The following are some of the more common ingredients that are found in a typical Mexican pantry:

Achiote
These deep red orange seeds of the tropical annatto trees are used in the Yucatan for both their distinctive flavor and bright yellow color (used in commerical cheese). Seeds are very hard and are usually soaked in water before grinded to a recado or paste. It is then mixed with garlic, Serville or orange juice and various spices. Seeds and paste are usually available in most local grocery stores.

Adobo
A piquant sauce consisting of tomato, vinegar and various spices.

Anaheim Chile
California green chile peppers. Most common of fresh chiles. Has a mild flavor with just a slight bite.

Anise Seed
This small, elongated seeds taste like licorice.

Avocado (Aquacate)
Despite getting a bad rap, the humble avocado is full of good saturated fat that is healthy and delicious. These pear-shaped fruit usually comes in a dark green or purple to black skin. The flesh imparts a wonderful nutty flavor and is a creamy, yellow-green texture. You can usually eat them raw in salads or mashed them up to make a great dip. In general, Mexicans usually use the purple-skinned variety which are often more creamier and have more flavor.

Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Or turtle beans. Small but have a hearty flavor. South American cooking makes great use of them. Has a dramatic purple to blue color, lend quite nicely in combination with yellow, red and orange colors.

Black Eyed Peas
Or cowpeas. Are seeds of the cowpeas, an annual vine. They are tan with a small black spot, which is the 'black eye'. Dried black eyed peas should be soaked overnight then rinsed well before use.

Capsicum
Also known as sweet peppers, the humble capsicums are used exclusively in Mexican cooking. You can find many varities in the supermarket these days, there are ones that are sweet in flavor and ones that are really hot to taste. More often than not, the red capsicums are usually charred under a very hot grill and are charred till their skin turns black then the skin is removed.

Cactus Leaves
Also known as nopales. The leaves or pads of prickly pear catcus. Remove the prickles with a twezzer or knife and slice or dice to use lightly steamed or sauteed. Nopales have a mild flavor, somewhat like green beans. Cactus leaves are sometimes available pickled.

Capers
These are pickled, green buds from the pickly caper bush. They are somewhat smaller than raisin and are bottled in brine. Works well with seafood dishes like smoked salmon.

Cayenne
Dried, slender, red pepper with fiery hot taste. Used almost exclusively in ground form known as ground red pepper.

Chayotes
Or mirlitons, christophine, vegetable pear. These are knobby, pear-shaped vegetables that belong to the gourd family. Indigenous to Mexico and range from deep green to whitish in color. You can steam, saute or even bake chayotes (stuffed with meats or cheeses), just as you would zucchini.

Chillies
These days we are blessed to have access to many forms of chillies. They come in fresh, dried or powdered and are used extensively in Mexican cuisine. You can adjust the heat according to your palate. In general, dried chillies are usually hotter than the fresh ones, depending on the plant.

Chocolate
The Aztec are credited with the discovery of chocolate. It was probably used to flavor a bitter drink favored by the mystics. Another Mexican invention, the molinillo is a wooden whisk used to whip up hot chocolate. The handle is rolled between the palms of the hands, whipping the mixture till it becomes frothy. Today, Mexican chocolate is usually found in tablet form and frequently contains cinnamon, vanillia, clove and ground almonds.

Cinnamon
This wonderful charateristic spice of Mexican cuisine is used in dishes that are both sweet and savory. It is available ground as a powder or in tightly rolled dry sticks and/or barks.

Chorizo sausages
Spanish chorizos come canned and packed in lard, some are available in may markets. Mexican chorizos are fresh, and are coarser and softer. If neither is available, use Italian sausages.

Coriander or Cilantro
Also known as Chinese parsley, this herb is used for its delicious and refreshing flavor. You can usually get them fresh from the stores but they also come in seed or powder form. Common use in Indian, Mexican, Scandinavian and Carribbean cuisine. There is no subsitute for fresh coriander leaves.

Corn
The Mexicans use both fresh and dried corn and this is often referred to as 'maize'. You can buy fresh corn on a cob or use frozen or canned corns from the grocery stores. When buying corn, be on teh look out for soft, flexible husks and choose only bright color. Avoid buying ones that are wrapped in plastic.

Corn Husks
Dried corn husks can be softened by soaking. They are used to wrap food before it is cooked. They make a sort of natural jacket that holds a mixture together as they steam.

Cumin
This is the powerful, sometimes dominating spice so often used in traditional Mexican cooking. Recipes may call for whole cumin seed or ground cumin. Readily available at most supermarkets.

Cuitacoche
Is a type of fungus that develops on a type of corn that is grown in Mexico. This fungus forms inside the kernels and turns them dark to almost black. You can get them in cans. Usually eaten with tortillas or quesadillas or crepes.

Epazote
This herb has a distinctive taste ( liquorice taste of anise, fennel, or even tarragon, but stronger) and is available dried in Latin American markets. It is also called prazote or Jerusalem oak, wormseed, Jesuit's Tea, Mexican Tea, or Herba Sancti Mariæ. Optional in most recipes on this website.

Gabanzo Beans
Or chickpeas. Spanish in origin. Rounded, beige beans have a great nutty flavor and can be eaten straight from the cans.

