Agave (ah-GA-vay) syrup: a sweetener made from the agave plant, the same plant from which tequila is made
Albóndigas (ahl-BON-dee-gahs): meatballs served in a tomato broth
Arrachera (ahr-rah-CHER-ah): marinated, grilled flank steak
Ate (AH-tay): a cross between jelly and fruit leather, typically made with guava or quince
Buen Provecho (bwayn pro-VAY-cho): colloquial Spanish for “Enjoy your meal”
Cajeta (ka-HAY-tah): a thick syrup of caramelized, sweetened goat milk or cow milk
Carnicería (car-nee-say-REE-a): butcher shop
Ceviche (Seh-BEE-chay): raw fish marinated in lime juice
Chalazae (kuh-LAY-zee): egg white structures that anchor the yolk in the center of the egg
Chilaquiles (chee-lah-KEE-lehs): breakfast dish made with day-old tortillas, red or green salsa, and chicken and/or egg
Chipotle (chee-POHT-lay): smoked, dried jalapeño chile
Duxelles (dook-SEHL): French culinary word meaning a finely minced mixture of mushrooms, herbs and shallots sauteed in butter
Epazote (eh-pah-SO-tay): Teloxys ambrosioides, a pungent, bitter herb used in beans and quesadillas
Huitlachoche (weet-la-COH-chay), also spelled cuitlacoche: fungus on corn, considered a delicacy
Jícama (HEE-cah-mah): large root of New World vine used raw in appetizers and salads
Jocoque (ho-KO-kay): Mexican cultured sour cream
Mise en place (meez-ahn-PLAHS): a French phrase meaning “everything in place”; all ingredients are measured, weighed, and prepared as specified in the recipe before cooking begins
Mole (MOH-lay): Nahuatl word meaning sauce or concoction; a rich sauce of many ingredients, which may include ground seeds, nuts, spices, chiles, and chocolate; also the name of the dish based on this sauce
Molinillo (mo-lee-NEE-yo): a carved, wooden tool for foaming hot chocolate
Nahuatl (NAH-wahtl): language of the Aztec Empire, still spoken in central Mexico
Oaxaca (wa-HA-ca) String Cheese: a white semi-hard cheese with an excellent melting quality, sometimes available as long strings rolled up in a ball
Olla (OH-yah): earthenware, bulbous pot
Poblano (po-BLAH-noh) Chile: a large, mild, green Mexican chile
Quesadilla (kay-sah-DEE-yah): wheat or corn tortilla, folded over a filling and cooked until cheese melts
Queso (KAY-soh): cheese
Rajas (RA-has): strips of roasted chile, usually poblano, cooked with onion
Sope (SOH-pey): a Mexican dish, often served as a snack, with a corn dough base and various toppings
Tamal (tah-MAHL): masa dough with sweet or savory filling, wrapped in corn or banana leaf and steamed; plural: tamales
Tomatillo (to-mah-TEE-yoh): Physalis philadelphica; small green-purple fruit with a papery husk, used in salsas and other Mexican dishes
Tortilla (tor-TEE-yah): thin, unleavened bread made of dried, ground corn or wheat
Cooking in Mexico 