Distinctive flavors add new twists to Mexican cuisine

Mexican food found mainstream acceptance in the United States decades ago, and yet all is not staid in seasonings for that cuisine. To bring innovations to the category, restaurant chefs and food formulators may turn to dishes and flavors from various regions of the country.

New flavors from Asia and the Middle East are intriguing American consumers as well.

Discoveries south of the border

DoorDash, Inc., a food delivery service based in San Francisco, last November issued its “State of flavor in America” report, which involved order data from Jan. 1, 2019, to Oct. 31, 2020, and a national consumer survey of 1,000 Americans. The top cuisines ordered in 2020 were Mexican, Chinese and Tex-Mex.

Consumers are showing a renewed interest in three global flavor favorites — Italian, Mexican and Chinese — since COVID-19 has restricted their travel, according to Chicago-based Technomic, a consulting company for the foodservice industry. A spotlight could shine on less familiar ingredients, dishes and beverages such as the Italian salmoriglio condiment, the Mexican sotol spirit or Chinese roujiamo sandwiches, according to Technomic.

“Americans have eaten Mexican food since the 1950s and often think of Americanized Mexican cuisines such as Tex-Mex or Californian Mexican as the basis of the cuisine,” said Daniel Espinoza, chef of Latin American blends at Olam Spices, which is part of Olam International’s Olam Food Ingredients segment. “As the popularity of Mexican food has soared, consumers are becoming more adventurous with their food choices. They now seek authentic dishes beyond the familiar tacos and burritos. For example, we’re seeing interest in foods such as birria (braised lamb or goat with pasilla, guajillo and ancho chili peppers), and regional tacos that hail from specific areas of Mexico.”

He gave the example of Al Pastor tacos. Lebanese refugees introduced the tacos to Mexico in the Puebla area. Mexicans used local Puebla ingredients such as pork, chiles, tomatoes and pineapple in the tacos.

“All displaying the spicy, tart, earthy flavors that are gaining traction in the US,” Mr. Espinoza said.

The rate of review mentions for birria, a juicy, spiced meat stew from the state of Jalisco in Mexico, is up 235%, according to a 2021 trend report from Yelp, which allows consumers to connect with businesses. Yelp expects birria tacos, quesadillas and pizzas to become more popular.