Eating In Mexico Without

burning your mouth, ay, mucho picante! 

Visiting a restaurant in Mexico for the first time is not something you should take lightly. Especially if you don’t want your mouth burn. That’s why we are going to explain to you step by step what to do if you are trying Mexican sauces for the first time, ready to put some salsa on your tacos?

1.- Not because they look the same, they taste the same

Basic rule before eating Mexican Sauces for the first time. What it might seem like harmless guacamole, it might actually be a delicious but terrible hot habanero sauce. You will almost always find three appetizers in any restaurant, take note!: pico de gallo (tomato, onion, chile serrano and lemon juice, guacamole green sauce (onion, green tomato, avocado and lemon juice) and roasted red sauce (roasted tomato, roasted garlic, cooked white onion, white vinegar, jalapeño pepper roasted).

Photo by: Tortilleria Anita Y Taqueria

2.- Don’t trust anyone

By anyone, we do mean no one, not the waiter, not your host, not even if the restaurant’s chef goes to your table and tell you that the sauce is not hot or that “pica poquito.” Here in Mexico, we all have different levels of tolerance to sauces, there are some that just are not spicy for some people and others that are only for the bravest.  Learn how to pick the perfect taqueria, read: Tacometer: How Does A Real Taco Look Like?

3.- Smell it softly

It would be almost impossible to describe how each of the Mexican sauces looks so you can recognize them. You better go improving your nose and test it when you visit your first taqueria. It will be very evident when a sauce is hot or not, the smell of a spicy sauce is usually dominant, the condiments are almost imperceptible to the scent since it is nearly 90% pure chili.

Photo by: borrokagaraia

4.- Do the infallible proof

The goal here is going slowly. Pour a little of the sauce with the spoon to your hand, try it and taste it for a few seconds and that’s it! Maybe it seemed very obvious, but it’s the easiest way to work Mexican sauces without getting your mouth burn. Even the most experienced Mexicans apply this infallible proof when trying a sauce for the first time.

5.- What if I’m already burned?

And if you still managed somehow to burn your mouth after following our tips,  don’t worry. The first thing you should know is that there is no amount of water or soda that might help you. The quickest and most effective remedy to remove that feeling is to grab a little salt, put it into a tortilla and eat it, you will see how the burn will slow down.

Photo by: animalgourmet

Now, with these infallible tips, you are ready to try your first tacos with a lot of salsa picante.

What else do you want to know about Mexican cuisine?

Want to learn more? read: 12 types of Sauces you have to try

Feature photo by DaniehG