It’s my opinion
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It’s my opinion that Chipotle will rule the world if they make two changes to their menu:
Offer Mexican oregano. It’s what makes Mexican food taste like Mexican food.
Offer Mexican crema. Sour cream doesn’t work.
What’s your opinion?
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Isn’t crema basically sour cream thinned with milk and salt added?
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If you’re going to eat fast food, this is the fast food you want. It’s reasonably free of weird stuff, reasonably fresh, you get a choice, and it’s efficiently prepared. Every component is recognizable as a food and you could reproduce it in your home kitchen. Bonus points for the fact the components of Mexican food survive nicely in warming trays. French food not so much.
If your midwestern aunt made Mexican food, this is what she’d serve. It’s not great but it’s pretty good. Pay the extra for the guacamole-it’s legit!
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Dunno what crema is, anymore than I know what crème fraische is. I do know that they’re both like sour cream but not quite.
What no one is picking up on is Mexican oregano. It’s nothing like European oregano, that staple of Greek and Italian food. It’s what makes CA taco truck food taste so good - and a flavor I can’t get in the Midwest. I keep a jar in the truck.
My tenants used to grow it in the flowerbeds. It looked like a weed (grows like crazy!) and I wanted to pull it out but they talked me out of it. It’s not much to look at but the flavor! Yikes!
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I’ve never heard of Mexican oregano, now I’m curious!
(I’ve also never eaten at chipotle)
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I’d recommend you give Chpoltle a try. Nothing they serve will alarm a midwestern palate and it’s a nice intro to Mexican food. They offer samples and I recommend you try them all.
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I’ve never heard of Mexican oregano, now I’m curious!
(I’ve also never eaten at chipotle)
I bought a little jar on line, sprinkled it on a scrambled egg, tasted it and was immediately transported back to a taco truck in Santa Ana.
Sharon caught me crying at the breakfast table and thought something was wrong.
Nope. Tears of joy.
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Which brings me to Yoshinoya Beef Bowl. It’s a chain in California but there are none here in the heartland. I remember you saying it as popular chain in Japan and I’m not surprised. The food is simply spectacular!
The last time I was in CA I smuggled back 3 pounds of daikon radish - a staple at Yoshinoya. As far as I can tell they don’t exist here. I tried to buy the table seasoning but struck out. It’s not 5 spice, it’s not 7 spice.
Is it tagarishi?
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I looked up Mexican Oregano online and, like Steve said, it’s a very different animal from European oregano. It’s actually in a different genus. I did not know this before, and I will go looking for it. We have a big Mexican community around here, so I hope I can assume that they sell the real thing.
Another distinctly Mexican herb is Epazote, very earthy, often cooked with beans. It’s not exotic, grows everywhere. The flavor has been compared to motor oil, not inaccurately.
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I’ve never heard of Mexican oregano, now I’m curious!
(I’ve also never eaten at chipotle)
@ShiroKuro said in It’s my opinion:
I’ve never heard of Mexican oregano, now I’m curious!
(I’ve also never eaten at chipotle)
The Spice House has excellent Mexican oregano. Try the flat pack size; shipping for flat packs is free.
https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/mexican-oregano
Lots of Mexican food products around here, including spices. But the Spice House quality is so much better.
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Which brings me to Yoshinoya Beef Bowl. It’s a chain in California but there are none here in the heartland. I remember you saying it as popular chain in Japan and I’m not surprised. The food is simply spectacular!
The last time I was in CA I smuggled back 3 pounds of daikon radish - a staple at Yoshinoya. As far as I can tell they don’t exist here. I tried to buy the table seasoning but struck out. It’s not 5 spice, it’s not 7 spice.
Is it tagarishi?
@Steve-Miller said in It’s my opinion:
Is it tagarishi?
Do you mean togarashi? I’m guessing that’s it, or else shichimi. Oops, shichimi is 7-spice and you said it’s not that…
I can ask Mr. SK.
Btw is there an H-Mart anywhere around you? H-Mart is a Korean supermarket chain but they usually have lots of Japanese stuff, and I’m sure they would have daikon. Any other large Asian grocery store might have it as well…
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Which brings me to Yoshinoya Beef Bowl. It’s a chain in California but there are none here in the heartland. I remember you saying it as popular chain in Japan and I’m not surprised. The food is simply spectacular!
The last time I was in CA I smuggled back 3 pounds of daikon radish - a staple at Yoshinoya. As far as I can tell they don’t exist here. I tried to buy the table seasoning but struck out. It’s not 5 spice, it’s not 7 spice.
Is it tagarishi?
@Steve-Miller said in It’s my opinion:
It’s not 5 spice, it’s not 7 spice.
Go to 11 spice and it becomes KFC.
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Mexican Crema
Isabel Eats
https://www.isabeleats.com › mexican-crema
what is mexican crema? from www.isabeleats.com
Sep 12, 2024 — What is Mexican crema made of? Mexican crema is made of 4 ingredients: heavy cream, buttermilk, lime juice, and salt.Had stomach trouble that is still going on. I was delighted when I found that I could find things at Chipotle that I could eat.
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If you’re going to eat fast food, this is the fast food you want. It’s reasonably free of weird stuff, reasonably fresh, you get a choice, and it’s efficiently prepared. Every component is recognizable as a food and you could reproduce it in your home kitchen. Bonus points for the fact the components of Mexican food survive nicely in warming trays. French food not so much.
If your midwestern aunt made Mexican food, this is what she’d serve. It’s not great but it’s pretty good. Pay the extra for the guacamole-it’s legit!
@Steve-Miller said in It’s my opinion:
Bonus points for the fact the components of Mexican food survive nicely in warming trays. French food not so much.
Things like beans and rice do well in warming trays, but my experience is that dishes involving tortillas are quite sensitive and benefit from serving right away. Soggy or leathery tortillas are not fun.
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True, unless the tortillas are already soggy - made up as enchiladas for example. Tacos do not survive warming trays.
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What is the term in Spanish for Mexican Oregano?
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I sent someone here some spices from The Spice House years ago, including some Mexican oregano. But I don't remember who it was....this getting old thing gets old....
@RealPlayer - apparently it's called...wait for it.... orégano
https://sweetishhill.com/what-is-mexican-oregano-called-in-spanish/
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The Spice House has a bunch of recipes that include Mexican oregano. I'm thinking some pickled jalapenos could be in my future.
https://www.thespicehouse.com/blogs/news/spicelight-mexican-oregano
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Mexican oregano isn’t all that rare. I can find it in local grocery stores. McCormick even sells it.
