- Flavor base
- Onion, garlic, chile; in Louisiana, onion, celery and bell pepper
- Staple starches
- Corn, rice, beans, potatoes and cassava
- Cooking fats
- Lard, neutral oil, olive oil
Indigenous roots
Farmers in what is now Mexico domesticated corn thousands of years ago, and Andean farmers did the same for potatoes. Many Indigenous communities grew corn, beans and squash together, often called the "three sisters." Corn is treated with an alkaline solution such as lime water, a process called nixtamalization, which softens the kernels, improves nutrition and makes the dough for tortillas and tamales possible. That process is still at the heart of Mexican and Central American cooking.
Spices and chiles to know
Chiles come in hundreds of kinds, fresh and dried, and each has its own fruit, smoke and heat. Dried chiles such as ancho, guajillo and chipotle, a smoked jalapeño, are the backbone of many Mexican sauces. Allspice, grown in Jamaica and Central America, flavors Caribbean jerk. Cumin, oregano and cinnamon, brought from the Old World, became everyday spices across the region.
Signature dishes
| Dish | Where | What it is, in general terms |
|---|---|---|
| Mole | Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico | A family of sauces built from dried chiles, seeds, nuts, spices and sometimes chocolate, ground and cooked for hours. |
| Tamales | Mexico and Central America | Corn dough with a filling, wrapped in corn husk or banana leaf and steamed. |
| Ceviche | Peru and the Pacific coast | Raw fish cured briefly in lime juice with onion and chile. Peruvian versions often use aji amarillo. |
| Feijoada | Brazil | A stew of black beans and several cuts of pork, served with rice, greens and toasted cassava flour. |
| Jerk | Jamaica | Chicken or pork rubbed with a paste of allspice, Scotch bonnet chile and thyme, then cooked slowly over wood. |
| Arepas | Venezuela and Colombia | Round cakes of precooked corn dough, griddled or grilled, then split and filled. |
| Gumbo | Louisiana, US | A thick stew started from a dark roux and the onion, celery and pepper base, with seafood, chicken or sausage. |
Across the Americas
Mexican cooking varies greatly by state, from the moles of Oaxaca to the citrus and achiote of the Yucatán. Peruvian cooking blends Andean, Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese influences, seen in ceviche and in Chinese-Peruvian stir-fries. Brazil's cooking reflects Indigenous, Portuguese and African roots, with cassava, black beans and palm oil in Bahia. Argentine and Uruguayan cooks are known for wood-fired grilling. Caribbean cooking mixes African, Indigenous, European, Indian and Chinese traditions. In the US South, African American cooks shaped much of the cuisine, and Louisiana's Creole and Cajun traditions are distinct again.
Cooking these dishes at home
- Toast dried chiles briefly in a dry pan, then soak in hot water before blending. Watch them, since burnt chiles taste bitter.
- Buy masa harina for tortillas and tamales. Regular cornmeal has not been nixtamalized and will not form a dough the same way.
- Cook dried beans slowly with onion and garlic. They taste better than most canned beans and keep well.
- Wear gloves when cutting hot chiles such as Scotch bonnets, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Ceviche uses raw fish. Lime juice changes its texture but does not make it safe the way cooking does. Buy fish sold for eating raw, keep it cold and follow your national food safety agency's advice, especially when cooking for pregnant people, young children, older adults or anyone with a weakened immune system.
Five things to buy first
- Dried chiles, two or three kinds
- Dried black or pinto beans
- Limes
- Masa harina
- Long-grain rice
More on storing and using these on the spices and pantry page.
Americas questions
Is chili powder the same as ground chile?
Not usually. In the US, "chili powder" often means a blend of ground chile with cumin, oregano and garlic. Ground ancho or another single chile has no added spices.
What is the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking?
Both come from Louisiana. Creole cooking grew up in New Orleans with Spanish, French, African and Caribbean influences and often uses tomatoes. Cajun cooking comes from French Acadian settlers in rural Louisiana. The two share many dishes and overlap a lot today.