The ultimate guide to Los Angeles' Mexican Antojitos (2023)

When it comes to reducing hunger pangs during the day, Mexico stands out. Here, a plethora of tempting snacks called antojitos, most of which are spread on masa containers, are sold by street vendors in every city, town and neighborhood. However, antojitos, meaning "little cravings" or cravings, are much more than a snack (botana), tapa or appetizer. They are substantial enough to be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or something in between. In a country with 32 different culinary regions, these popular street snacks combine Mexican food culture to create a national gastronomic identity with regional specifics.

"Antojitos" is a comprehensive term that coversvitamin T: tamales, tacos, tortas, tostadas, tlacoyos and tlayudas. A subset of dishes called garnachas, made with fried dough and usually topped with salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and dry cheese, is sometimes used synonymously with antojitos. An example is fried Mexico City style quesadillas stuffed with guisada, which is both garnacha and antojito. One secChilangos (Mexico City people, also called CDMX) will continue to arguedefinition of garnacha, tantalizing regional antojitos can be found in every Mexican state.

“The main difference between antojitos and garnachas is that garnachas are street food and antojitos are food that you can also find in restaurants,” says Lalo Villar, founder of the hugely popular YouTube channel.Place Grenachenine years ago, creating a visual tribute to the oft maligned street vendors and their delicious food, sometimes disregarded by the Mexican elite.

In Los Angeles, our antojitos come from the second largest population of Oaxaqueños in the world, as well as Sinaloenses, Jalisciences, Nayaritas, Mexiquenses, Chilangos and about half of Mexico's states, not to mention Chicanos. And just like Mexico, it is essential to Mexican cultural life in Los Angeles. "It's an inexpensive meal when we can't go home - on the way to school, work, play. We have amazing street food that is a meal in itself,” says Villar.

Los Angeles is the city of tacos, and there is no other place in the United States or Mexico that has more regional taco specialists, from Mazatlán's chorereads to Tijuana-style birria de res to barbacoa, from many Mexican states to Los Angeles' famous Boyle Heights tacos . de camarón to those serving crispy Lenten tacos from San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco.

But Mexican antojitos go far beyond taco culture. In Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, garnachas istmeñas are thick, fried corn tortillas with shredded beef, a sprinkle of dried cheese, and salsa. They are served with a pickled salad and often gather crowds at the street stalls in Istmo de Tehuantepec. Hearty torta de tamal, or guajolota, is a staple breakfast takeaway in CDMX, and in Chihuahua, locals get up early on weekends to eat plates covered in barbacoa beef tacos. On Thursday nights in Acapulco, Guerrero - el jueves pozolero (pozole Thursdays) - white and green pozole in cenadurías and street stands are delivered with la botana especial, a snack plate: chicharrones, limes, radish slices, cheese, tacos dorados, chopped onions and chunks of avocado, enough ballast to displace a panga boat. Pozole, floating with large, nixtamalized corn, is a soup that is antojito.

Here's Eater LA's guide to food trucks, stands, and restaurants where you can explore many of the iconic foods that define Mexican cuisine. Note that provincial antojito is a large part of Spanish-speaking countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Tlayudas

Oaxaca's most famous antojito from the Valles Centrales region consists of a large, thin corn tortilla known as tlayuda coated in unrefined lard, black bean paste flavored with avocado leaves, quesilla strands and shredded cabbage. Tlayuda is then folded and cooked into mesquite and served with cesina (pork in adobo), tasajo (beef) or chorizo, a nightly tradition at Oaxaca City stalls and fondue. The dish got its name from the tortilla.

