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Discovering Mexico
A woman who is not married is addressed as Señorita regardless of her age, whereas a
woman who is married is a Señora. Men are called Señor, unless it is a boy or young man,
then he is called Joven.
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.
Food
Ingredients
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,
avocado, cacao, coffee, 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.