More Than a Side Dish
Corn gets most of the attention in writing about Mexican food, but a daily meal usually depends on a small group of other plants. A pot of beans, a handful of greens, a sauteed squash or a plate of cactus paddles often supplies the bulk of what sits next to the tortilla. Together these are the plant staples of the table, and they are worth understanding as a group because they share habits: simple seasoning, long familiarity and a close link to the farm field and the market stall.
This overview sketches that group. Each plant has its own details, and the sections below point to what makes it distinctive.
Beans at the Center
Beans, mostly varieties of the common bean, were domesticated in the Americas, and they remain the everyday protein partner of corn in much of Mexico. Pairing the two is a long-standing pattern, and many households still serve beans in some form at the main midday meal and sometimes at breakfast or supper too.
Preferences differ by region. Black beans are strongly associated with Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula, while paler beans such as pinto, bayo and the creamy yellow types are common in the north and center. These are generalizations, not rules, and many kitchens cook several kinds depending on season and price.
The classic home method is a slow simmer of dried beans with onion and a few aromatics, and in many kitchens a sprig of an herb with a sharp, medicinal scent. The method of cooking pot beans is simple but rewards patience, and the broth is treated as part of the dish rather than something to drain away. Leftover beans are then mashed and fried in fat, which is where refried beans come from. Whole beans can also be served in a bowl with their broth, or turned into other dishes such as beans with pork or beer-simmered versions that vary by region.
One caution applies to all dried beans: they must be cooked thoroughly. Undercooked beans, especially red kidney types, can make people ill, so a full boil and soft texture matter.
The Herb That Goes With Them
A pungent leaf called epazote is the traditional companion of black beans in particular. Its flavor is strong, sometimes compared to anise, mint or fuel, and cooks use it sparingly. The epazote herb also has a long reputation in home kitchens for making beans easier to digest, though that reputation is traditional rather than something to treat as a medical claim.
Squash, Chayote and Their Flowers
Squash is native to the Americas and comes in many shapes. Young green calabacitas are sauteed with corn, tomato and onion; chayote is a pale, pear-shaped fruit that is boiled, stuffed or added to soups; and large mature pumpkins and squashes are cooked into sweet and savory dishes. Blossoms and tender vine tips are eaten as well. The seeds are toasted and ground into sauces, as in pipian sauce, a good example of how nothing from the plant is wasted. A fuller look at Mexican squash appears in its own article.
Cactus Paddles
The flat pads of the prickly pear cactus, called nopales, are a familiar vegetable in central Mexico and well beyond it. Once the spines are removed, the paddles are diced and boiled, grilled whole, or cooked into scrambled eggs and salads. Their taste is lightly tart and green, and their texture is somewhat slippery, which cooks manage with salt, heat or a quick rinse. The full steps for nopales cactus preparation are covered separately, but the main point here is that cactus is an ordinary vegetable, found fresh in nearly every market stall.
Wild Greens and the Fungus
Alongside cultivated crops, many Mexican cooks use plants that grow on their own at the edges of fields. Collectively called quelites, these wild greens include amaranth leaves, purslane, lamb’s quarters and others, depending on the region and season. They are typically wilted in a skillet with onion and chile, or cooked into stews and beans. Because they are gathered rather than grown, they tie closely to the agricultural calendar.
Another prized find from the cornfield is the swollen gray-black fungus that forms on corn ears. Known as corn huitlacoche, it is considered a delicacy, with an earthy, mushroom-like taste, and is cooked into quesadillas, crepes and soups.
Crisp and Raw
Not everything is cooked. Raw vegetables such as cucumber, carrot and radish are served with lime juice, salt and chile powder, and raw jicama is probably the best known, with its crisp, mildly sweet flesh. These plates are sold as street snacks and also served as a refreshing contrast to heavier foods.
How It All Fits Together
Many of these foods come from one agricultural idea. In the milpa system, corn, beans and squash are grown in the same plot, and wild greens and chiles often appear around them. The planting is often described as a balance in which each crop helps the others, although the details differ by region and farmer. Eating from such a field naturally produces the combinations seen on the plate.
In the kitchen, the same plants show up across the day. They can be seen in the usual rhythm of daily meals, in pots of broth-based soups and stews, and in the pantry staples that most households keep on hand. Many of them are bought fresh at tianguis markets and covered markets, where sellers often trim cactus paddles and shell fresh beans on request, which is one reason market produce is such a good way to learn what is in season.
A Note on Variation
Names for these plants change from one region to another, and the same word can mean different things in different places. Dishes also change with season, income and household habit. What is written here describes common patterns, and cooks in any given town may well do things differently. That variety is part of the pleasure of the subject, and no single version is the only authentic one.