Matthew Kang

Poncho
Alfonso "Poncho" Martinez, a traditional Zapotec chef from the Sierra Norte, takes liberties with his version of tlayuda, which is distinguished by the strength of homemade black pudding, based on a recipe he received from his mother-in-law in Zoogocho. Martinez sources his tlayudas from family in Oaxaca, but makes his own asientos (unrefined lard) and prepares his own meats, including the milder tasajo the Angelenos like, as well as his signature black pudding. The tlajudas here are very thick, full of crushed chorizo ​​in the middle of the tlajuda, a regional unorthodoxy that might anger some camisas bordadas Valles Centrales Zapotecos, but such a tasty innovation is welcome in Oaxacalifornia.4318 S. Main Street, South Central, (213) 359-0264, Friday nights only

Sun La Clayuda Oaxacan
Also from the Sierra Norte, Francisca "Panchite" Aquino Montellano's Koreatown tlayuderia offers popular Oaxacan guisados ​​to go. It's also a celebration of Oaxaca's most famous dish: quality tlayudas, typical of the Valles Centrales region, doubled and toasted on komala, with cesina, tasajo and chorizo ​​on the side, and the house of tlayuda sells a Zoogocho (bloody) style moronga made by Alfonso Martinez with Poncho's Tlayudas to add flavor to the house.752 S. Vermont Avenue, Koreatown, (213) 263-2425

Restaurant Donaji Oaxacan
Oaxacan cenaduría in the backyard of Efrain and Antonio Toledo is a feast of late night antojitas from the Valles Centrales, such as quesadillas stuffed with cheese and fresh epazote, memelas and tamales de mole. Riverside is worth a trip to see the fried to order molotas in black bean sauce, avocado and crumbled cheese sauce, stuffed with potatoes and Oaxacan chorizo, not to mention the traditional tlayudas which are served with pipicha, papalo and accompaniments like baked chiles de agua - your choice of tasajo, cesina or chorizo ​​- which are folded and cooked with mesquite meat.1608 E. La Cadena Drive, Riverside, (951) 204-9472

moloty

In Puebla, Veracruz and Oaxaca (along with a few other states), molotas are torpedo-shaped fried corn cakes filled with many regional recipes and topped with chopped lettuce, crumbled cheese and salsa. In Veracruz, it's a quesadilla stuffed with chopped chicken or potatoes and cheese, while in Puebla, adding a fair amount of wheat flour results in a fluffier dough to be stuffed with tinga, potatoes, and longaniza or goat cheese. At Valles Centrales in Oaxaca, plump molottos stuffed with a mix of potatoes and Oaxacan chorizo ​​are bathed in black bean and avocado sauce and topped with crumbled cheese.

Tenchita dining room
On a quiet street in a downtown residential courtyard adorned with papel picadas, 76-year-old traditional cook Doña Hortensia "Tenchita" Melchor runs one of the best Oaxaca restaurants in the United States, offering a rotating menu of handmade zapoteco mole, homemade stews, breakfast from Oaxaca like higadita and antojito from Tlacolula de Matamoros. Tenchitini molots are stewed in black bean sauce and topped with dry, crumbled cheese and chopped lettuce. Filled with cubes of stewed potatoes and broken pieces of spicy chorizo, this two-bite wonder is the perfect afternoon snack.2124 S. Cloverdale Avenue, Mid-City, (323) 932-1560

Wonho by Frank Lee

Planina Alban
Since 1997, Westsider residents have enjoyed one of Los Angeles' Valles Centrales restaurants with a full liquor license, serving tlayudas and moths paired with Zapoteco pyramid-shaped rice, alongside glistening molcajetes (volcanic stone corpses) filled with roasted meats, cheeses and vegetables dipped in bubble salsa. Start by ordering delicious, crunchy molotos, topped with silky black beans, shredded cabbage and flavorful red salsa, layered on a bright green lettuce leaf to go with your margaritas.11929 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Los Angeles, (310) 444-7736

Original Arabian tacos from Puebla
The hammers in this Boyle Heights family food truck come from Puebla. "We mix the mass with a little flour to make it fluffy, and on top we don't put beans like in Oaxaca, instead of green, red or flag with crumbled cheese and cream," says Arely Villegas, one of the family members. which helps to drive the truck. In addition, this truck, known for its stellar tacos árabes, serves a variety of regional fillings such as tinga de pollo, requesón (ricotta cheese), and potatoes and cheese.3600 E. Olympic Boulevard, Boyle Heights, (213) 453-0193

golden tacos

Photo: Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG

Los Dorados LA
Estiven Torres has elevated the humble flauta, the standard anthojito throughout Mexico, to long, slender, crispy tubes of rolled and fried corn tortillas, lightly smeared with cream and salsa, then covered with precise flecks of dry cheese that cling to their sweet, colorful layers. The lamb barbacoa is served with a dark, nutty salsa, while potatoes, sliced ​​chicken, potatoes, and chorizo ​​are topped with guacamole sauce, with a line of mild red salsa in the middle.5373 Alhambra Avenue, El Sereno

