Cinco De Mayo: 5 must-have traditional recipes

Cinco De Mayo, traditionally celebrated on May 5, is an annual festival that commemorates the victory of the Mexican army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 over the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III. While in Mexico it is not commonly celebrated outside of Puebla, where the battle took place, in the US the festival has become a tradition that celebrates the Mexican and Mexican American heritage with family and friends over food, music and parades. Here are 5 traditional recipes that are prepared to celebrate Cinco De Mayo.

Mole Poblano
Mole Poblano is the official dish that is prepared to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. In Puebla, where the battle was won, the dish is a signature. It is a rich and flavourful sauce made by toasting and blending spicy and sweet ingredients so that it can be used as a sauce with chicken, rice or even tacos. The ingredients used in the recipe are chillies like ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, pasilla chiles, seeds like sesame seeds, aniseed, and spices like black peppercorns, cloves, dried thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, with a unique ingredient chocolate.

Chiles en Nogada
Mexicans usually prepare this dish because the colours of its ingredients resemble those of the Mexican flag- green, white and red. The dish is made using Poblano chiles which are from Pueblo, brown sugar, pork, and nuts with a walnut or pecan sauce. The green chiles are stuffed with meat filling, with walnut sauce on top and some sprinkled pomegranates. What's unique about this dish is that it is commonly served lukewarm, which comes as a surprise to many.

Tamales
Tamales are a popular choice for any Mexican celebration. These are essentially corn dough patties filled with fillings of beans, meats or cheese. They are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves and served with a side of guacamole and any other sauce. If you are heading for a Cinco De Mayo celebration, Tamales could be a recipe that you could prepare and take with its quick preparatory timing but delicious taste.

Tacos
Tacos are without a doubt the most popular Mexican dish across the globe. These wraps come in many varieties such as Al Pastor, Carnitas or Barbacoa and are a burst of flavour. Tacos are made with soft corn tortillas filled with meat and topped with vegetables and sauces. They are representative of the diverse regional flavours of Mexico and thus a popular choice for Cinco De Mayo parties.

Pozole
Pozole, unlike other dishes, is a traditional Mexican soup or stew and is a common choice for traditional festivals. Its ingredients include pork, chiles such as ancho chiles, vegetables such as Napa cabbage, radishes, onion and dried pozole corn cooked together in a flavourful mix that completes the celebration of Cinco De Mayo. It is usually served with a side of fried tortilla chips.

Try out these traditional recipes for your Cinco De Mayo celebrations!