Customs & Cuisine of Mexico

Customs and Cuisine of Mexico

By Sheila Dunn

Mexico (officially, United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) is a country in North America bordered by the USA to the north, Guatemala to the south, and Belize to the east. The Pacific Ocean borders the west coast of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean borders the east coast through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

About 134 million people (2026 est) live in Mexico. It has a rich cultural history and great diversity. Women constitute slightly more than half the population (51%).

The climate ranges from tropical to arid, and the terrain consists of coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, deserts, and mountains of up to 18,000 feet. Mexico has a favorable geography with abundant natural resources, but is subject to severe storms, hurricanes, and flooding during its rainy season (May/June to October), especially along its coastlines.

Mexico is about three times the size of the state of Texas and consists of 31 states and one federal district – the capital, Mexico City, situated in the heart of Central Mexico.

The World Bank ranks Mexico among the 15 largest economies in the world and the second largest in Latin America. Over 80% of Mexicans use the internet (2024). Despite being a large, upper-middle-income country, Mexico struggles with high rural poverty levels and wide social and economic disparities. While just one in four Mexicans live in rural areas, they represent roughly two-thirds of the extremely poor.

The People

Mexicans are quite patriotic, with a strong, deeply rooted love for their country, culture, and traditions, rather than direct loyalty to the current governing administration. Moreover, Mexican people often identify closely with their own state; stereotypes – mostly relatively harmless – about people from other states abound.

Mexico’s Indigenous history is rooted in major civilizations, including Maya and the Aztecs who established advanced city-states, trade networks, and architectural marvels that still influence the modern nation’s identity, art, and food.

Mexico has a rich, diverse tapestry of 64 distinct ethnolinguistic groups, with over 23 million people (about 19% of the population) identifying as Indigenous. Although Spanish is the official language of Mexico, over 7 million people speak one of 42 Indigenous languages.

Before the arrival of Spanish colonists in the early 1500’s, the Aztec capital was one of the largest cities in the world, with an estimated population between 200,000 and 300,000. The current capital, Mexico City, is on the site of the Aztec capital, and during the three centuries of colonial rule it was the seat of the viceroys of New Spain. Mexico City today continues to be one of the largest cities in the world, with 22 million people in the Metropolitan area. Most administrative and economic activities are concentrated in Mexico City. Other major cities are Guadalajara in the west and the industrial city of Monterrey in the north.

One of Mexico’s main challenges is inequality. Deep divides remain between the industrialized north and the rural south, particularly regarding Indigenous communities. Concentrated largely in the south and central regions like Oaxaca and Yucatán, Indigenous groups – including Nahua, Maya, Mixtec (Aztec), and Zapotec – have an enduring connection to their ancestral land. Indigenous communities staunchly defend their right to practice their traditional knowledge about sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and traditional healing practices. The Spaniards forbade these practices, and discrimination against “backward” Indigenous people continues centuries after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1810. The resulting cultural erosion, land confiscation, and loss of self-determination has limited Indigenous communities’ access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

About 78% of Mexicans (2020 Mexican government census), identify as Roman Catholic, and about half of them integrate Indigenous, pre-Hispanic beliefs into their practice. While Catholicism is declining, Christian evangelical groups are growing.

Another major challenge for Mexico is the presence of cartels – powerful, influential, and ruthless transnational criminal organizations that supply illegal drugs to the United States and other countries. These same cartels have also been implicated in human trafficking, gun running, and smuggling. In some locations in Mexico, these cartels operate with impunity, using their vast financial resources, unique franchise-based command structure, proclivity for violence, and access to corrupt officials to maintain and expand their influence.

Women’s Issues

Mexico is making strides in gender equality, at least from a legislative standpoint. In 2024, the Constitution was amended to recognize women’s rights and mandate gender parity in elected positions. President Claudia Sheinbaum created the Ministry of Women which elevated the focus on gender equality to a cabinet-level priority. Some progress has been made (over half of positions in the national parliaments are now held by women), but much more work is needed in other areas, such as gender-based violence against women and girls and gaps in women’s sexual and reproductive health care, particularly for rural and Indigenous women. Moreover, maternal mortality remains high in some regions, and reports of obstetric violence persist.

