EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Northern america - north american food / Mexico - mexican food
To be in Mexico and not to eat guacamole would be not only a shame, but also big mistake. This traditional Mexican dish is so delicious, so wonderful in its taste and so healthy. Prepared from perfectly ripe avocados, fresh tomatoes, onion, pepper and so aromatic coriander, Mexican guacamole is something you really cannot miss. Served witch nachos, sometimes sprinkled with cheese or with a local cheese cut in cubes, guacamole is available everywhere. Not only will you get it in a restaurant, bar or in a small canteen, but also in markets and food stands.
The taste, recipe and the way the guacamole is served differs from region to another and from one restaurant to another. The recipe is not very strict. What is in common for all of them is. that this recipe is easy and bases on a couple of ingredients - avocado, onion, lime juice and coriander. However, the amount of these ingredients is not always the same in every recipe. Sometimes onion is really finely chopped, and hardly distinguishable. But sometimes, bigger onion chops are inside. The amount of coriander can also be very little, just a dash of it, and sometimes, the green guacamole was dotted with darker green chopped fresh coriander. (The best guacamole we had in Cuernavaca - see the picture below) Some guacamole were more like an avocado paste combined with a fresh tomato and onion salsa. Tomatoes formed a significant part of it and the guacamole was so colorful. If topped with some fresh cheese, created a perfect composition of colors. Green from avocado, red from tomatoes, white from cheese and yellow from tortilla chips. Quite interesting is that, that are all national Mexican colors, as these on the flag. š
Guacamole is served in different forms. First of all, it is eaten as a starter or as light meal. This guacamole comes in a small bowl or forms a flat heap on a plate. Then it is accompanied by nachos or nachos are stuck in it, forming something like a hedgehog š. Another easy way of serving guacamole is to make a dip. That dip is served then with eggs, meat or tortillas. Its texture is lighter, no full avocado parts are distinguishable on the tongue and it is creamier.
Then you can get guacamole in supermarkets. Sold for peanuts, these guacamole usually are already with tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers and lime juice. At the beginning we thought these guacamoles wouldnāt be as good as these from restaurants, but finally it appeared, they were really great. What is more, had no preservatives, no additional artificial colorants and were fresh. Although the expiry day was in two days, without storing it in a cold place, you should eat it almost immediately. Fresh tomatoes, onion and lime juice accelerate the fermentation process and the guacamole has a sourer taste.
Mexican guacamole is so good because of all ingredients. Local avocados are sweet, have a mild texture, are a little buttery, but in the same time are aromatic. Smaller or bigger, all of them are good. We tried both ā these that were the size of 1/3 of your palm, and these that were as a whole one. Creamy, soft and delicate, created a good base for a guacamole. Well, they were so good, we could eat them, after another š. Even when chosen really soft, when avocadoās skin was visibly changing the form, the fruit inside was intact and still tasty. Mexican avocados also differ in the size of the seed. Some of them are so tiny ā the size of your finger nail, and some of them, make a big part of the fruit. When the fruit is ripe, you will remove the seed in an easy way.
Maybe not so good as in Mexico, but you can still make a guacamole at home. The recipe includes only a couple of ingredients. Optionally add to it some nachos, and your Mexican dish is ready. So letās go and do it.
- 1 Avocado ā medium size
- Ā½ Onion
- 1 Jalapeno pepper (if you donāt have, use a bell pepper or any other)
- Ā½ - 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Coriander
- Lime juice (from one lime)
- Ā½ - 1 Tomato depending on the size. If you use cherry tomatoes, take 5 of them (optional)
- Salt
- Pepper (optional)
- Nachos
- Cheese (I would suggest a sheep or goat cheese)
Prep time (total time): 15 minutes.
This easy homemade guacamole recipe can be done by everyone. It is gluten free, easy and doesn't take a lot of time. You donāt need any previous preparations, no soaking, no marinating etc. One spoon, one fork, one knife, a cutting board, a bowl and a plate for serving it. That is all you need form making guacamole at home.
1. Wash your avocado, cut it in half and remove the seed
2. Smoothly, using a table spoon, take the fruit out if the hard skin, it should be easy if the avocado is ripe
3. Slice the avocado and then chop it into small cubes.
4. Peel half of the onion and finely chop it
5. Chop tomatoes (onion and tomatoes should have more or less the same size)
6. Finely chop coriander
7. Slice and cut into small pieces a jalapeno pepper.
8. Put avocado in a bowl and using a fork smash it. Depending on your preferences smash it more or less. I prefer when the avocado is visible and only half of it is creamy and another one is in pieces
9. Immediately add lime juice that might prevent avocado from darkening. If you donāt have a lime, use half lemon. Alternatively, use vinegar.
10. Combine well avocado with lime juice, so that it forms a smooth paste.
11. Add the rest of ingredients ā onion, tomatoes and jalapeno pepper.
12. Finally spice it a little bit ā add if you need salt and pepper.
13. Put your guacamole on the plate, sprinkle with some cheese (a regular gouda cheese doesnāt work, if you donāt have a Mexican white - fresh cheese, use a hard one)
14. Optionally, decorate it with nachos (sparkled with some cheese crumbs)
Easy and fast recipe, isnāt it? Some people put all ingredients in a food processor and make a homogenous dip, but I think, it eliminates additional sensations.
Author: Beti ā A passionate traveler and lover of Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Japanese dishes, Bernadeta brings her culinary and cultural experiences to life in her writing. Beyond her travels, sheās an avid technology enthusiast with a deep interest in data processing, merging her love for exploration with analytical insights.
Photographer: Adalbert ā An aficionado of computers and photography, Adalbert captures the essence of diverse cuisines with a discerning eye. A connoisseur of rich flavors and particularly fond of meat-based dishes, he combines his technical skills with his passion for the culinary arts in every shot.
EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Northern america - north american food / Mexico - mexican food