Achiote
Seasoning from Yucatan and Mayan cuisine. Also called annatto.
Rajas
A prepared Poblano chile. Charred, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips. Usually used as a garnish for chicken and other meats.
Mojo de Ajo
Garlic butter sauce.
Queso Fresco
Fine grain textured cheese that does not melt. When heated, it becomes warm and soft but does not lose it's shape. Often crumbled over salads or refried beans.
Arrachera
Skirt steak grilled and spiced with Uncle Jorge's spice blend.
Ciapatta
Flat, rectangular bread.
Cajeta
Milk caramel sauce.
Bunuelo
Fritter. That's fritter, not critter.
Taquitos
Fried, rolled tortillas usually filled with chicken or beef, beans and cheese.
Galvanize
To coat (iron or steel) with rust-resistant zinc. A good word to know if you're into steel working.
Chorizo
A pork sausage prepared with peppers, chili power and tomatoes (like a Mexican pepperoni). Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks.
Flautas
Spanish for "flute" but please don't confuse this with the musical instrument, you could look really silly. Corn tortillas filled with meat, rolled into flute shape and then deep fried.
Verde
Green (salsa verde - green salsa)
Roja
Red (salsa roja - red salsa)
Chiltomate
Charred tomatoes, onion, Serrano peppers and garlic with fresh cilantro.
Esquite
Mexican style corn. What, you thought Mexican corn would be wearing a sombrero?
Pibil
Mexican seasoning mix usually used on pork, consisting of annatto seeds, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole clove, whole allspice, habanero peppers and orange juice. Whoops, we just gave you our top secret recipe.
Nopal
Prickly pear from the Nopal plant (cactus). Must be peeled and blanched before it can be eaten - unless you like going to the emergency room.
Molcajete
(mortar) A bowl shaped vessel in which substances can be ground and mixed with a pestle.
Ancho Chile
A dried Poblanno chile. The most common dried pepper in Mexico.
Taqueria
Technically, a Mexican taco stand.
Panela
Afresh, milky-tasting white cheese with a mild flavor. It's good on everything. You could put this cheese on a piece of wood and you'd have a pretty good meal.
Guajillo Chile
Thick, leathery, reddish brown chile - with a mild to moderate in heat. Trust us, if you had to sit in that hot Mexico sun all day, you'd have tough, leathery skin too. One of the most commonly grown chiles in Mexico. Requires a longer soaking process due to its leathery skin.
Sonora Beef
It's from Sonora and it's beef (shredded). The area is famous for good food, but not real original when it comes to naming their dishes.
Mariscada
Seafood Platter.
