Puerto Vallarta: I'll Eat a Tongue Taco Please Ana Espinosa - Vallarta Eats
go to original June 22, 2015

Mexicans are regarded with great curiosity, astonishment and admiration, all over the world, for many reasons: our colorful indigenous art, our joy, music, solidarity, the affection with which we greet our own and strangers alike, but above all, for the variety and delicious flavors of our food.

Beyond this, are the “weird” and exotic things we eat. Well, weird for whom? For some people, eating this is something natural and in some ways, it is all they are familiar with, for example, grasshoppers, escamoles (ant larvae), jumiles (stink bugs), chicatana (flying ants), and maguey worms, are some of the bugs we eat. Let’s not forget brains, eye, tongue, jowls, suadero (lower beef flank), nana (uterus), nenepil (combination of stomach and uterus), cheek, etc.

It may sound unpleasant and strange to some, but for many, it is a feast for the gods. Without a doubt it is a matter of perception, attitude and the willingness to be open to new and interesting culinary experiences.

Each and everyone of us, as Mexicans, should feel extremely proud of our roots and the cultural variety that characterizes us, and even more so, should share it with the world.

We are fortunate to have an immense variety of typical dishes all over the country, but, for sure, tacos are never missing. We can find a colorful little taco stand on every corner of the country.

This exotic food which distinguishes us from the rest of the world, can have everything in it, from beef, pork and chicken, to insects, either garnished or not with cilantro (coriander), chopped onions, lime, cheese, and in some cases even cabbage and frijoles (beans). Not to be forgotten, is the success attributed to its salsas (that will be the subject of another story). In Vallarta itself, we can find delicious grasshopper tacos, hibiscus flower quesadillas, gizzard (liver, heart, lung) tacos; tacos made from the head, either mixed or separate, or spectacular brain, tongue (not my favorite) eye, carnaza (scraps of meat), cheek or lip tacos, just to name some.

I’ve always loved saying that in Mexico we can eat in a very healthy manner, and this wide range of protein sources is proof of it. A good taco causes even the daintiest diners to lick their fingers.

So let’s try new things. Buen provecho!

Ana Espinosa is a lover of good food, marketing specialist and "Foodie"  - She is a guide for Vallarta Eats Food Tours.