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You are here: Home / Archives for street food

Show me the Picante

November 8, 2011 By Jillian

There was nothing I wanted more when our flight touched down in Mexico than real Mexican food.  Not the Chili’s version of Tex-Mex but honest to goodness Mexican food.  Fresh and spicy, I’ve literally been dreaming of Mexican food since we left the country in 2009.   The day we entered Guatemala I gingerly tried a green sauce served with chicken, learning full well from a month in Mexico that you never, ever pour the sauce on until you try it.  That day my heart sank, the sauce was the blandest taste free green herb sauce I’ve ever had.  I think my taste buds died a little bit that day.

Returning to Mexico, I hoped to regain at least the spirit of those taste buds.

Having told our hosts I wanted true Mexican food, they took us to El Bajilo our first night in town.  A mix of cuisines from all over Mexico, my taste buds began salivating when small ceramic bowls of limes, salsas and onions appeared on the table.  Slightly crisp corn tortillas and a thick mole sauce rounded out the condiments and I was in heaven.

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Two days later, despite having eaten nothing buy Mexican food, I was still craving more. It seemed nothing could satiate my desire for street food.  Yearning to recreate the spicy foods of my memory, we stopped for lunch at a quesadilla stand.  As my chicken and cheese quesadilla fried up, my eyes immediately darted to the enormous bowl of picante on the countertop.  A Mexican couple stood on the right of the stand, cautiously dipping their taquitos into the picante and proclaiming it muy picante (very spicy). Excellente, I thought as tears welled up in their eyes.

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As my quesadilla came across the counter I lunged for the gigantic bowl of picante.  Dumping what can only be referred to as a cucharota (a big spoonful) on my tiny quesadilla, the two Mexicans stopped eating and loudly cautioned me against the picante.  Motioning frantically, they begged me to reconsider before putting the first piece in my mouth.  “It’s ok,” I said in Spanish. “I’m very strong. I love spice.”  They shook their heads as if to say “crazy gringa,” as they watched me take a bite.  Immediately every taste bud in my mouth exploded as if to say “this is what you were waiting for!”  The quesadilla was delicious, absolutely perfect and before I knew it the Mexican couple was staring at me like a monster with two heads.  The lady behind the counter smiled dotingly at me, evidently pleased that I loved her picante.  As the Mexicans paid and went on their way, in virtual disbelief at my pleasure with the picante, I smiled politely and told them I was from Florida.

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Two quesadilla’s later my belly was on fire, but I couldn’t help but put more picante on my last bite.  Laughing the women behind the counter let us in on a secret- the picante usually has habaneros, but today there were none in the market.  Mocking the other Mexican’s for crying and tearing up from a small taste of the sauce, she expressed her pleasure at my ability not only to handle the picante but my brava at pouring on more.

I walked away from that stall head held high, incredibly pleased to not only have earned the respect of my husband (he also thought the sauce was picante), but more importantly from the locals.  Now where did I put that picante?

Filed Under: Headline Tagged With: food, spicy, street food

Foodie Friday: Shwarma

May 28, 2010 By Danny

Oh yes. That’s right. The best served from a cart on the side of the road’ food in the world. That’s right, we’ve entered the world of shwarma!!

As you walk down the street you smell something in the air….cooking meat, spiced with something that sets your taste buds aflame. Then you see it, roasting on a spit in front of a flame so large that as you come closer, you can actually hear it cook. Getting closer still, you walk up and see it turn so that the meat that had been facing the flame is now bubbling in your direction. You have no choice but to fork over you money and place an order…you’ve been sucked in, mind control at its worst.

Maybe you tried to use some Arabic, maybe not. Either way they know what you want and start preparing it for you. The meat gets cut and mixed with the roasting veggies on the grill below. As the mix simmers together the “shwarma man” pulls out either a bun or a pita. He’ll probably throw some sauces on and then stuff your meat inside to make it a nice sandwich. He’ll put it in your hand and you’ll take your first bite right there, because waiting any longer is simply not an option. It’s so good in fact, that you go back for a second…then a third….finally a fourth…oh wait, a fifth…..Now you know why we’re putting on weight. (Jill’s note: One of us may be putting on weight; the other just chooses to enjoy the local cuisine without regret.) (Danny’s note: I’m not sure which one of us Jill is referring to.)

Once finished with your meal, continue down the street until the next cart of roasting meat sucks you in. Attempt to do nothing else with your day, you will be busy.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Food, Headline, Middle East Tagged With: foodiefriday, street food

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