Yes we all have tasted tacos and enchiladas, but our holiday dinners are way more complex than that. We have delicious food, just like any other culture, that we bring out during the holidays because they are just too complicated to make any other time.

Tamales

These are probably some of the best known because like the joke goes, it is the only thing that Mexicans unwrap during Christmas. Besides that, they are just the perfect food that you eat warm while drinking come champurrado.

Barbacoa de hoyo

Barbacoa in a hole. Maybe this is not in your family, but in mine, we kill a cow and cook the meat in a hole. It sounds terrible, I know. I did not want to eat it the first time I ever saw it, but trust me, it is probably the best way to eat meat. It does not have all the fat that processed barbacoa does.

Pozole

This is my personal favorite. For me, it does not get better than this. It can be described as a spicy stew that you can make with either chicken or pork with some hominy. You can choose to eat it with tostadas, sliced radish, and chopped cabbage.

Menudo

Similar to pozole, menudo is also a semi-spicy beef stew, but it is made differently. Many prefer pozole over menudo because of the kind of meat that this stew is made with. It is the stomach of the cow, therefore the meat looks a little funny. It is not to everyone's liking. Usually, it is not made with hominy, but you can add it depending on your liking.

Capirotada

It is described as bread pudding, but it is way better than that. It is a mix of apple, pecans, and piloncillo (brown sugar). It can be topped with whip cream. This goes so well as a dessert after some spicy tamales.

Buñuelos

YOU NEED TO TRY THESE. Probably one of the few foods I looked forward to eating during Christmas because they are so tedious that my mother would only make them then. They are Mexican fritters that look like crispy flour tortillas topped with ten pounds of sugar.

Arroz Con Leche

I do not like how these translate, but it is rice pudding. Probably my favorite dessert after buñuelos. It is flavored with condensed milk and of course, cinnamon. This is such a good snack to have between meals or as dessert.

Ponche (Punch)

No, not fruit punch from HEB. Trust me, it is much better than that. It is actually served warm with a lot of fruit in it mixed with piloncillo (brown sugar). Fruits usually include apples, guava, oranges, and cinnamon.

Rompope

It is basically your Mexican eggnog. Made with egg yolk, vanilla extract, milk and other ingredients, it is a rich and thick drink that really brings together the holiday spirit. For many, we add a little bit of rum to make it tastier.

Chapurreado

Similar to hot cocoa, champurrado is a thick, hot, chocolate drink, and is made with corn flour (simply very finely ground dried corn, especially local varieties grown for atole), vanilla extract, milk, and sometimes cinnamon. This is a unique drink which requires a less picky person to drink it.

There are many more foods that are delicious, but these are the most common ones that I have known. There might be different variations of the same food depending on the state in México you are from or you are at. If you are not Mexican, and you ever get the chance to try any of these foods, you should. They will change your life. The food is on one my favorite parts of being Mexican.