No matter when you’re reading this post, the craving for traditional Mexican food is always present throughout the year. But if you’re wondering what typical dishes make up the Christmas dinner in Mexico, here’s a glimpse at some of the most cherished dishes that make their way to the holiday table in Mexican homes.
Each region of the country has its specialties, influenced by the local fruits, vegetables, and foods native to each area. In Puebla, for example, you can find mixiote, a pre-Hispanic dish made of chicken, rabbit, lamb, sometimes shrimp, or vegetables, often prepared in adobo and wrapped in a maguey leaf, then steamed.
When winter arrives in the northern part of the country, the best way to warm the body and the soul is with a comforting broth, and the favorites are always pozole and menudo (the soup, not the boyband). Pozole is made with hominy corn, pork, ancho chiles, guajillo, garlic, onion, and Mexican oregano, served with lettuce, radishes, and chili powder. Menudo is a hearty soup made with beef or goat tripe, rich in broth and spiced with a mix of guajillo, ancho, pasilla, and chiltepín chiles, combined with oregano, bay leaves, mint, cilantro, and saffron.
Tamales are another dish that is a staple at every Mexican celebration, especially Christmas dinners. They are filled with meat, chicken, vegetables, green salsa or mole, and even flavors like strawberry or pineapple.
Every Mexican family has its traditional menu, influenced by grandmothers and aunts, and over the years, recipes have evolved, adding new dishes to delight every family member. For my family’s Christmas dinners in Mexico City, we had a true feast, with several favorite dishes like guisado de bacalao (salted cod stew) and various versions of ensalada de manzana (apple salad). But the star dishes were always romeritos, Adobo pork, and a warm ponche de frutas navideño (Christmas fruit punch).
ROMERITOS
Source: Wikipedia Commons
When the Christmas season arrives in Mexico, it’s impossible not to think of the delicious taste of romeritos, a Mexican dish primarily made with ingredients from the land and an essential part of Christmas dinners.
Romeritos are made from a plant called romerito (seepweed) or quelite salado, paired with baby potatoes, nopales, and dried shrimp. These ingredients are cooked in a rich Mole sauce and served as a main dish, in sandwiches with bolillo rolls (my favorite), tacos, or as a side to other Christmas dishes.
The tradition of eating quelites dates back to pre-Hispanic times. The name comes from the Nahuatl word quilitl, meaning “edible herb.” Although romeritos are similar to rosemary, they don’t share the same characteristic scent and flavor. In ancient times, quelites were valued by the Aztecs for their nutritional and medicinal benefits, as they contain proteins, amino acids, calcium, and vitamins A, B, and C, as well as a high fiber content.
During the pre-Hispanic era, romeritos were made with ahuautles, tiny edible eggs from a water bug found near lakes. They taste similar to shrimp, and over time, ahuautles were replaced by powdered shrimp used as a seasoning or in fried shrimp sandwiches.
The Spanish once considered romeritos a weed, leading to a decline in their consumption. However, years later, in Puebla, people began combining this indigenous food with Spanish cuisine, especially during Lent when red meat was avoided. From then on, local and foreign ingredients like ancho chiles, sesame seeds, quelite, potatoes, nopales, and shrimp were used together. Later, mole and chicken were added to create the beloved dish we know today.
Originally from central Mexico, romeritos are found in the milpas (cornfields) alongside corn, beans, and squash, with the Tláhuac and Xochimilco areas being the main producers, contributing around 1,553 tons of romeritos annually.
Without a doubt, one of the most anticipated dishes at Christmas dinner in my grandmother’s home, especially those made by my Tia Rosita, with her unique and unmatched seasoning, which I’ve been trying to replicate without success since the last couple of Christmases!
PORK LEG & LOIN IN ADOBO
Source: patijinich.com
Pork is another special guest at a Mexican Christmas dinner. The recipe for pork leg and loin in adobo is a perfect example of the fusion between pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexican cuisine. It pairs beautifully with other dishes like pasta or traditional apple salad.
There was no specific holiday to celebrate Christmas in the ancient Mexica Empire. Mesoamerican peoples celebrated the winter solstice, which marked the start of a new cycle. They would prepare a grand feast, eating the same foods as the rest of the year.
Historically, the Christmas main dish was the head of a wild boar or pig, a tradition borrowed from the Scandinavians, who offered a boar to their goddess Freyja after the hunting season. Over time, the pig became a symbol of offering to the gods, and it was particularly well-suited to the chiles that arrived in Mexico.
Pork is a protein that enhances its flavor when cooked in adobo and roasted. For Christmas dinner, the leg and loin are marinated in a traditional adobo made with guajillo, pasilla, and ancho chiles; orange juice, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and cumin. When roasted, it becomes juicy with a uniquely flavorful crust.
Another popular way to prepare pork leg or loin is to stuff it with strips of bacon, garlic, carrots, almonds, prunes, or peppers inside the meat, which is then marinated in a wine and orange juice mixture. The leg or loin is then coated in adobo and roasted, often served with mashed potatoes, romeritos, or salads.
Mexico is currently the 13th largest producer of pork globally, with an output of approximately 1,652,362 tons. The top pork-producing states are Jalisco, Sonora, and Puebla. Despite the common belief that pork is high in unhealthy fats, pork actually contains monounsaturated fat, similar to olive oil, and offers essential nutrients like B vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for good nutrition.
Pork can be found in many traditional Mexican dishes, like cochinita pibil, but it’s especially popular as the centerpiece of the Christmas table.
CHRISTMAS FRUIT PUNCH
Source: cocinadelirante.com
A comforting and delicious traditional drink for the Christmas season, perfect for toasting and accompanying the variety of holiday dishes and desserts.
The origin of this nutritious infusion can be traced to India, where it is known as panch, a Sanskrit word meaning “five,” referring to the five ingredients it traditionally contains: alcohol, sugar, water, lemon, and herbal tea.
British sailors encountered panch and introduced it to the world, with various modifications to its preparation and name. The version that made its way to Mexico was adapted to local tastes, a typical example of how Mexicans often “Mexicanize” foreign foods and ponche was no exception.
Today’s version of ponche in Mexico typically contains sugarcane, prunes, hibiscus flowers, apples, cinnamon, guavas, tejocotes (Mexican hawthorn), tamarind, and piloncillo (unrefined sugar). In some places, people add “piquete,” which means a splash of alcohol, like rum, tequila, or whiskey.
Thanks to the nutritional contributions of each ingredient, ponche is one of the most vitamin- and mineral-packed beverages in Mexico, perfect for boosting the immune system during winter and giving the body a well-needed boost for enjoying the Christmas feast.
Foto de RDNE Stock project
For all the curious foodies out there, I hope you’ve found some inspiration for your next Christmas dinner!
The variety of flavors in Mexican Christmas cuisine is sure to surprise even the most discerning palates, with comforting tastes that make the wait worth it. The best way to savor all the dishes prepared in Mexican homes is the day after Christmas or even several days later when Mexicans have a tradition of enjoying the famous “recalentado” (leftovers), reimagining the dishes in a sandwich or taco.
Happy Holidays!
-Abbey Jolly
