Mexican cooking is one of the world’s richest because it blends several layers of cultural influence that have developed over thousands of years. At its core, it’s a true fusion cuisine shaped by both indigenous traditions and outside cultures. Here are the major ones represented:

Maya, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Tarahumara, and many others all contributed foods and techniques.

With colonization, Spain brought livestock (cows, pigs, goats, chickens), dairy (cheese, cream), rice, wheat, olive oil, garlic, onions, and wine.

This blended with indigenous foods, creating staples like tacos with meat, tamales with lard, rice dishes, and breads like bolillos.