Mexico

Mexico City's king of tacos: pork marinated in chile and achiote, stacked on a vertical spit, shaved to order into warm corn tortillas with pineapple, onion and cilantro. Ingredients: pork shoulder, guajillo chiles, achiote paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar, pineapple, corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, lime, salsa. Recipe: 1) Blend chiles, achiote, garlic and spices into an adobo; marinate sliced pork overnight. 2) Stack on a spit (or roast in a hot oven) until charred at the edges. 3) Shave thin slices. 4) Serve in warm tortillas with grilled pineapple, onion, cilantro and lime. Serve: standing at the taquería, salsa to taste. History: created by Lebanese immigrants in Mexico City, adapting shawarma to pork and corn tortillas.

Puebla's legendary sauce: a dark, complex blend of chiles, chocolate, nuts and spices ladled over turkey or chicken. Ingredients: turkey or chicken, ancho, mulato and pasilla chiles, tomato, onion, garlic, almonds, sesame, raisins, cinnamon, clove, dark chocolate, tortilla, broth. Recipe: 1) Toast and soak the chiles; fry nuts, seeds and spices. 2) Blend everything smooth with broth. 3) Simmer the sauce low for at least an hour until dark and silky. 4) Poach the poultry in it. Serve: with rice and warm tortillas, sesame scattered on top. History: legend says nuns of Puebla invented it in the 17th century for a visiting archbishop; it is served at weddings and feast days.

Puebla's patriotic showpiece: roasted poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo, draped in white walnut sauce and scattered with pomegranate and parsley — green, white and red. Ingredients: poblano chiles, ground pork and beef, apple, pear, peach, almonds, raisins, walnuts, milk, cream cheese, sherry, pomegranate, parsley. Recipe: 1) Roast and peel the poblanos. 2) Cook the picadillo with fruit, nuts and raisins. 3) Stuff the chiles. 4) Blend walnuts with milk and cheese into the nogada sauce. Serve: at room temperature, sauced, with pomegranate and parsley on top. History: created in 1821 for Agustín de Iturbide; its colors echo the Mexican flag.