Chile & Lime

I keep a running list of foods I want to try while in Mexico, but as with many lists, by the time I cross one item off, I have added three more. This country is chock-full of street vendors selling tempting hunks of grilled meat, mounds of fresh fruits, and heaps of new items I have never seen before, but street vendors in Mexico can be a bit of a risk. One of the first rules you learn about these eateries is that it’s probably best to avoid them if you do not want to get sick, because the kind of sick you get here makes you want to cut out your intestines to ease the pain and then never eat again, but the unbeatable prices, savory aromas, and little old ladies who have been cooking this stuff for years make them hard to resist. Fortunately, you do not have to say no to everything. If there are any rules we observe in our already cautious approach of mostly eating at home, they would be to avoid vendors where the woman who stuffs the meat into your torta with her bare hands also uses those same hands to collect your money; or those where there is not a crowd of people gathered feasting on their food (if the Mexicans don't eat there, neither do we). Mostly, it is just a guessing game or following your instincts, and sometimes relying on word of mouth to send you to the right place, but even then the evening can end a bit rough.

Anders and I decided to take our chances last weekend and try some garbanzo beans served out of bucket, one of those big five gallon dry wall buckets that you buy at Home Depot. I have eaten plenty of garbanzo beans atop a green salad or pureed into hummus, but this was my first time consuming them directly from their casing. The beans themselves were pretty ordinary, but served with the dynamic duo of condiments—chile and lime—they were livened up to a pretty tasty treat. We are new converts to the Mexican idea that lime and chile make everything better — sopa azteca, tacos, fruit, and even (although we have yet to try and confirm it) movie theater popcorn.


Last weekend we tried this combo dumped over the top of potato chips. I had been eyeing this treat for quite some time and decided it was time to cross it off of my list. They lived up to all of my expectations of the perfect afternoon snack for strolling around town-salt and spice mixed with a bit of tang. They aren’t a clean snack— your hands are covered in hot sauce by the end of the bag— but the taste is so addictive you want to lick every last bit off of your fingers. They do get a tad soggy by the end of the bag, so if you have a problem with textures you may want to avoid the last few chips, but mostly I was just sad to see an empty bag.

Here is my best guess to how you can make these at home.

Potato chips a la Mexicana

I would suggest using Lightly Salted Kettle brand Chips, but Lays Classic Potato Chips would also work.

Serves 1

2-3 handfuls of potato chips
1 big glug of hot sauce (We used Valentina, but any non-salsa hot sauce will do)
the juice of ½ of a lime

Fill bowl with potato chips. Generously cover with hot sauce and lime juice to taste. If you want, season with salt and then eat immediately.