Mole, a rich and complex sauce deeply embedded in Mexican culture, stands as a culinary “sacred cow” for many reasons. Historically, mole is more than just a dish; it’s a cultural artifact, tracing back to the pre-Hispanic era and evolving through the centuries under the influence of both Indigenous and Spanish culinary traditions. The word “mole” originates from the Nahuatl word “mōlli,” meaning sauce or concoction. This term reflects the complex, blended nature of the dish, which is a cornerstone of traditional Mexican cuisine, rich in ingredients and cultural significance. The preparation o ..read more

Claudia Sheinbaum was the clear winner of a mock presidential election in Mexico held Tuesday at university campuses across the country, suggesting that the ruling Morena party candidate can expect strong support from young voters when the real deal takes place on June 2. Students and university staff cast a total of 255,707 ballots in the Simulacro Electoral Universitario (SEU), or the University Electoral Simulation, which took place on around 400 campuses in all 32 of Mexico’s federal entities. Results of SEU’s mock election at the Technological University of Southern México State mirrored ..read more

Mexico’s forthcoming national election is a great opportunity to take a step back and rethink the bigger picture of public insecurity in Mexico. Crime incidence data shows that the policies and actions of the last three administrations — Calderón, Peña Nieto and López Obrador — have not significantly reduced most crime and violence indicators. If insecurity is to improve in Mexico, understanding what has gone wrong in security policy is of utmost importance. A good starting point is to question the core public premises behind the actions of the different administrations. We could plausibly s ..read more

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) announced the hurricane forecast for 2024 on Saturday. The tropical cyclone season will begin on May 15 in the Northeast Pacific Ocean and June 1 in the Atlantic Ocean (includes the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico). The weather agency predicts a more intense hurricane season in 2024 in the Atlantic Ocean, where hurricane activity is expected to increase by up to 50%, with 14 potential storm systems. Meanwhile, the Pacific Ocean will see around 10% more systems than average. The 2024 hurricane forecast for Mexico includes a total of up to 41 storms, t ..read more

You’ve seen them made of ceramic in anthropology museums, featured in Diego Rivera paintings and even as a main character in the Disney hit Coco. The is-it-ugly-or-is-it-cute Mexican hairless dog — el xoloitzcuintli — is one of the oldest documented dog breeds in history and serves today as a symbol of Mexico’s fascinating story. What is the legend behind the Xoloitzcuintli? Known affectionately as Xolo (Sho-lo), the name Xoloitzcuintli welds two Nahuatl words: itzcuintli, meaning dog, and Xolotl, the Mexica (Aztec) God and ruler of the dark and taboo, including lightning, twins and fire. Xolo ..read more

Many people, including myself, wax poetic about how life in Mexico has changed them. We talk about how the different pace of life has made us more patient. We share how we have a newfound appreciation for things we didn’t notice before. But how do we really know if we have actually changed, or if we are just telling ourselves (and others) that we have changed? I present to you: the Mexican Stress Test. A disclaimer: I just invented the Mexican Stress Test last night — but I do think I am on to something. My wife and I have had the luck of having the power go out in our home in San Miguel de Al ..read more

As extremely hot weather affects much of the country, many Mexicans were left without electricity on Tuesday afternoon and night. Power outages were reported in 21 states, while the National Energy Control Center (Cenace) declared a state of emergency in Mexico’s electricity system on two occasions. Así el apagón en San Luis Potosí #SLP pic.twitter.com/frWsO1quFO — Frankie (@frankiefran) May 8, 2024 Cenace said in a statement on Tuesday night that Mexico’s electricity generation capacity was affected from 4:05 p.m. Mexico City time when a power plant in Tamaulipas “went out of service.” Se ..read more

The Baja California peninsula’s rugged terrain and stark desert landscapes have provided the setting for seven decades of off-road racing, and the Baja 1000 is inarguably the most famous of these races. The legendary event dates back to 1967 and is still the longest continually operated desert race in the world. But the Baja 500, also run under the SCORE International banner, has been around almost as long. It celebrates its 56th race this year, only one less than the Baja 1000. The green flag symbolizing the start of these iconic competitions typically drops in Ensenada, hence the city’s nick ..read more

Mexico continues to be the preferred country for retirement among United States citizens, as confirmed in an updated 2024 report by Investopedia. In 2020, more U.S. citizens moved to Mexico than to any other country, and was the top destination for retirees. And in 2022, the U.S. State Department reported that 1.6 million U.S. citizens were residing in Mexico. Mérida is becoming a popular destination for expats, thanks to its Caribbean weather, its Old World charm and its status as one of Mexico’s safest cities. (Like Where You’re Going) For many, the main reason behind retiring in Mexico or a ..read more

Crafting a rich, genre-bending account of her sister’s 1990 murder at the hands of an abusive ex-boyfriend has earned Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza a 2024 Pulitzer Prize, Columbia University has announced. Rivera Garza’s “Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice” was lauded by the selection committee as a nonfiction work “that mixes memoir, feminist investigative journalism and poetic biography stitched together with a determination born of loss.” Rivera Garza’s book, “Liliana’s Invincible Summer” was also a 2023 National Book Awards finalist. (Hogarth) The book’s titl ..read more