Restauracja Las Margaritas „El Ñañas”
Taquitos dorados done San Juan de los Lagos style in this now-worn fondue, painted a shade of rose water with flaming orange bits, is the ultimate version of rolled, deep-fried cuts on a plate, where thin, unstuffed taquitos are crispy chasers to generous spread meat. The plate consists of a pile of dry pork leg and pork leg, marinated pork legs, marinated jalapenos, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and a delicate layer of Mexican sour cream.2914 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles, East LA, (323) 268-6902

sweet little heaven
Since 1934, Aurora Guerrero's crunchy taquitos, served with a liquid avocado salsa, have drawn local and foreign diners to Olvera Street for a taste of Chicano perfection. Taquito stuffed with beef can be used to mop up folkloric salsa; all scraps are drained from paper boats for serving. In Mexican-American cuisine, it is the closest thing to a mole.23 Olvera Street, Chinatown, (213) 687-4391

Chalupas

Chalupas poblanas are Puebla's representative street dish, but other regional versions are popular in Oaxaca, Hidalgo, and other states. Green, red, and Chilean pasilla salsas, or the signature mole poblano, are spread on small, thick fried corn tortillas topped with a bit of chopped onion and thin strips of shredded chicken.

Shutterstock

Cemitas Poblanas Moja Magdalena
In addition to its extensive menu of cemitas poblanas, this popular restaurant in East Los Angeles is the place to experience Puebla antojitos. A plate of various chalupas, fried tortillas covered with red or green salsa and a spoonful of dry cheese is the right choice for poblano and lovers of this cuisine.401 S Indiana Street, East LA, (323) 266-6068

Cemitas Poblanas El Toad
Boyle Heights and East LA, home to El Sapito (meaning little frog), are Los Angeles neighborhoods where you'll find cemitas poblanas, tacos árabes, and other poblano antojitos. The menu features molottos, memels and chalupas with red or green salsa, crumbled cheese and a slice of avocado for garnish, a special addition to most of the antojitos at this restaurant that has been serving the community for over two decades.3010 1st Street, Boyle Heights, (323) 881-0428

Guelaguetza
Founded in 1994, the year of the Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles. An Oaxacan institution in Koreatown, with a full bar including an excellent mezcal, it is the only restaurant in Valles Centrales to serve Oaxacan chalupas on its extensive menu of traditional cuisine, including many antojitos. Chalupas are thick, fried corn tortillas smeared with salsa de chile guajillo, queso fresco and piles of shredded cabbage with bacon guacamole.3014 W. Olympic Boulevard, Koreatown, (213) 427-0608

toast

One of the most common ways to enjoy guisados, pickled foods, grilled meats, or seafood in Mexico is with a commercial fried, crispy corn tortilla. Every street vendor and seafood vendor in Mexico buys locally produced toasties, such as thick, extra-thick frisbee-sized raspadas from Jalisco, while others are more tender. Antojitos vendors in central Mexico offer fillings of pickled pork drumsticks, pickled pork rinds, or cured pork tenderloin on a thin layer of fried beans with tomato slices, chopped lettuce, onion rings, and grated cheese. In Mexico, tostadas are filled with guisadas such as tinga, salpicón, and even potato salad, while on Mexico's Pacific beaches, the abundance of freshly caught fish and shellfish is skillfully balanced with chopped tomatoes, purple onions, and cucumber on top of premade tostadas.

