What to eat, what to eat? That is the question…

Food is an essential part of one's travels; it not only gives you a taste of local flavor, it also provides you with a glimpse of the culture of the country or region you are visiting.

By this standard, we can see that Playa del Carmen is a cosmopolitan city welcoming a wide range of cultures and their accompanying cuisines. With its excellent selection of Mexican restaurants, Playa del Carmen also offers an extensive spectrum of restaurants offering dishes from various parts of the world. There are Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, and French restaurants, to name a few.

Now, let's get down to the business of Mexican food. Here are some of the basics of Mexican food and Mexican eating habits:

Tacos

Who has not heard of these Mexican delights? These are not the tacos with the hard shell and filled with ground beef, cheese, sour cream and lettuce. The real “taco”, at least in Mexico, is a soft corn tortilla filled with chicken, beef, pork or seafood. There are also some fascinating fillings if you are feeling a bit adventurous: cow's udders, cheeks, eyes and other body parts that you would never have thought were edible. Now, if you just want to eat just the meat, without having to guess what you're biting into, ask for the macisa, which has pure pork loin for fillings. Some additions to the filling may be red salsa, pineapple, onion and fresh cilantro.

Antojitos

Fulfill your whims with these tasty delights which are to be found in carts, street vendors and even restaurants. These are the Mexican version of what the Spanish call tapas. It also uses the classic tortilla, which is a staple in Mexican food and is usually made of corn that is flattened into a thin layer the size of a CD. This may be filled with herbs (coriander, hoja santa and the like), meat (pork, chicken, beef), cream, cheese, beans, peppers, and tomatoes.

Condiments

Mexicans just love their sauces and dips- and after you have sampled some, we're sure you will also get addicted. Salsa alone has a lot of versions. The red chile salsa is made with chile de arbol; salsa mexicana is made with chile habanero, cilantro, fresh tomatoes and onions; and the green salsa is made made with green tomatillos. Aside from the ubiquitous salsa, there is guacamole (mashed avocados with herbs and lime juice), coriander (or cilantro), lime juice, spring onions, and Worcestershire sauce. These are usually found placed in little bowls in a taqueria (food stand) so that one can pick and select the desired condiments and sauces for his/ her tacos or antojitos.

Comida Corrida

This is a large and leisurely lunch eaten at around 2:00 in the afternoon. It really is a complete meal, including soup, an a rice or pasta appetizer, a main dish, beans and dessert. When eaten in restaurants, the comida corrida is a great deal.