As part of the HOW TO COOK GREAT NETWORK - http://www.howtocoogreatfood.com Also take a look at our channel for other great cooking genres. And look at the websites for in detail recipes, gallery and cooking tips. http://www.howtocookgreatethiopian.com http://www.howtocookgreatjamaican.com http://www.howtocookgreatcurry.com http://www.howtocookgreatfilipino.com and many more -  see you again soon. Mexican cuisine is as complex as any of the great cuisines in the world, such as those of China, France and Turkey.It is created mostly with ingredients native to Mexico as well as those brought over by the Spanish conquistadors, with some new influences since then.In addition to staples such as corn and chili peppers, native ingredients include tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla, as well as ingredients not generally used in other cuisines such as edible flowers, vegetables such as huauzontle and papaloquelite or small criollo avocados, whose skin is edible. European contributions include pork, chicken, beef, cheese, herbs and spices and some fruits. Tropical fruits such as guava, prickly pear, sapote, mangoes, bananas, pineapple and cherimoya (custard apple) are popular, especially in the center and south of the country. It has been debated how much Mexican food is still indigenous and how much is European.However, the basis of the diet is still corn and beans with chili pepper as a seasoning as they are complementary foods. Mexican cuisine is primarily a fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican cooking with European, especially Spanish, elements added after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. The basic staples remain native foods such as corn, beans and chili peppers, but the Europeans introduced a large number of other foods, the most important of which were meat from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat and sheep), dairy products (especially cheese) and various herbs and lots of spices. While the Spanish initially tried to impose their own diet on the country, this was not possible and eventually the foods and cooking techniques began to be mixed, especially in colonial era convents. Over the centuries, this resulted in various regional cuisines, based on local conditions such as those in Oaxaca, Veracruz and the Yucatán Peninsula. Mexican cuisine is closely tied to the culture, social structure and popular traditions of the country. The most important example of this connection is the use of mole for special occasions and holidays, particularly in the South region of the country. For this reason and others, Mexican cuisine was added by UNESCO to its list of the world's "intangible cultural heritage".

• published: 30 Oct 2013
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