Ameca Drown Biscuits
Gerard and Maria Davila East LA cenaduría is an antojito lover's paradise that focuses on popular Ameca, Jalisco evening meals such as tacos dorados, enchiladas, posoles and delicious Guadalajara-style tortas ahogadas. There is no better place in town to eat tostadas de tinga de pollo, which is seasoned chicken, topped with chopped lettuce, onion, a quarter of a tomato and generously sprinkled with queso cotija.747 S. Atlantic Boulevard, East LA, (323) 268-6636

Grickalice The Cuates
If you were lucky enough to stop in Ciudad Guzmán on an evening walk, dubbed "Athens of Jalisco" in honor of many local intellectuals, you would easily convince many with your rhetoric of the virtues of tostadas de pata, cueritos and pork tenderloin. Fernando Gonzalez Zuniga imports large tostadas raspadas from Ciudad Guzmán and grooms his own pork skin, pork feet and pork legs to top off his dreaded breaded bean tostadas. The tostada is then garnished with finely chopped cabbage, purple onion, tomato slices and a light sprinkle of salty dry cheese straight from Ciudad Guzmán.1811 N. Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, (562) 469-9944

Seafood lighthouse
At Highland Park, Ana Victoria "Viky" Ibañez, a traditional Mazatlán ceviche chef, prepares southern Sinaloa seafood tostadas without the fancier dishes of Culiacán or Los Mochis. Home-baked callo de lobina (bass) spread on a thick tostada, seasoned with chopped cucumber, purple onion and tomato, tomato juice, and as much crushed chiltepine as you can handle. The excellent callo de hacha (feather scallop) is treated the same way; the finely chopped pacific sierra tostada, whose filling is mixed with grated carrots for a bit of sweetness, is something beautiful. This is one of the few places in LA that serves quality fish ceviche.6139 N. Figueroa Street, Unit 6113, Highland Park, (323) 359-3814

Salbutes, Panuchos

Throughout the tri-state region of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, this ubiquitous pair of favorite antojitos yucatecos is unique to Mayan culture and is also found in Mayan cuisine in Belize. Salbutes are fried puffed corn tortillas topped with shredded turkey, chicken or cochinita pibila, served with slices of tomato, avocado, cucumber and pickled red onion. Panuchos, corn tortillas stuffed with fried black beans and sprinkled with grilled chicken, cochinita pibil, relleno negro or lechón, and a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickled red onion are also fried in lard. None is complete without chiles habaneros chasing every bite.

Shutterstock

Chichen Itza
The anthojita section of this iconic Mercado la Paloma stand features an excellent collection of anthojita from the Yucatan Peninsula, founded in 2001 by Gilberto Cetina Sr. with his wife Blanca and Gilberto Cetina Jr. parents retreat to Mérida. Panuchos, made of thick handmade corn tortillas, are filled with well-seasoned black beans and topped with tender turkey, fresh lettuce, tomato, pickled onion and a slice of avocado. Airy salbutes, a fried puffed corn tortilla seasoned in the same way, is the light, crunchy taste of Yucatan.3655 S Grand Avenue c6, Historic South Central, (213) 741-1075

Ek Balam
Chef Juan Chan's pop-up, which offers regional Yucatan cuisine based on his mom Elsa's recipes, features a small, rotating menu featuring celebrity classics like cochinita pibil, relleno negro, and queso relleno. Chan's panucho is a bright bouquet of ingredients from the Yucatan: delicately sliced ​​chicken dyed with orange recaudo rojo (achiote paste), incredibly bright pickled purple onion, the freshest lettuce and avocado slices.@ekbalamiucatancuisine

Yucatan flower
The loose construction of antojitos yucatecos covered in pale, torn pieces of iceberg lettuce has an inherent beauty; fragile pickled threads of purple onion sticking to the mass and tomato slices slowly withering in the tropical heat. The closest thing to afternoon in Mérida antojería is the table at La Flor de Yucatán in Pico-Union on a hot day, where the only relief is the drops of sweat brought on by eating raw habaneros. Salbutes, fluffy fried tortillas with chopped chicken cooked in a recaudo rojo, served with a salad with creamy avocado salsa prepared by the Burgos family, are simple, delicious and simply homemade.1800 Hoover Street, Pico-Union, (213) 748-6090

Tlacoyos

One of the purest expressions of the indigenous maize culture is the tlacoyo, a thick diamond-shaped filling containing fava beans, string beans, cheese or chicharrón, which is shaped by hand and then flattened in a tortilla press. In Puebla, Estado de México, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo, among others, a nixtamalized corn souvenir is essential for this dish, the size of which varies from region to region. In each iteration, the centerpiece is the tortilla, which is lightly seasoned with nopales lettuce, onions and salsa.

