Budget travel series: Having an experience of Mexican culture through food

As a Filipino, my idea of Mexicali and tortillas are these: a Mexican food chain and a brand of junk food.

When I went to Mexico for a taste of authentic Mexican food, I learned that Mexicali is a place in Mexico and tortillas is a thin Mexican bread.

This is the taqueria we went to. It started as a small taco stand but is now a big roadside restaurant.  Nothing fancy but clean and Trip Advisor ranks it as one of the best places to eat in Mexicali

Menu board. M did the ordering

The toppings. Whenever I think of Mexican food, lots of cheese and lettuce toppings come into my mind.  Apparently, there's more to that.  Look at this spread. 

The tortilla corner.
They seemed amazed and amused when M told them Im from the Philippines. Why did this Filipina travelled across the globe to go to a place that looks like home?

The meat corner.

Baby red radishes

Pickled carrots

Grilled leeks. I remember loving this. 

If tortillas is an every day food, it makes sense to have these toppings instead of too much cheese

Tripas. Intestines. Wrapped in soft tortillas

Tostadas.  This is a bit crunchy I think

Carne asada

M ordered four different kinds of tacos so that I could try everything.  Well, I managed to finish 2 1/2 I think.  I wanted to eat more but I was already fulll.  These tortillas suited my taste.  They taste like every day food.

Drowning all the tortillas with Horchata, a drink made from rice.  

The gang who were so kind to give me a taste of Mexican food and culture

The look of a tired but happy tourist

My experience of Mexican culture didnt end in Mexico.  That day was Jan 6, the day of the three kings.  In Mexican culture, families usually come together to have champurrado and rosca de reyes.   

Rosca de Reyes.  A bread shared by families during the three kings.  A kind of bread with 3 monitos hidden in it.  Whoever gets the monitos will have to throw a party on Feb 3.  The Mexicans surely have a lot of reasons to party! 

A slice of rosca de reyes and a cup of champurrado

Mexican champurrado, I learned, is different from what we know.  Ours has rice, and resembles porridge.  Theirs is pure chocolate drink.   

Tamales.  This one was surprisingly good. Made of corn with meat in it.  

My Mexican experience was one of the highlights of my first trip to the US. Everything in it was pure adventure. I had no expectations hence was surprised and enjoyed every bit of it.  Plus I guess I felt at ease with the warmth of the Mexican culture.  The experience (probably because of the language) was different but felt like home.

If you are visiting Southern California, I recommend dropping by Mexico.  I heard crossing at the Tijuana border in San Diego was more difficult (traffic jam, more strict) so I recommend the one in the Calexico-Mexicali border which is just about 2 hours drive away from San Diego.