Mexico has had centuries of structural inequality deeply rooted in machismo, impunity, and socio-cultural norms that perpetuate violence and discrimination against women. Femicide, the intentional killing of women or girls solely because of their gender, is a major concern. In 2025, an average of 7.6 women and girls were murdered every day of the year, according to figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (El Universal Reference).

Almost 1 in 10 Mexican women suffer physical and/or sexual violence. Recent estimates (2025) suggest that about 93% of sexual violence cases go unreported or do not result in an investigation, presumably due in part to law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices that obstruct access to justice by shifting blame onto victims instead of holding aggressors accountable.

Ineffective institutional responses allowed gender-based violence to more than double in the past decade, with much higher rates in areas with heavy drug cartel activity. At this writing, it’s too soon to report on how effective the legislative efforts brought forth by President Claudia Sheinbaum in late 2024 will be.

Rural, Indigenous, poor women experience “obstetric violence” which involves systemic, disrespectful, and coercive treatment during pregnancy and childbirth. Some studies report that it affects roughly 32% of women. Examples include coercive sterilization or IUD insertion, forced, non-consensual C-sections, verbal abuse/humiliation, denial of pain relief, and turning women away from hospitals.

The majority (over 83%) of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) have access to modern methods for family planning, and abortion recently became legal for the entire country. Women now average two children per woman, down from 6+ children per woman about 50 years ago. This is not the case for Indigenous women, who often face significant obstacles to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. These obstacles include deep-seated poverty, geographic isolation, language barriers, and, crucially, inadequate or culturally insensitive care within public health services, where they often face discrimination. Because of these factors, indigenous women have lower contraceptive use, higher fertility rates, and increased reliance on sterilization compared to the national average.

Overall, about 20% of births in Mexico are to very young adolescents (ages 10-14) and adolescents (ages 15-19). Regions with high Indigenous populations, like Chiapas, experience nearly triple the national average rate. In 2024, Mexico significantly invested in the training of teachers, as part of the national strategy for teenage pregnancy, which focuses on keeping teenagers who are pregnant in school.

Less than 47% of women work outside the home in Mexico compared to 76% of men. This represents a huge issue for gender parity in the country, as over half of working age women are not formally employed, nor seeking to become so. Mexico ranks 122nd in the world for this metric. Mexico’s gender gap is wider than other Latin American and Caribbean nations such as Nicaragua, Jamaica, Chile and Costa Rica. Despite government investment in programs addressing gender discrimination, women in Mexico continue to experience limited access to finance, titularity of assets, inadequate schooling, and responsibilities for child care – all of which hinder economic opportunities for them. Legislative reforms from 2024 to eradicate the gender wage gap are expected to reduce the gap over time.

Education in Mexico

Additional years of schooling directly correlates with a reduction in poverty. The number of people in Mexico with some secondary education is 57% (2022), but only 64% of those who start secondary education complete it. Although access to education in Mexico is guaranteed, in reality, young people living in rural, Indigenous communities lag behind in this area. The average schooling for Indigenous language speakers is 6.3 years and 46% do not complete primary school. A much smaller percentage complete secondary (5%) and higher education levels (0.7%) .

Agriculture and Climate Change

Over 60% of Mexican farmers are smallholders, with limited access to credit and technology. More than 80% of these smallholders are subsistence farmers, particularly in southern and mountainous regions, and they rely on family labor to cultivate small plots of corn and beans.

Severe droughts in the last few years damaged corn, sorghum and coffee crops. These severe droughts were combined with heat waves, including one of the warmest recorded in Mexico’s history. Trends of hotter conditions, exacerbated by drought, will continue as global warming persists.

The Family Unit

Mexican culture is deeply rooted in familismo, in which family takes priority over all other aspects of one’s life. Intergenerational bonds are strong and families come together for lively celebrations blending Indigenous and Spanish influences, such as honoring ancestors during Dia de los Muertos, celebrating their daughters’ milestone Quinceañeras, and honoring godparents through compadrazgo.

The Food of Mexico

Mexico’s unique history and culture gave rise to the aromas and flavors of its local cuisine. Derived from its diverse ecosystems and immense variety of ingredients, it is renowned as one of the most complex and unique cuisines.