La Barbacha
All-day barbacoa - a traditional Mexican breakfast only on weekends - is hard work, and this Boyle Heights family restaurant has managed to create a full traditional menu of dishes from their native Hidalgo, ensuring the longevity of the business. In addition to the excellent barbacoa, their tlacoyos, stuffed with fried beans, potatoes or cheese and topped with green salsa, cream and a bit of dry cheese, are always satisfying.2510 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Boyle Heights, (323) 264-1451

populate buckwheat
On the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Kohler Street, in a quieter part of Mercado Olympic's bustling cluster of markets and street vendors, lives a Puebla family that makes quesadillas, gorditas, huaraches and tlacoyos. Pure, elongated masa diamonds are filled with requesón or fried beans, then customers can head to the spice stand to add chopped lettuce, sour cream, and queso cotija, and choose from a variety of salsas with varying levels of spice.

House of Tlacoyo
The only food truck in Los Angeles dedicated to native tlacoyo is a mobile theme park for lovers of these oval pie fillings, filled with traditional fillings or other concoctions more commonly found in huarache, such as pumpkin blossoms, stewed mushrooms and chicharrón. Try tlacoyo stuffed with fried beans, lettuce and cactus salad, or simply with salsa and sour cream in this unconventional food truck.@casadeltlacoyo

Tamale

Latin America's extended tamale season kicks off around Thanksgiving, when Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans, and Spanish-speaking Caribbeans stock up on tamales to serve with roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. The tamale craze begins to wane after Día de la Candelaria (February 2), but a variety of tamales, sweet and savory, with tons of fillings from our many communities can be found at Eater'sEssential tamalesdriver.

Wonho by Frank Lee

Tort

In the category of Mexican cakes, we are blessedizvanredne drowned cakes, savory melted sandwiches from Guadalajara, not to mention trucks and restaurants specializing in cemitas poblanas, a unique pastry from the Pueblo city that uses special sesame seed pastries (cemitas), many of them made inPoblański Cemeteryor independent Puebla bakers. Chilangos visiting the City of Angels will love to find tortas cubanas served in crispy telera pastries, along with the many stalls serving in the streets of CDMX. Look no further than our comprehensivecake guidesfind the best in town.

Cathy Chaplin

a fight

Spicy and messy, this affinity torta consists of bread dipped in a brick-red guajillo chile salsa, which is then well pan-fried and filled with choripapas (fried chorizo ​​and potatoes), shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco and cold mexican sour cream on light bread made of fried beans. Located in Mexico City, Estado de Mexico, Hidalgo; in Querétaro it is called guajolote and has several fillings, while in Veracruz pambazo is a simple round roll with a floury crust filled with fried beans and chorizo.

Mary's spice
On her busy Instagram account, Silver Lake's Maribel Manjarez, born and raised in the Azcapotzalco delegation in Mexico, often claims to make the best pambazo in Los Angeles. He can certainly support it. "Everything we make is homemade," says Manzarrez, including her bright red chorizo ​​mixed with diced potatoes, stuffed with bread soaked in salsa de chile guajillo, then toasted on a log and chilled in fresh lettuce and Mexican cream.546 N. Virgil Avenue, Silver Lake, @el_sazon_de_mary

Huarache Dona Chela
The narrow, bright green and yellow cafe in the heart of El Monte is home to many Mexico City-style antojitos, from sopes to quesadillas and enchiladas. Her traditional full pambazo stuffed with potatoes and chorizo ​​are cooked to preserve the bread's beautiful red color, with whipped cream on top and the option of a hard-boiled egg in the sandwich.10956 Main St., El Monte, (626) 454-4024

