typically made with masa, ground corn kernels cooked with salt and lime into a paste. The Sonora tradition of using “green corn” highlights the natural sweetness of the grain.
“As you’re eating it, it’s so tender and dissolves in your mouth,” El Cholo operating partner Diego Fernandez says. “It’s not a hard bite, like a regular tamale. It has a very smooth texture and sweet flavor.”
As you head south to the Pacific coast of Mexico, you arrive in Oaxaca, land of mole. Mole is a thick, complex sauce that uses chocolate, chili, almond, cinnamon and dozens of other ingredients to create a variety of sauces in hues ranging from black to yellow, red or green (mole negro, amarillo, rojo and verde).
You’ll have to travel a little bit farther from the San Gabriel Valley to experience Oaxacan cuisine, but it’s well worth the trek. Combined with shredded meat, a bitter chocolate and chili mole can be an eye-opening experience.
But if you’d like to stay close to home, you can still experience authentic Mexican cuisine through the quintessential taco. Some of the best taco trucks in the Southland are right here in town, and there are many to choose from.
Little old ladies make carne asada tacos fresh to order until 3 a.m. at El Chavo, located at the Shell station parking lot on Fair Oaks Avenue and Walnut Street. It’s a bit of a wait, but the perfect snack after a night of drinking in Old Pasadena.
Others rave about Tacos El Gallito on South Fair Oaks Avenue, south of Del Mar Avenue and just north of Gale’s Restaurant.
Another popular taco truck is tucked inside the Nakahama Auto Parts parking lot, just south of El Gallito. This longtime operation offers moist and flavorful carne asada, al pastor and carnitas tacos for little more than $1 each.
At those prices, order two or three and savor each authentic bite.
Regional recommendations
El Cholo (Sonora)
958 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena
(626) 441-4353
elcholopasadena.com
El Portal (Yucatan)
695 E. Green St., Pasadena
(626) 795-8553
elportalrestaurant.com
Guelaguetza Restaurant (Oaxaca)
3337 1/2 W. 8th St., Koreatown
(213) 427-0601
guelaguetzarestaurante.com (several locations)
King Taco (taco truck alternative)
45 N. Arroyo Pkwy., Pasadena
(626) 792-0405
kingtaco.com
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