Taco Tuesday became a thing for a reason – many people are fans of Mexican food! What makes Mexican food taste so good? Many factors come into play, like the type of meat, salsa, freshly warmed tortillas…and also the herbs and spices used.
Some of the most popular herbs and spices in Mexican food include:
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Cilantro
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Onion
What flavors do each of these herbs and spices bring to the table in Mexican food? We’ll explain each herb and spice’s role in making tacos, enchiladas, soups, and other Mexican cuisine so tasty.
Popular herbs and spices in Mexican cuisine
Certain herbs and spices are especially prevalent in Mexican food. That’s the beauty of herbs and spices – they give Mexican food a distinct flavor that is easy to differentiate from Italian food, which has its own distinct herbs and spices (like Italian seasoning).
We’ll review some of the more popular herbs and spices in Mexican food, but remember that this isn’t an all-encompassing list – just some of the most popular.
Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper is one of the spicier spices, with a Scoville rating of around 40,000 heat units (a measure of how spicy peppers are – jalapenos have a rating of up to 8,500 SHU.
Not all Mexican cuisine is spicy, but if you’re a fan of spice, you’ll love cayenne with its smokey, spicy, yet slightly sweet flavor.
Cayenne is a great spice to use for any Mexican dish from tacos, chili, and marinades for meat and grilled vegetables like corn.
Chili powder
One of the first ingredients in taco seasoning, chili powder is a spice blend made from red chili peppers and other flavorings like salt, cayenne, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
It gets a little confusing when it comes to chili powder vs. chili pepper and chile powder, so we’ll try to explain the best we can. They all sound the same, so which is which?
Chili pepper and chile powder are made ONLY from ground chili peppers (Capsicum annuum), which include peppers like bell peppers, pimento peppers (the kind paprika is made from), cayenne peppers, and others. Chili POWDER is a seasoning blend with chili peppers and the other ingredients we mentioned.
Chili powder isn’t super spicy (it’s considered mild to moderate in terms of spice, similar to how salsa is classified), but it does have some warmth to it. It has a slightly sweet, earthy flavor which makes it popular for seasoning tacos, chili, and many other favorite Mexican dishes.
Cilantro
Ahh, cilantro. The perfect garnish for enchiladas, tacos, and other Mexican dishes, cilantro has a fresh flavor that complements the hotter spices that can be used in Mexican cuisine.
Cilantro is from the same plant that coriander is from (that’s next on the list) – cilantro is from the leaves and coriander is from the seeds of the plant.
Psst – if you don’t like cilantro, it might be because you have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap. This isn’t a common genetic occurrence, but if you have it then it’s no wonder you don’t like cilantro…
Coriander
Coriander (or coriander seeds) are the dried seeds of the Coriandrum sativum plant, the same one cilantro is from. You can find coriander in dried seeds or ground powder, and it has a flavor that is described as being similar to ginger with its hints of citrus and pepper.
Cumin
This spice has a warming quality with notes of nuttiness and a slight sweetness. Cumin is in the form of dried seeds but is usually ground into a powder for its use as a spice.
In addition to Mexican dishes, cumin is a popular spice in Mediterranean cuisine. It’s also a staple ingredient in Ras el Hanout, a Moroccan spice blend that also includes ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and allspice.
Garlic
Garlic powder (granulated garlic) is used as a spice culinary-wise. Garlic has a unique flavor that’s hard to describe, yet it’s easy to identify in foods.
Like many flavors, people tend to be lovers or haters of garlic. If you do enjoy garlic, know that it comes with potential health benefits like reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes! That makes the garlic breath worth it, right?!
Onion
Like garlic, dried and ground onion powder is a staple in Mexican cuisine. Some dishes might call for actual onions instead of onion powder. If you choose to use onion powder (or the recipe calls for it), know that one tablespoon of onion powder is roughly the equivalent of one medium onion.
FAQs:
Ground chili peppers (chile powder), chili powder (a seasoning blend of ground chili peppers, cumin, salt, paprika, and other spices), and taco seasoning are all popular herb and spice blends in Mexican food.
Chili peppers are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Chili peppers come in different levels of heat, from mild bell peppers to spicy jalapeno and cayenne peppers.
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