6 must-have ingredients for Mexican cuisine

Mexico is a melting pot of culture, traditions and people, and cuisine is not any different to this idea. Although there were a number of native flavors in the Mexican cuisine, over the period of time, there have been influence from Europe, India, Spain and China as well. We know that Mexican recipes have bold use of flavors and spices that make it a popular cuisine, while the ingredients too are a blend of native as well as foreign influence. Let us look at some of the popular ingredients used in Mexican cooking and how these make a dish delicious.

Indigenous ingredients
Meat was an uncommon element used in the Mexican food till the Spaniards arrived. Therefore, corns and beans were largely used as a staple ingredient. To add to the flavors of the dish, heavy spices and chilies were added too. A wide array of seafood was used as a source of meat for the Mexican dishes. This was especially true for seaside communities who relied on seafood.

Avocados
This is a perfect example of Mexican staple. If you want to add Mexican flavor to any dish, then avocados do it perfectly. One can also use this popular ingredient for a basic dish such as a salad or sandwich.

Cheese
You talk about Mexico and you ought to know about the varieties of cheeses. The Queso Oaxaca, is a Mexican-made cheese used best for quesadillas. If the local market doesn’t have this particular cheese, then people also substitute the same with mozzarella. Other types of cheese used in Mexican food are Queso fresco, which adds saltiness to the recipes and Mild Feta is a perfect substitute for the same.

Chipotle
One of the famous ingredients, Chipotle have been used around the world for various recipes. These smoked-jalapenos come in canned jars and can be easily stored for up to six months. Chipotle are spicy and can be frequently used in marinades and salsas, which is a popular part of the local cuisine.

Mexican oregano
Herbs can make or break a dish and Mexican cuisines and is a different variety of herbs than the ones used in the American recipes.

Poblanos
These are type of mild chili peppers and are popular in the Mexican dishes. Used in almost every dish in the region, poblanos are usually roasted and peeled and a part of everything right from salsas to quesadillas.

Featured Products

Featured Blogs

  • 5 popular necklines for evening dresses
  • Tips to ensure that you get the best shave
  • 5 best synthetic oil change products

Recent Blogs

  • Baby and Toddler Toys – Your Buying Guide

    Your newborn or toddler finds a lot of joy in playing with toys. Toys stimulate a child’s senses and emotions and help in cognitive development. So, parents are encouraged to buy baby and toddler toys to foster their child’s growth and development, besides making them happy.

    However, there are quite a few factors that you need to consider while buying toys for your child. While you might feel like buying a toy which looks cute, it is important that you keep in mind your child’s safety and well being. This article gives you an insight into how to choose toys for your child wisely.

    Consider what your child wants

    Although they are young, children have different personalities. So, as a parent, you should first know your child’s likes and dislikes and buy baby and toddler toys accordingly. Understand your child’s interest in the trial and error method. Observe what toys attract their attention and stimulate their cognitive development and what toys they do not want to play with. While choosing toys for your child, you should also consider their favorite color and other factors, such as favorite games or cartoon characters.

    Buy toys keeping your child’s age in mind

    With a range of options available in the market today, both online and in actual shops, it might become difficult to find the right kind of toys for your child. One important factor that you need to remember while buying baby and toddler toys is your child’s age. Toy brands these days manufacture cute and interesting toys suitable for children of different age groups.
    For growing toddlers, there are toys which involve creating or making something, thus keeping them engaged and stimulating their development. For babies below three years of age, there are toys which can keep them happy and grab their attention for long durations. You can choose from a wide range of colors, patterns, and styles, according to your baby’s needs and interest.

    Choose only safe toys

    The safety of your child is of utmost importance. You should not ignore the safety factor while buying toys, at any cost. Buy toys which will not hurt your child. Remember that your child may tend to swallow parts of a toy which can be dismantled. Avoid buying such toys. Ensure that the edges of the baby and toddler toys that you buy are not sharp.

    The number of toy-related injuries is quite high every year. The most important safety tip is to buy toys suitable for your child’s age group. Many toy brands have choking hazard warnings on certain toys, such as marbles, balls, or LEGO pieces. These toys are not suitable for children under four years of age. Remember that the cute toy you choose for your baby should also be safe.

    You should always avoid toys which may contain chemicals. Sometimes, in order to give shine and polish to the toys, some chemicals may be used. If your child puts such a toy in their mouth, which is a natural tendency among children, it might be harmful. So, read the labels and warnings carefully before buying baby and toddler toys. Quality and safety are of primary importance when it comes to buying playthings for your baby.

