Mexico City

It’s not surprising that Mexico City, a megapolis of some 20 million people, has quite a reputation. Depending on whom you listen to, the Distrito Federal, or D.F., is a hotbed of pollution, crime, and out-of-control urban sprawl; or it’s a pulsing epicenter of history, art, fashion, and food—a whirlwind for the senses and an amalgam of new and old in one of the most culturally rich nations on Earth. Intimidating? Sure, like most of the giant, significant cities of the world, Mexico City can be overwhelming. But for an adventurous and interested visitor with basic street smarts, the payoff is huge—important museums and edgy art galleries to occupy you for weeks, Aztec ruins a stone’s throw from modern skyscrapers, stunning Rivera and Tamayo murals seemingly around every bend, enough exciting food discoveries on street corners and in fancy restaurants to last you a lifetime. (Of course, it’s that last bit especially that’s brought us to revisit Mexico City over the years!)

The task of producing a list of D.F.-regional foods for such a melting pot of different regional Mexican styles was challenging, and since many of the foods we sampled in the city are so widely available around the country, you’ll find them showing up in the Typical Foods: General category (see above), too. But Mexico City does have its signature tacos al pastor (among other popular varieties of taco), a handful of interesting Aztecan foods and drinks, regionally produced craft beer, and some other snacks that are particularly treasured by chilangos, the city’s residents. Many of those foods, in turn, are sold in what may be termed the most traditional Mexico City manner of dispensation: by vendors on the street or in markets, at dirt-cheap prices. Let the culinary exploration begin.