French vs Mexican food & cuisine

The idea behind a meal is to enjoy the moment. That is the French way. French meals are ritualistic, often with multiple courses of small portions aimed at enjoying a meal slowly, which contrasts with the simpler, faster eating in other European cultures.

Most meals include bread and wine. Wine is hardly a separable part of French dining culture; it’s seen as a cultural product, not just as an alcoholic beverage.

Modern French wheat consumption is actually moderate compared to many other countries. The average person consumes about 50 kg of bread annually.  Unlike some cultures where bread is a staple accompaniment to every meal, French consume it in a more structured manner:  at breakfast and almost at every following meal later, but portion sizes are smaller, and diet is diversified.

In French cuisine, rice, corn, and other grains play a minor role compared to wheat.

Wheat, introduced by the Spanish, thrives in northern Mexico and appears in tortillas, empanadas, sauces, pasta, and breads such as pan dulce, bolillos, and conchas.

Rice is a staple side paired with beans. The classic preparation is arroz rojo (red rice) or arroz mexicano, where fluffy grains are cooked with tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Other ancient grains like chia and quinoa aren’t as common, but they’ve got deep roots in Mexican cooking. Chia seeds used to fuel Aztec warriors back in the day, and you’ll still find them in drinks like agua fresca de chía.

Common preparations are glazing and steaming in their own juices with butter. The concept of garniture, or vegetable accompaniments, is important, and it includes jardinière (mixed diced vegetables) or printanière (spring vegetables) preparations.

Mirepoix is a foundational combination of diced onions, carrots, and celery, which is a key component in stocks, soups, and stews, subtly infusing dishes with flavor base.

The French also have a fondness for wild mushrooms; they are passionate about foraging.

The French prefer perfectly ripe fruits eaten at their peak. Popular are apples, pears, cherries, plums, grapes, and stone fruits. The French have perfected the art of poaching fruits in wine or sugar syrups, as seen in classics like poires belle hélène – poached pear.

Avocados are the green gold of Mexico – creamy, nutty flesh pairs well with spicy tacos and sandwiches. Guacamole has been made since Aztec times, though the original version was mashed avocados.

Little foods come without chiles in Mexico – the country has about 64 different species, with hundreds of varieties. Some of the most known varieties are fresh – jalapeño, poblano, chilaca, mirasol, serrano, habanero, chile de árbol and some dried – chipotle (dried and smoked jalapeño), ancho (dried poblano), mulato (a darker dried poblano), pasilla (dried chilaca), guajillo (dried mirasol). Dried chiles are integral to sauces such as mole, as well as in salsas and marinades.

Other staple vegetables of Mexico include beans, squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, Mexican husk tomatoes, nopales (cactus pads), chayote (a green, pear-shaped vegetable with a crisp texture and a mild, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor), and jicama, a Mexican turnip.

Many tropical fruits are grown in Mexico –  limes, mangoes, papayas, platanos, guavas, soursop (anona), prickly pears, mameys (sweet and creamy oval-shaped fruit described as a mix of sweet potato, pumpkin, and apricot), blackberries, black sapotes, pitayas, passion fruits, star fruits. Also, many regional, exotic, limited, and intensely flavored fruits.  Fresh lime is a symbol of Mexican cuisine, a key ingredient, and an essential table staple.

Charcuterie represents another crucial part of French cuisine. The art of making pâtés, terrines, sausages, rillettes – potted meat slow-cooked in fat, galantines – lean ground poached meat pressed into a cylindrical shape, and other preserved meats is a developed craft.

Regional meat preparations vary widely throughout France. The southwest is famous for duck and goose, particularly confit de canard – duck leg and foie gras – fatty liver. Burgundy is known for boeuf bourguignon; Alsace has a pork tradition influenced by German culture. Coastal regions naturally developed around seafood, while inland around poultry and red meat.