    Sales, deals, and discounts

    Check out online stores for offers on baby and toddler toys. You can also keep track of the amazing deals and offers on baby blogs online. While buying toys at discounted prices, remember that the brand should not be compromising on quality. You can buy from a wide multitude of toys and playthings, including lego, toy cars, soft toys, and engaging toys.
    Order toys online, and have them delivered to your doorstep. While ordering baby and toddler toys online, remember to check the specifications carefully. Check out the description and the label for instructions and hazard warnings. Always remember that your child’s safety and well being comes first.

  • 4 important FedEx jobs you must be aware of

    Admired across the globe for its resourceful shipping services, FedEx as an organization is a great place to work for as well. They offer both full-time as well as part-time profiles for diverse kinds of candidates. If you too are thinking about applying for FedEx jobs, then you must be aware of some the important job profiles of their organization.

    Package handler – The job of a package handler is to ensure timely and efficient transfer of various kinds of packages. It might comprise physical tasks such as lifting, carrying, and placing the shipments securely. So, if you wish to work as a package handler in FedEx, then you should understand how demanding it can be. You can sit through an observation session (which demonstrates the responsibilities of a handler) that will offer you with a practical insight of what the routine job day looks like.

    Customer service agent – If you have a knack for communication and problem solving, then you may apply for a customer service agent’s job which requires an individual to sell services as well as resolve consumer disputes and doubts. Apart from the skills stated earlier, customer service agents must also have a deep knowledge about all kinds of FedEx products and solutions, their respective pricing, conveyance, and additional services.

    Drivers – Want to work as a FedEx driver? Then you will be happy to realize that you will be treated as the official face of the company for every consumer served. In simple words, a driver’s job profile requires her or him to collect the packages from the warehouse to deliver them to their respective owners. Apart from the final delivery services, additional duties for drivers may include paperwork, acquiring feedback, and labeling packages.

    Operations manager – As a manager of your respective FedEx operational unit, your job will require you to lead a team of handlers, customer representatives, and drivers in the most accurate manner. You will have to run administrative tasks such as designing the weekly schedules, assigning daily work, management of the inventory, and the payroll. Apart from evaluating your existing team, your job might also involve training the recruits.

    Applications for FedEx Jobs are only open to people who are 18 years or older. When it comes to qualifications, there are distinctive requirements concerning education and experience, as they are largely based on the job profile you’re applying for.

  • A brief timeline of cameras and camcorders

    The word resulted from the fusion of the camera recorders Cam (era-re) corders to become camcorders. Camcorders, evidently, benefitted from the camera at least for the front end. Development of digital and information technologies were certainly beneficial. American inventor Jerome H. Lemelson, applied for patent for a handheld camcorder in 1977, and it was rejected on the grounds that is not possible to make one as he suggested. The rejection only spurred him to intensify his efforts to prove himself right and the patent office wrong. In 1982, he introduced his hand-held device capable of recording both video and voice months before anybody else and the first handheld camcorder was born under the able aegis of JVC. It took Sony several months more to come up with their competing product, the Betacam.

    With the miniaturization of hardware, the equipment became more portable. BMC 100 was the Beta Movie video camera incorporating the Beta system deck enabling the provision of a camera and a recorder in a single unit. The elimination of the long cables connecting the camera and the recorder drastically reduced inconveniences and improved the freedom of the cameraman dramatically.

    It became the standard equipment for news broadcasters and studio video editing. However, it had a major drawback of being too expensive for common man. A keen competition developed between Sony and JVC each vying to outdo the other, introducing models with innovative features. Consumer interest continued to fuel developments. In 1983, Sony introduced their first consumer camcorder named Betamovie BMC 100P. The design did not permit single hand grip and the camcorder had to be carried on the shoulder of the operator. JVC was not too far behind. They introduced their version the first VHS C camcorder.

    Sony then introduced its compact Video8 format in 1985. By this time competition had intensified and other companies too jumped into the fray. The same year Panasonic, RCA and Hitachi came with their models using the full-size VHS cassette with three-hour recording. 1987 saw the introduction of the full-size SuperVHS, the SVHS camcorder. This provided the much-needed inexpensive camcorder for the benefit of news gatherers and other videographers. Sony quickly upgraded their Video8 and released it as Hi8 to compete with S-VHS. The shoulder mounted models are still in use and speaks volumes about their utility for the professionals.

    Digitization continued its expansion and in 1985 Sony, JVC Panasonic and others launched DV the standard camcorder for home video and independent filmmaking.