Do you know which spices are proudly Mexican?

There is no skinny or boiled chicken that will continue to sulk in the corners of a pot if it is given a bath of spices. Even more so if we are talking about Mexican spices. The use of what are also called seasonings in cooking dates back to ancient Egypt and is as old as our desire to make nutritious food pass into the body without having to hold our noses. Indeed, as if they were a Midas of flavor, spices have the power to season everything they touch thanks to their concentration of aromas derived from the seeds or bark of certain aromatic plants. They must be rubbed like a magic lamp. A burst of aromas will come from within inviting us to indulge in them. But be careful! We must be subtle when using them and take care not to over-toast them so they decorate each bite without overwhelming it. Mexican spices are no exception. They are pure explosion. They are reason enough to look towards the land – or the sky – to thank for what it gives us. Without Mexican spices, the world would be missing something akin to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, his Meninas by Velázquez, culinary-wise. There you have vanilla. What would apple pies be without a scoop of ice cream with its flavor? What would wedding cakes be without their vanilla sponge cakes? The pastry cream would be missing fifty percent of its soul. The cookies their fragrant imprint. Forget about rompope! Vanilla planifolia is a spice native to Mexico, and it is in Papantla that it reaches its fullness. This Mexican spice is one of those things – a total of sixteen – that have been defended with a Denomination of Origin by the government. In the case of vanilla, this ranking celebrates pieces of land – thirty-nine municipalities between Veracruz and Puebla – processes, and the labor of those who know how to care for vanilla orchids since pre-Hispanic times. From that small pod, with the simple movement of a knife, particles emerge that smell of a soft but pungent flower.Another proudly Mexican spice is allspice or Tabasco pepper, which also bears the noble title of Denomination of Origin. And although allspice is sometimes confused with black pepper, its flavor is easy to differentiate: a mix of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. Its fame reaches India, where it is ground to prepare masalas and later creamy and spiced curries. Not far away, it is an essential ingredient in the spice prayer used in mole, but also in the seasoning and flavor of sausages, hot dogs, and BBQ sauces.Cinnamon, on the other hand, although it is native to Ceylon (currently Sri Lanka), has come to be called Mexican cinnamon because it is the country with the highest production. Just think for a second: what doesn’t smell like cinnamon in Mexico? Its slightly spicy flavor – like everything that Mexicans enjoy – perfectly combines with the sweet or the savory. Cinnamon swims in a sea of horchata waters, in the spiced grinding of mole, in the recados. It is in the sweet breads that young people carry in their baskets and in the carts of churros from the corners. It is perfume in pepianes and marinades. It is everywhere.We cannot forget another great Mexican spice, achiote, without which cochinita would be just plain cooked meat and tacos al pastor – thank you, world! – would not exist. Mexico tastes of chili, of course. But it also tastes of the festivity of its spices and of the fragrant herbs (which are a different matter and to which we will plunge into soon). Together, Mexican spices give identity to a pantry that is rightly called baroque and even churrigueresque. It is enough to remember that Mexicans do not eat boiled chicken or chayote except when sick. Better dead than simple, even in food. What we enjoy is combining densities and layers of flavor, techniques and preparations that give rise to a complex symphony called Mexican gastronomy. What is your favorite Mexican spice?