Discovering Mexico

Business Etiquette When in doubt, dress formal, as appearances matter in Mexico’s business world. For men this generally means a suit and tie, while women will dress in conservative, business formal or casual attire. As many offices are beginning to adopt a more casual dress code, be sure to check with your employer. Address coworkers as Mr., Ms., or their professional title unless they tell you otherwise. In formal work-related meetings, a handshake is appropriate; however, if the other person takes the first step to kiss on the cheek, go along with it to avoid an awkward encounter. Punctuality Mexicans see time as flexible and flowing with a stronger emphasis on personal interaction rather than on typical areas of courtesy like formal conversation and punctuality. Another way they view time follows the mentality that it doesn’t matter how long something takes, just that it gets done. This also means that it is very common – and almost expected – that people will be late. In Mexico, being anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes late is considered fashionably late and typical. Mexicans use a lot of vegetables for cooking, mainly to make salsas that spice up each meal. Some of the most commonly used vegetables include green and red tomatoes, a wide variety of chiles (jalapeño, serrano, and ancho), corn, and nopal (cactus). Cheese, beans, limes, and tortillas are used in many traditional dishes as well. Typical Dishes Some typical dishes include tacos (tortilla folded in half and filled with various ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes, and meats), quesadillas (a tortilla filled with cheese and sometimes other ingredients then folded flat in half and cooked on a griddle), sopes (a corn cake topped with ingredients such as meat, beans, and vegetables), and chilaquiles (fried tortilla strips topped with sauce). There is a new movement of nouvelle Mexican cuisine that has also become very popular, where chefs take traditional dishes and reinvent them for an upscale clientele. Dining Customs Unlike people in the most other countries, Mexicans have their heavy meal of the day at lunch rather than dinner, usually between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. For dinner, people have a smaller meal, normally after 8:00 p.m. Grocery Nearly all Mexicans use supermarkets to do their grocery shopping. There are supermarkets and fresh markets in every neighborhood. Food Ingredients

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Discovering Mexico