7 Festive Mexican Dishes

Pozole (sometimes spelled posole) is a soup or stew that is made with hominy corn. It is usually made with either pork or chicken stock and the meat is added as a garnish, along with shredded lettuce and radish slices. Pozole is traditionally accompanied by tostadas, crunchy fried corn tortillas. Here's a recipe for pozole, or try out this non-traditional vegetarian variation that includes mushrooms.

This dish originated in Puebla around the time of Mexico's Independence, making it a Mexican patriotic dish par excellence. You'll see this dish appear on menus in restaurants in Mexico in August and September, when the ingredients are in season. Learn about the origins and history of Chiles en Nogada.

Sure, you can find them on street corner of any Mexican city any day of the year, but really, nothing says Mexico more than tacos. More than a specific food, this is a way of eating. Forget about those hard taco shells - that's not Mexican. Find some soft corn tortillas and use whatever fillings you desire, just make sure you've got fresh salsa and garnishes on hand. 

Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish of cornmeal dough with fillings, they're wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Because they're quite laborious to prepare, tamales are served for special occasions throughout the year. 

This tortilla soup is warm and filling. Crispy strips of fried tortillas are drowned in a spicy broth and garnished with avocado and cheese. Check out our favorite recipe for Sopa Azteca.

This dip is a favorite all around the world. Serve it with nachos or fresh vegetables, or as a topping for tacos. Guacamole will turn any ordinary party into a Mexican fiesta. Although there are infinite takes on this Mexican favorite, here's a recipe for simple guacamole to get you started. The most important thing is that the avocados are perfectly ripe.

Flautas, taquitos or tacos dorados are terms that are used to refer to tacos that are rolled up and deep fried. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably or sometimes flautas refers to ones that are made with wheat flour tortillas, and the smaller ones are referred to as "taquitos". Either way, these crunchy fried cylinders can contain meat or cheese or potatoes and are topped with guacamole or crema and salsa. Delicious way to celebrate!

Of course, tequila (or mezcal!) is a no-brainer, but there are many other choices if you want to add some variety to your drinks menu. Consider these 7 Mexican drinks.