The food scene in Mexico City fascinates me. It is a symbiosis of authentic street food, and chic institutions that reinterpret traditional dishes. The latter are impressive, but the former — nameless taco carts without an address— are irreplaceable.
Not google, nor maps required – the best foods usually come from these nameless stands on the street. Though if you want to plan, Mexico City does have some named institutions that combine new ingredients, and focus on plant-based creations.
No-Name Taco Carts
The best meals I had during my four weeks in Mexico, were the tacos in Mexico City. They came from no-name taco-carts filling Roma Norte. Not for breakfast, nor as a late-night snack, but over the midday hours these carts rock the city. Curb-side, sit down on a colorful plastic stools, hold colorful plastic plates wrapped in a plastic bag. Tacos and limes on top.
Tacos, Gorditas, Sopes, Huaraches…
Well tacos is just a metaphor. I actually mean gorditas, sopes, huaraches, gorditas, quesadillas, tlacoyos. These corn dough variations all belong to the same type of street food served in the midday hours. The most difficult part is to understand the differences between these variations of corn dough. Not even natives agree on a common termination.
Some are blue, some are yellow, sometimes thick, maybe fried, soft or crispy, round or oval. Choose the ingredients, probably one of a dozen meats, queso oaxaca, champiñones, and or flor de la calabaza. The variation of corn dough is folded, filled or topped. Afterwards add more toppings to your liking. Green to red salsas, nopales (cactus), frijoles (beans), cilantro, cebolla (onions), sometimes also patatas, lechuga (lettuce), quelites (native herbs), crumbly queso fresco, crema . . .
The following street foods are the most common variations:
- Tacos: one or two corn tortillas, usually filled with a choice of meat, but also champiñones or patatas, you top it to your liking
- Quesadillas: oval corn tortilla, folded in half, often (not always) with melted cheese and your choice of ingredients
- Sopes: small, round, thick, corn dough disk with a pinched up rim, often smeared with frijoles and classically topped with queso fresco, lechuga, onions, cilantro, salsa, or ingredients of choice
- Huaraches (lit. translates to “sandals”): like a sope, but flat and oval
- Tlacoyo: looks like a huarache but filled from the inside as well
- Gorditas: round corn dough pouch, filled, classically with Chicharron pork meat
- Itacate: a triangular gordita with a fatty-crispy fried dough
Carne Asada, Cochibita Pibil, Cecina, Chorizo …
Talking variations of corn dough, we can start a whole new Spiel with variations of meat fillings, especially for your taco. Carne Asada, Tinga, Cochinita Pibil, Barbacoa, Suadero, Cecina, Campechano, Birria, Chorizo … but this aint my specialty.
Tacos Al Pastor
Only one taco filling I will never forget: the Tacos al Pastor. Influenced by the Lebanese immigrants from the 1900s, this taco is more Mexican than Döners are German. Shawarma meat, pineapple, onion, cilantro, and salsa. Call myself flexi-vegan or something, but a trip to Mexico isn’t complete without luscious Tacos Al Pastor. I don’t even have a picture.
Find yourself two feet, two eyes, some pesos and you’ve got the best food in Mexico City. No google or maps necessary.
However – plan wanted, then there is one taco place, clearly marked on the map, in Roma Norte, with completely misleading opening hours, but it was there: El Parnita.
Exotic Tacos at El Parnita
It’s a buzzing room, touristy, but still felt Mexican to me, and they crafted the most exotic taco creations I had yet seen in this country. One was filled with fried collard greens, beetroot, chili serrano and avocado. Another had cod fish, olives, avocado, and almond-mayonnaise. All were mouth-watering.
Vegan Tacos
Street taco or El Parnita creation – the most dominant ingredient of tacos in Mexico City, is the meat. I sampled them all, like a museum. Afterwards it only seemed fair to explore plant-based creations. The streets offer champiñones, flor de la calabeza, maybe nopales, patatas or huevos. These classic vegetarian fillings are incredibly tasty. However they don’t replace the juicyness of al pastor, creaminess of queso oaxaca, or cooling crumbles of queso fresco. For that, Mexico City’s vegan scene is growing with local institutions and hip food trucks proving their game.
Pitahaya Vegana
This familial, welcoming tiny eatery creates instagrammable tacos. Bright pink corn tortillas; filled with cauliflower, coconut cottage cheese, and pineapple sauce or curried potatoes in an 18-spice masala. All were extremely juicy and flavourful, warm and comforting. The taste easily kept up with the looks. Try local Kombucha or a side of fermented mango juice with cashews and spices. It’s pricey but on-point.
La VEGAN Taqueria
Another tiny taco shack, small and secluded. Popular for their Al Pastor, shaved off a real veggie Kebap with mushrooms, pak choy and pineapple. I also picked the cauliflower with mango-chutney, and frijoles-carrots with avocado. Add a free agua del dia, that day it was Alfalfa. Dark green and far from sugar. You’ll end with street food prices.
Por Siempre Vegana
That’s the food truck with the huge line, on a side street in Roma Norte. They make the classic street food taco, but sin carne. Choose from a dozen soy, seitan or mushroom bases to fill two tiny corn tortillas and top them with ALL the toppings. As much frijoles, nopales, patatas, salsa, cilantro, tangy pápalo herb and lime as you wish. I heard more German than Spanish. But still these tacos still linger on my palate, far from anything I’ve tasted in Germany.
Manzanillo 18, C. U. Benito Juárez
Mexico’s Street Food doesn’t travel
Mexiko Strasse in St. Pauli is luscious. Ta’Cabrón Taqueria in Kreuzberg feels super authentic. But some foods don’t travel. Mexico’s street food is one of them.
What a dazzling, dizzying universe of Tacos (and related foods). I just ate, but my mouth is watering. As for Germany, or Europe in general; I am not sure it is a great standard, although maybe if people want to comment by adding their favorites we can find some good surprises. I liked Mexico Strasse in Hamburg, but their enforced tipping for parties of six is good reason not to go there. Recently I visited El Alebrije in Zurich, upscale, (isn’t everything in Zurich?) but excellent.
Yes, great idea! I will add this idea to the post and hopefully we find some great places! I hear lots of good things about Sanchez in Copenhagen – but there too, as in Zurich, everything is upscale.
Wow! Everything looks and sounds delicious!
Yes, it definitely was!