“Sin maíz, no hay país” (Without maize [corn], there is no country), recalled President Claudia Sheinbaum during her public inauguration at Mexico City’s Center. Her phrase is more than a metaphor; maize, together with beans and chili, form a triad that sustains Mexico’s way of life.

Corn has been a part of the Mexican diet for as long as records exist, and it is consumed in all possible forms: as a cooked or roasted corncob (elote), as cooked grain or porridge (atole), as a wrapped and steamed dough with filling (tamal), in hearty corn stew (pozole), but most importantly as a tortilla, a thin, round “pancake.” Corn is eaten daily, and often at every meal.

Mexico boasts over 60 different varieties of chiles, but the most common ones found in North American markets are the jalapeño, poblano, serrano, chipotle, and habañero.

Native ingredients such as tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla augment these basic staples. Tomatillos, prickly pear cactus (nopales), mango and papaya are also widely available and used in all manner of salsas and sauces. Herbs like cilantro and thyme are widely used, along with spices like cumin and cinnamon.

Spanish colonization in the 16th century introduced new proteins (pork, beef, chicken), dairy (cheese, cream), cooking fats (lard, olive oil), and staples like rice and wheat to traditional Mexican cuisine, resulting in a diverse and complex modern-day cuisine. Authentic Mexican food represents a complex culinary tradition far beyond Tex-Mex, heavily featuring fresh corn tortillas, vibrant salsas, slow-cooked meats, and Indigenous ingredients. Key staples include antojitos (tacos, tamales, gorditas) and mole (a complex, traditional Mexican sauce or paste made from a blend of ingredients like dried chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, fruits, and aromatics). Mole poblano contains chocolate and is delicious!

Regional specialties include cochinita pibil (slow roasted pork from Yucatán), birria (a spicy meat stew from Jalisco), and pozole (hominy soup which differs by region but originated from Aztec culture).

The humble pinto bean finds its way into many meals, usually in the form of a soupy-textured refried bean served with tortillas. Chicken (pollo asado) and pork (carnitas) are the favorite meats, but beef (carne) is also eaten. Seafood is more bountiful in coastal cities.

Breakfast (desayuno) is typically a light meal of coffee, fruit, and a sweet roll, but for a heartier meal, huevos rancheros would be served. The most important meal of the day is lunch (comida) and normally served between 1 and 3 p.m. Supper (cena) is served late, usually after 8 p.m. and is a light snack, although in urban areas, supper can be an elaborate affair eaten at restaurants.

Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola are hugely popular, along with other fruit juice based drinks. Alcoholic beverages such as beer (cerveza) and Sangria (an import from Spain) are popular as is tequila, which is produced only from Mexico’s blue agave plant. It is typically served as a “shot” with salt and lime, or as a margarita.

Dining Etiquette:

When the host says, “Buen provecho,” diners can begin eating. Mexicans do not switch knives and forks. The knife remains in the right hand, and the fork remains in the left. When the meal is finished, the knife and fork are laid parallel to each other across the right side of the plate.

Any salad will usually be served after the main course.

When not holding utensils, diners’ hands are expected to be visible above the table: this means you do not keep them in your lap; instead, rest your wrists (but never your elbows) on top of the table.

The most honored position is at the head of the table, with the most important guest seated immediately to the right of the host (women to the right of the host, and men to the right of the hostess). If there is a hosting couple, one will be at each end of the table.

Sources:

UN Women data on Mexico: https://data.unwomen.org/country/mexico

Women in Parliament: https://data360.worldbank.org/en/people

World Bank data: https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/mexico

Library of Congress Research Guides: https://guides.loc.gov/mexico-country-guide

Country Reports: https://www.countryreports.org/country/Mexico/facts.htm

World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/counTry/mexico/overview

https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/mexico

American Quarterly: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/mexico-a-2026-snapshot/

World Report 2026 https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2026/country-chapters/mexico#

Vision of Humanity. Violence against women in Mexico. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/violence-against-women-in-mexico/

USDrug Enforcement Administration: Cartels. https://www.dea.gov/cartels