Eating for Less, Eating Less, or Lessons for Eating

People often ask “what should I budget for food when living in Mexico,” and of course, the answer to that is, “it depends.”
Are you an eat out kinda guy that likes burgers and beer, or a street food person – interested in culinary adventures? Are you a Costco gal or a Jamie Oliver wannabe?

I consider myself a “foodie” which in my world means I love all food. I love to grow it, cook it, and eat it. There is not a food I won’t try once. I have eaten grasshopper tacos, goat intestine, and mystery meat from around the planet. I seek out new and curious fruit. If it grows…I want to know if I can eat it.

My experience is that IF you eat like a local, your food costs will be less than if you go abroad and try to eat like you do back home. For example, here in Mexico, the average person does not use olive oil. It is stupid expensive here. In fact, most Mexicans just buy a big tub of pork fat from the butcher for a few pesos and use that.

Now before you say “eeeeew gross” you have not lived until you have tasted rosemary potatoes fried in pork fat!
Chicken is widely available in Mexico, and very cheap. Turkey not so much. Duck, you can find if you ask the local butcher, but you are just as likely to get one of his neighbours pets. Pork is cheap, hamburger is incredibly expensive. White bread expensive, tortillas cheap. Exotic fruit cheap, apples very pricey…you get my point.

Forget eating Granny Smiths, and go for the super crunchy deliciously sweet jicama – almost free!
Choriza sausage…fresh made…pennies.

So, working with fresh local ingredients is the key. Herbs and spices are hard to come by and quite expensive…until you figure out that Cuban oregano grows prolifically here and is as aromatic and delicious as the kind we grow back home. There are many local herbs that grow here – most I have not tried yet. There are also a huge variety of sauces here that are fun to work with. Who knew there were so many different kinds of Mole and hot sauce? And then there are peppers…so many different kinds, sizes, colours and flavours. I could live here a year before I have tried them all.

Beans - dried that is - also almost free, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be used in a plethora of ways – providing a good source of protein.Soak them over night, then cook them. Seems like a hassle – but once you get in the habit of the weekly soak, it is no big deal. I have made a variety of hummus type dips that are delightful spread on a crunchy tostado and topped with fresh salsa made with a variety of peppers, red onion, tomato and cilantro (with a little lime juice, sugar and salt.

So tonight's supper was a layered casserole. Layers of fried chorizo - cooked with beer and mole sauce

blackened poblemo peppers, two kinds of cheese and cilantro. Each layer was baked in the oven until the cheese was bubbly and brown, then the next layer was added.

Then we dipped fresh fried tortilla chips and broccoli in it. Rich and delicious.

Like anywhere, you can spend an enormous amount of money on groceries - depending on what you buy. The key to keeping your expenses down is to use locally grown ingredients - and in Mexico, that is no burden. Fresh fruits and vegetables abound, as does a variety of fresh seafood, pork and chicken. Stay away from brand names you recognize and you will be fine.