Mexican spices are used in many dishes found in Mexico. Some are spices you can find anywhere, such as Garlic. Others give unique flavors. Epazote is a spice that is not as common. It is also known as "Mexican tea." It is used to flavor beans and other foods, but should be used sparingly because it can be poisonous in large amounts. Even though it is strong, it is said to be good for intestinal discomfort.



One very popular spice in Mexican foods is chili powder, or chile powder. If you want a chili powder recipe, you should have no trouble in finding one. Chili adds flavor to meats, poultry, and vegetables. Chipotle is a kind of chili powder, which is made from dried, smoked jalapeos. It has a unique flavor and suits many recipes. Chipotle is also becoming popular in other countries. Ancho is another kind of chile pepper, which has a sweet, fruity taste. Other chili varieties include green chile powder and pasilla chile powder. Chili powder is usually made from various chilies and other Mexican spices.

Oregano, coriander, and cumin are also very popular in Mexico. Tomato-based dishes suit the earthy flavor of oregano perfectly. Coriander is used whole or dried and adds a spicy flavor. Cumin, which is a dry seed from the cuminum cyminum herb, has been used in Mexico for hundreds of years. It takes up to four months to grow and is a key ingredient in chili powder and curry powder. It can also be boiled to make a tea, which has the name "cumin cider."

Mexican spices are often blended to give optimum recipe results. Recado rojo is a blend, popular in Mexico now but originally used in Mayan times. This spice mixture contains annatto seeds, which make it red. When you add recado rojo to your recipe, the resulting food will be red too. Cinnamon, clove, cumin, garlic, and oregano are just some of the ingredients in recajo rojo. It is widely used in the Yucatan area but you can make it yourself at home quite easily.

Achiote is the shrub that the annatto seeds come from which is added to the recado rojo mixture. This shrub is grown in Southeast Asia and was introduced to the Spanish in the 17th century. Consider an inedible fruit that is used for its seeds. Long ago American Indians used the seeds to make body paints. Parts of the shrub can be used in medical remedies for health problems such as headaches and burns.

If you want to try some of these individual spices or Mexican spice mixes at home, you can get them from major grocery stores. You might want to gather a few of the spices mentioned above and have a go at making your own blend. Add some paprika and salt, and then use to flavor broiled, grilled, or baked foods. This mixture is great with pork or chicken. You cannot really go wrong when making a spice blend, because you can keep adding spices until the result is pleasing. Another great way to use Mexican spices is on the grill so why not invite some friends over, find some upbeat Mexican music, and cook some fantastic Mexican recipes!