4 Mexican Foods You Didn't Know Existed

Mexican cuisine is more diverse than Mexican restaurants in the United States lead us to believe. Traditional Mexican food — like traditional Chinese food, or any traditional food, really — is very different from what we get in America. Of course, tacos and tamales are common in Mexico, albeit not as we know them (with sour cream and lettuce, for example).

There are popular Mexican foods that many Americans wouldn't dream of eating — as well as foods that Americans would certainly dream of eating. Some of them are on this list. The rest, you'll just have to travel to Mexico and find out about yourself. 

Alambre

Alambre consists of grilled beef topped with chopped bacon, bell peppers, onions, cheese, salsa, and avocado. Without the chopped bacon, it doesn't seem so different from what one might request in a Chipotle order. It can also be barbecued and eaten on skewers, which is most likely why the world alambre translates to "wire."

Pejelagarto asado

Pejelagarto asado is a simple dish consisting of grilled freshwater gar served with tortillas, garlic, chopped onions, and chile sauce. It is a popular dish in the Mexican state of Tabasco.

Escamoles

Perhaps not as appetizing as some of the other items on this list, escamoles are ant larvae that are eaten in clusters at a time. From a distance, they look like thick-grain rice or small cannellini beans, but make no mistake: these are not vegan. Some varieties are called "insect caviar," and they reportedly have a buttery, nutty taste.

Huevos Divorciados

Huevos divociados (divorced eggs) are separated in the sense that the dish is composed of two heated tortillas under two sunny-side up eggs — one covered in salsa roja and the other in salsa verde — separated by a line of refried beans and topped with cotija and totopos. Move over, huevos rancheros.