Lent in Mexico: Vegetable Dishes to Try as Catholics Swear off Meat
It is Lent once again, which means Catholics swear off meat and must turn to fish and vegetables for food. After looking at seafood, let us now look at vegetarian dishes to enjoy as we commemorate the season. BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

It is now Lenten season and Holy Week, which means Roman Catholics will try to abstain from eating meat and turn to fish and vegetables.

So let us look at the yummy Mexican vegetarian dishes to enjoy as we commemorate the season. Many of these vegetarian dishes in Mexico are best enjoyed during Lent and Holy Week.

But remember that a vegetarian diet is different from a vegan diet. The vegetarian diet does not include meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, while the vegan excludes all meat and animal products.

5 Vegetable Dishes in Mexico to Enjoy During Lenten Season, Holy Week

Mexico is rich in produce, from cacao beans to avocadoes and even edible cacti. Here are five delicious vegetable dishes in Mexico for you to enjoy this Lenten season and Holy Week so that you will probably not miss meat that much.

Tamales

While tamales are usually stuffed with meat, some variants use fruit, fish, and vegetables, making them safe for consumption for Lent. Some tamales served during the season include ones stuffed with the corn fungus huitlacoche, which Culture Trip described as having a salty and earthy flavor. Fruity variants, including strawberry, pineapple, and guayaba flavors, are also sold in streetside stands.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas in Mexico are often not just tortillas stuffed with cheese. Sometimes, they are also loaded with meat. However, in some places, they are also stuffed with veggies, most notably squash blossoms. Others also have chiles, potatoes, onions, and other non-meat ingredients.

However, for more adventurous palettes, there are also quesadillas stuffed with creepy-crawly varieties like crickets. According to Bon Appetit, seeking a tortilla for this dish is a must, as it will make a difference.

Chilles Rellenos

Chilles Rellenos are poblano peppers stuffed with quesillo or Oaxacan cheese. They are often served with a sauce but differ from place to place. The most common one is a red tomato-based sauce that is often meat-free.

This chili dish also has varying levels of spiciness, with some being super mild while others are burning hot. Usually, it depends on the pepper being used.

Hongos al Ajillo

Hongos al ajillo is a Mexican mushroom-based dish popular in Oaxaca, which is considered one of the country's culinary hotspots. According to Taste Atlas, this dish has many variants.

But it is usually a combination of sliced mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, white wine, lime juice, salt, and hot chili peppers. The dish is sprinkled with lime juice to finish.

Romeritos

This vegetable dish is often served during two of the most important occasions in the Mexican calendar: Christmas and Lent. Romeritos uses a wild plant of the same name as its main ingredient.

It usually looks like rosemary in its appearance but tastes more like spinach. People of all upbringings, whether rich or poor, enjoy it, and it is often served with a thick mole sauce with potatoes, nopales cactus, and dried shrimp patties.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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