The French affinity for duck and goose is distinctive in how these birds are prepared. Unlike other cuisines that treat duck as a specialty, French cuisine incorporates it into everyday cooking through duck confit, duck breast, and duck fat for cooking. In southwestern France, duck and goose fat are traditionally replaced by olive oil or butter as the primary cooking fat.

French cuisine has developed sophisticated preparations for wild boar, venison, rabbit, and game birds.

The French approach to organ meats and offal is more elaborate than that of other Western cuisines – they elevate them to haute cuisine. Foie gras, ris de veau – sweetbreads, rognons à la moutarde – kidneys in mustard sauce, cervelles au beurre noir – brain in brown butter, are offal delicacies.

The stereotypes might suggest that the French eat snails and frogs often.  Frog legs were once a protein of necessity in rural areas. In contemporary gastronomy, frogs’ legs occupy an interesting position between tradition and novelty. Despite their association with French cuisine internationally, today, people rarely eat frogs’ legs, or many have never tried them.

In northern Mexico, due to its ranching tradition, beef is more prominent, think carne asada (grilled meat) and machaca (dried spiced beef of pork). Coastal regions rely more on seafood; in central and southern Mexico, pork and chicken are common. Mexican cooks are masters at taking cheaper cuts and elevating them. Barbacoa – once slow-cooked in agave-lined pits – still reflects that patient tradition. Cochinita pibil marinates pork in achiote and sour orange, then wraps it in banana leaves until it melts. Birria takes goat or beef and transforms it with hours of simmering in chiles and spices.

The Atlantic Brittany and Normandy are known for shellfish, particularly oysters, which are slurped raw with a squeeze of lemon and a light mignonette (shallots and vinegar) sauce. The Atlantic coast is also rich in lobsters, which are served grilled or in more elaborate dishes like homard à l’armoricaine. Normandy is famous for scallops – coquilles Saint-Jacques,  and moules marinières – mussels dish.

The Mediterranean coast offers a different seafood –  red mullet (rouget), sea bass (loup), and John Dory (saint-pierre) are grilled with olive oil, tomatoes, and Provençe herbs.

Fresh milk is not traditionally consumed much as a beverage, but crème fraîche – cultured cream – is fundamental.

Also essential in French cooking, especially in sauces and pastries, is butter: it must be at least 82% fat, while 80% is a standard in many countries. France has traditionally been divided into two butter regions: the north and west, like Brittany and Normandy, where salted butter is preferred, and the central and eastern regions, where unsalted butter dominates.

The most important dairy product, which has its own course in a multi-course meal, is cheese – le fromage. A well-composed cheese board features three to five varieties, selected to provide a progression of flavors and textures from milder to stronger throughout the course.

Beyond a standalone course, cheese is vital in cooking, from the humble croque monsieur to cheese soufflés, gratins, and quiches.

Milk and dairy are not as ubiquitous. Cheese, such as queso fresco, is more commonly used than milk or cream in traditional Mexican cooking. Additionally, cotija cheese, an aged, salty, and crumbly cow’s milk cheese, pairs well with tacos, enchiladas, and tostadas. Dairy-based dishes and beverages, such as horchata and flan, are more common in certain regions or as part of specific celebratory meals rather than nationwide staples.

French desserts extensively use of butter, particularly in laminated doughs for croissants and puff pastry. They typically feature a more restrained level of sweetness compared to American, Middle Eastern, or Indian desserts, but place enormous emphasis on visual presentation. Other cultures certainly care about how desserts look, but French pâtisserie takes it to another level, treating each piece as a small work of art.

Almonds, peanuts, and sometimes pecans are important in sauces. For example, mole poblano often combines almonds or peanuts with chilies and chocolate. Pipian (pumpkin seed sauce) relies on toasted pumpkin seeds as the base.

Traditionally, lard was the main cooking fat, used for frying tortillas, tamales, and refried beans. Today, corn or canola oil are common replacements; olive oil is important in Veracruz and other coastal areas, but they’re not central overall.