Taco Truck Primo
This food truck survived the great antoyit wars of 2008 whenHis grandmother, Antojitos Carmen, and others competed side by side at the Breed Street Food Fair, an event where L.A. food writers and bloggers learned about pambazos, CDMX-style quesadillas, and huaraches with salsa de semillas (dried chillies and seeds). Still located in the Avalos Bros and Tires parking lot (not applicablethe heartbreaking shutdown of Los Angeles' first viral night market in 2009), this truck makes tough, messy potato and chorizo ​​pambazas that still carry the spirit of a long-forgotten street food market.2235 1st Street, Boyle Heights, (323) 401-9847

Shutterstock

Products and services: Quesadillas, Huaraches, Gorditas, Sopes, Memelas

Whether komal or deep fryer, anthojito stands in Mexico offer a variety of shapes based on a mass of different sizes depending on your appetite, stuffed and topped with fried mushrooms, fried pumpkin flowers. huitlacoche cooked with epazote, chicharrón prensado and requesón to name a few. Sopes are small, round discs of dough with puckered edges, covered with roasted meats, beans and cheese, or stews, depending on the region. Memelas, pellizcadas and picaditas are similar to sopes and known by different names in their respective provinces.

Quesadillas in southern Mexico are stacked corn tortillas wrapped around guisados; gorditas, thin pockets of corn or flour dough, are stuffed with chicharrón prensado in CDMX and savory stews in central and northern Mexico, then toasted in komala. Huaraches, large oval mass boats known for filling the bellies of hungry workers, are unique to CDMX and some states near the Mexican capital. At CDMX, these delicious, hearty snacks are served with shredded lettuce, crumbled cheese, Mexican sour cream and salsa.

olympic market
Sidecars weave through the crowd, all locked in a narrow aisle lined with piñatas, food stalls and street vendors, you can find your way through this bustling market to quesadillas, huaraches, gorditas and sopes filled with CMDX-style huitlacoche, flor de calabaza and tinga de pollo. Count on El Sazón Guerrerense, Rico Antojitos y Guisados ​​​​Mexicanos i drugi u antojitos Mecca u LA-u.Olympic Boulevard/Central Avenue; weekend mornings and afternoons are the best

Sinaloa Express
The yellow South Gate storefront features a well-crafted menu of Sinaloan guisadas, soups, white menudos, mariscos, and mass-produced dishes popular in the fondas and cenadurías of Mexico's Pacific coast state. An order of wet beef sopas with a flurry of lettuce, pickled purple onions, salsa verde, queso coti and sour cream, served with a side of beef broth, is a warm dinner at the end of a long day for many Sinaloans.4174 Tweedy Boulevard, South Gate, (323) 749-0117

7 region Oaxaca
Thick and wide Oaxacan memes are served with chorizo, tasajo or cecina and spicy roja salsa at Lidia Chavarrija Pico-Union restaurant, founded in 1996, serving Valles Centrales dishes from San Jerónima Tlacochahuaya. Richly layered with warm asientos and aniseed black bean puree flavored with avocado leaves, this dish also features stringy swirls of quesilla and salsa that add complexity, making it a meal in itself.2648 W. Pico Boulevard, Pico-Union, (213) 385-7458

Elots, Scythians

The most popular Mexican street snack in the world is roasted or boiled corn on the cob mixed with mayonnaise, parkay, butter or Mexican sour cream - or a combination of these fats - then quickly sprinkled with chili powder, queso cotija or local cheese, and a last squeeze of lime. Different varieties of corn are used throughout Mexico and in elotes stands in the United States; the recipe is also used for corn in a cup, called esquites.