Guava
These yellow-green fruits with pale faintly pink flesh are about the size of plums. They are intensely fragrant when ripe. Often served with cream cheese. Guava paste is made by cooking with sugar until the mixture becomes thick then it is canned or shaped into blocks.

Hominy
These corn kernels have been soaked and lightly cooked so that the outer coating can be removed. Hominy is sold ready to use in cans in most supermarkets.

Huevos
This is another name for eggs. The Huevos Rancheros literally mean "ranch" or "country-style" eggs.

Jalapeno Chillies
I love the strong wonderful taste of these chillies. They can range anywhere from midly hot to extremely hot in flavor. They are usually dark green in color, are quite short and stumpy in shape. Most of these chillies can be bought fresh from the supermarket, however, if you cannot find them fresh, you can use the can variety. Small red chillies may be subsituted.

Jicama
Also known as Mexican Potato or Mexican Yam Bean or Chinese Turnip. This is a bulbous root vegetable with plate brown skin and white meat. Always peel before eating and enjoy it raw, sauteed or shredded in salads. Jicama has a mild, sweet flavor and crisp texture.

Lard
Pork fat is common in Mexican cooking. However, I find that using olive oil works just as well and provides a healthier alternative.

Maizemeal
In Mexico, this is known as Masa Harina and are finely ground corn used to make tortillas and other baked products. They are pale yellow and you can usually get them from health food stores. It is sometimes referred to as cornmeal but isn't the same as polenta or cornflour.

Mangoes
Are tropical oval or kidney-shaped fruit with a red tinged green to yellow skin. The fruit's deep golden yellow meat has a spicy peach flavor but is more perfumy than a peach and quite juicy. Mangoes have a large, flat, oval and white inedible seed. Not to be confused with Phillipino mangoes which is more oblong in shape.

Masa
Also known as corn, corn flour or the corn dough used to make tortillas and tamales. Instant masa is most commnly available in bags. This dried corn flour can be mixed wih water to make the masa or dough.

Mexican green tomatoes (Tomatoes Verdes or Tomatillos)
These are not tomatoes are all. They are covered with a thin papery husk, the size of apricots and are grayish in color. Available fresh or canned. Mexican green tomatoes are usually called tomatillos or "peeled green tomatoes".

Onions
Most Mexican cooking use white onions because they have a sharper flavor but I tend to use a lot of Spanish or red onions (even shallots) in the recipes because they're much milder. You can use white onions if prefer.

Pepitas
These are pumpkin seeds with the skins removed. They are green in color and can be found in most grocery or health food stores.

Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Speckled with brown on a pale or pinkish background.

Plantains
Similar to bananas in taste and appearance but firmer in texture. Choose fruit that is black-skinned and soft to touch. Firm green bananas may be subsituted.

Pumpkin Seed
With the shells or husks removed, the pumpkin seeds are known as pepitas. You should store them in a cool and dry place. Can be roasted to enhance flavor.

Rice
Mexican cooking with rice usually calls for regular long grain or medium grain rice.

Refried Beans
Refried beans are kidney beans fried to an almost paste-like texture and is sold in cans. You can, however, make your own by frying kidney beans from cans. Cook the beans either in lard or oil then mashed or processed them.

Red Beans
By far the favorite choice of most southern states in Mexico. Red, plump and delicious, equally good in soups and salads.

Squash Blossoms
The squash blossoms used in Mexican cooking are usually from winter squashes like pumpkin and not zucchini. These item are perishable and best used the day they are bought.

Tabasco Sauce
Though not Mexican in origin, I find that using this sauce in certain dishes gives it a nice heat. This spicy sauce is usually made out of peppers, vinegar, and salt and is a must-have condiment in the kitchen.

Tacos
Tacos are perhaps the most recognized ingredient when it comes to Mexican cooking. These are tortillas which have been folded and fried until crisp. You can find them ready-made from supermarkets.

Tamarindo
Slender, dried pods from the tamarind tree. Has a pulpy interior that tastes like apricots and lemons. The fruit is seed and used in drinks, sauces and condiments.

Tortillas
Another popular Mexican item, the tortillas have become more mainstream in today's everyday menu item. They are paper-thin flat breads and are usually made from maizemeal in a variety of sizes. You can get whole wheat to pesto to sundried tortilla. In the snack food ailse, you can find tortilla chips that would go great with any salsa.

Vanilla
This fantastic flavoring is obtained from the cured dried pods of a prennial orchid that twists and climbs its way to the tops of tress in the forests of Veracuz. Each long pod contains thousands of tiny seeds which is the source of flavor. Expensive but well worth the investment. If using bottles, make sure you pick ones that contain pure vanilla extract.

Vinegar
In Mexico, the vinegar is often made from sugar cane, pineapples, apples or bananas. Commerical vinegars sold outside of Mexico are much stronger so you may need to dilute it with equal parts of water.

Zucchini Blossoms
Yellow flowers of the zucchini. You can actually saute and cook the blossoms with epazote or cilantro and serrano chillies. Excellent in stuffing for crepes and quesadillas. Available fresh (in season) or canned in most Hispanic markets.