Culinary things for the football World Cup

For a few weeks, the ball is the biggest thing in the world again. The German team meets Mexico in the first game of the World Cup. Those who share the excitement at home are also well prepared with delicious snacks. Mexican cuisine offers fiery and colorful specialties where Aztec traditions meet the influences of Spanish conquerors.

What would Mexico be without the tortilla, for example? The thin flatbreads made from cornmeal are rolled and filled with hearty bean and meat mixtures. These filled, soft tortillas are called enchiladas. Enchiladas with salad and rice also go down well at the start, or they are poured over with salsa and au gratin in the oven. Burritos are filled tortillas made from wheat flour and taste particularly good with a mixture of bean puree, ground beef, tomatoes, avocado and cheese. Another delicious specialty are fried wheat tortillas with baked cheese, the quesadillas. Nachos can also be prepared very well from the leftovers of tortillas. Simply cut into triangular pieces and briefly put them in the fryer. With a warm cheese sauce or a spicy salsa, the right seasoning comes into play.

Fiery sauces are typical for Mexico and should not be missing on a football night together. The salsa is usually prepared with chili peppers and tomatoes. Also well-known is the avocado sauce guacamole, which with its nutty-sour taste goes well with tortilla chips, meat and bread. The preparation is not difficult: the flesh of the avocado is roughly diced and mashed with a fork. Mix with chili peppers, finely chopped onions, coriander, some garlic, lime juice and diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper - done. Quench your thirst with a Mexican beer or an ice-cold agua fresca made with water and fruit puree. The famous chili con carne, on the other hand, is not a typical Mexican dish. It comes from the border region between Mexico and Texas and is part of the so-called Tex-Mex cuisine.

Heike Kreutz, www.bzfe.de