Tymoteev
The people of Lincoln Heights have spent more than three decades nibbling on the elaborately dressed elots and equitas sewed by Timoteo, simply called "corn man" by outsiders who eagerly come to the Eastside for a coveted Mexican street bite. Timoteo's fats are mayonnaise and Parkay margarine for squeezing, foaming elota, covered with dry Parmesan cheese, chili powder and a quarter of lime - the same formula applies to plates of esquites or cups of corn powder. There is always a queue which is part of the family atmosphere and tradition in Lincoln Heights.2338 Workman Street, Lincoln Heights

Elotes El Charro na žaru
Immerse yourself in contemporary elote and esquite culture at the 26 Avenue Night Market stall offering esquites and elotes, as well as Maruchaesquites, a cup of Maruchan ramen stuffed with corn and served with crushed Flamin' Hot Cheetos, as well as additional snacks such as pickled jalapeños and Flamin' ' Hot Cheetos with nacho cheese. In addition to this, there are Takisquite, prepared in individual Takis bags, and duros, large, rectangular wheat-based chicharrons topped with chopped lettuce, sour cream and a pile of corn, among other wild creations.@ave26familynightmarket

Marcin's snacks
Inglewood's Latino community frequents this Mexican eatery for popular snacks such as raspados, tortas, bionicos and fresh juices. Esquites are made with mayonnaise, margarine, dry cheese, chilli powder and lime, and elots come standard or with a container of crushed Flamin' Hot Cheetos.310 E. Florence Avenue, Inglewood, (310) 680-9554

Shutterstock

pozole

One of Mexico's iconic dishes, the cenaduría (dining) star is full of nixtamalized cacahuazintle or hominy maize, which is why this caldo qualifies as an antojito, served in the colors of the Mexican flag: red, white and green, plus a range of regional styles. Guerrero-style poplar reigns in many variations and complex spices, but each of Mexico's 32 regions has its own pozole.

Tamales Elena and Antojitos
Doña Maria Elena Lorenzo makes the best pozole in Los Angeles, with white pozole and a nutty green pumpkin seed flavored pozole being her specialty, both stuffed with al dente hominy and made with a rich broth made from a whole pig's head. Warm bowls filled with dorados tacos, cheese, avocado slices, thin radish rings, shredded cabbage, chicharrones and more add substance to this coveted Afro-Mexican tradition from the Costa Chica de Guerrero at this Watts food truck, one of the largest regional Mexican restaurants in the country .Wilmington Avenue i E. 110th Street, Watts, (920) 203-2744, @tamaleselenayantojitos

Grickalice The Cuates
A simpler, extremely rich bowl of white pozo from Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Fernando Gonzalez Zuniga's version simply garnished with shredded cabbage, thinly sliced ​​radishes, diced purple onions, salsa de chile de árbol, and a squeeze of lime, keep it up. Zuniga makes her own nixtamal, boils pig's head for meat and broth, and serves the dish with imported rasadas (raw tostadas) from her hometown.1811 N. Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, (562) 469-9944

Sister from Oaxaca
Oaxaca is a land of impressive culinary traditions created by numerous indigenous groups, but pozole is not one of the first dishes that comes to mind when planning a trip to Mexico's most famous southern state. On an evening stroll through Oaxaca City, you'll find antojitos carts offering red poplar, as at Oaxacan Dominge Velasco Rodriguez's restaurant in Koreatown. On weekends, Rodriguez makes homemade red pozole, served with shredded cabbage, radishes and plenty of lime to add some acidity.3337 1/2 W 8th Street, Koreatown, (213) 427-3508

Wonho by Frank Lee

An enchilada

In Mexican cuisine, enchiladas are rolled or folded corn tortillas dipped or covered in red, green, or smoked chili salsa and then lightly pan-fried. Sliced ​​chicken or cheese in the middle adds flavor, but the star of the dish is often the salsa, complemented by a finish of minced raw onion, Mexican cream and crumbled cheese. In central and southern Mexico, red enchiladas may be served with whole pieces of chicken and diced carrots and potatoes fried in the same salsa. Across all 32 regions, enchiladas stand out with chili, cheese, and tortillas; there are also baked suiza enchiladas, along with other creative local iterations.

Hug
One of Los Angeles' OG Sinaloan cenadurías stuck with its traditional recipes created by Maria Martinez, who combined her youthful memories of Guamuchil, Mazatlán and Culiacán for the name of the restaurant. Bright red corn tortillas are stuffed with chicken, cheese or beef, then flattened into rectangles and topped with fried cheese and sour cream with a pickled purple chopped lettuce on the side. Orders come paired with rice and beans, or try enchiladas de suelo, a special and off-menu open enchilada with crumbled chorizo.8646 State Street, South Gate, (323) 566-5522

Mexican house
The City of Bell is home to a famous kitchen run by celebrated Mexican chefs Ramiro Arvizu and Jaime Martin del Campo, who have designated Wednesday as enchilada and entomatada day, with specials for their signature dishes and the occasional surprise. Dine on the New Mexican patio surrounded by kitsch and plants, or in the main dining room for chicken or mole cheese enchiladas, chipotle cream sauce, and green or red salsa. Their legendary tres moles, which consist of three enchiladas dipped in Poblano mole, red pipián and green pipián, make for a stunning platter of enmolads.4030 E. Gage Avenue, Bell, (323) 773-1898

Birrieria Apatzingan
One of the best fundos in the San Fernando Valley, serving Tierra Caliente cuisine from Michoacán, occupies the back half of the Superstop mini-mart, its rough gray marble walls painted mustard and bright orange. On weekends, older Mexican couples and families come for the menudo; During the week, guests eat goat birrija for lunch. Every day this hidden gem has always been a beacon for the people of Apatzingan. Corn tortillas are lightly fried in red salsa - as are potato cubes and whole chicken pieces - then folded and lined up to cover everything else: shredded lettuce, salsa and crumbled cheese.10040 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Pacoima, (818) 890-6265

Enfrijolade, entomatade, enmolade

These enchiladas are stacked, lightly fried corn tortillas seasoned with mashed beans (enfrijoladas), tomato sauce (entomatadas) or mole (enmoladas). All can be found throughout Mexico, living on the menus of comedies and stalls in Oaxaca and Puebla, as well as in Oaxacan restaurants in Los Angeles, especially the enmolas from two states best known for their moles. Enfrijoladas are made with black beans in Oaxaca in southern Mexico and in Oaxacan restaurants in Los Angeles, and in the north they can be made with Peruvian bajo beans. In any case, a few slices of raw onion, crumbled cheese and Mexican cream complete the dish.

Gish Bac
Traditional Zapotec cook and barbacoa master Maria Ramos, together with her husband David Ramos, runs one of the best restaurants in the Valles Centrales in the United States, known for Maria's barbacoa enchilada, moles and an extensive menu of Oaxacan breakfast items such as entomatadas. Maria prepares a delicious tomato sauce for dipping lightly fried corn tortillas, then dips them in the sauce. Seasoned with epazote and paired with chorizo, cecina or shuffle, a bite tastes like a morning at Tlacolula.4163 W. Washington Boulevard, Arlington Heights, (323) 737-5050

Mexican cuisine by Rocia
Ever-cheerful Los Angeles resident Diosa de Los Moles aka Mole Goddess, chef Rocio Camacho continues to explore traditional moles from her native Oaxaca, the national mole, and her own creations at her charming Bell Gardens restaurant. Enmolades, Camacho's cheese, or pepper-covered chicken enchiladas are best served with her award-winning mole negro oaxaqueño or mole poblano; However, there are more options, such as manchamanteles (tablecloth staining mole), pipian (pumpkin seed mate) or her original pistachio mint mole. Try them all and appease the goddess.7891 Garfield Avenue, Bell Gardens, (562) 659-7800

travel
The world's best mezcal bar, owned by Zapotek Ivan Vasquez, also has an underrated menu of Oaxacan snacks. Make the enfrijoladas, a stack of lightly fried corn tortillas, topped with a smooth black purée, nicely spread on a wide ceramic plate with shallow edges and garnished with garlic slices, sour cream, coriander and two sparkling sunny toppings. burnt eggs.801 N. Fairfax Avenue, Unit 101, West Hollywood, (323) 850-8518, three locations