10
Sonoran-
Style
Staples
22Guide to Mexican-Style Cheese
30Barrio Sonoran Sourdough Bread
Pantry Items
A typical Sonoran-style pantry is stocked with many specialty items that are used repeatedly to make the typical dishes of the region. Unless otherwise noted, you can order most of the spices, sauces, and dry goods through Amazon.com,
Mexgrocer.com, and my website, JackiesHappyPlate.com.
Beef Tripe An edible part of the cow stomach used commonly as an ingredient in menudo.
Bolillo Rolls Bolillo rolls were brought to the New World by Austrian Emperor Maximillian I in the mid-1800s and quickly became very popular in this region. They are softer and slightly sweeter than a demi-baguette (about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide) and are used to make sandwiches (tortas) and mollettes.
Bottled Hot Sauces There are hundreds of regional varieties of hot sauce. Poblano Hot Sauce is made in Tucson and is one of the best. It comes in many varieties. Cholula, Tapatio, Valentina, La Victoria, and good old Frank’s RedHot are all excellent choices. I recommend trying as many different varieties as you can in order to determine your favorite.
Chamoy A bottled sweet/salty/sour sauce made from chiles, citrus, and fruit. Use it to flavor raspados, and as a condiment for fresh fruit and snacks. The Mega brand is a popular variety.
Chia Seeds Native Americans have long used the seeds for food, beverages, and medicinal purposes. The seeds come from a beautiful desert wildflower.
Chickpeas Legumes brought to the desert Southwest by the Spanish.
Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Smoky chipotle chiles are canned or jarred in a slightly sweet red sauce. I prefer jarred to canned since I usually use one or two chiles at a time, and the chiles need to be removed from the can and stored in an airtight
Poblano Hot Sauce, made in Tucson. Chia seeds and their source.
Sonoran-Style Staples
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container once opened. The adobo sauce can also be scooped out alone from the chiles and used to flavor sauces and salad dressings.
Duros A popular snack food made from puffed wheat. Buy duros either pre-puffed or as flat pellets that look like dried pasta.
Evaporated Milk A thick, unsweetened milk that has had some of the water removed before canning. Used in both savory dishes and desserts.
Hominy Dried corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution. The process softens the kernels and adds nutritional value. The hominy is either re-dried, ground into corn masa, or used whole. Fresh hominy is available at some specialty markets, while dried and canned versions are available online and in many major supermarkets.
Lard Lard is making a resurgence and there are now varieties ranging from very expensive and sourced from organic grass-fed cows, to the classic boxed lard that’s been around since forever. Choose the one that best fits your needs.
Maggi Jugo Seasoning Sauce Like soy sauce, this is made with fermented wheat protein. It is used to flavor sauces and savory dishes.
Mexican Chorizo A spicy ground sausage with a deep red hue, available in beef, pork, and vegetarian varieties, and which needs to be cooked before serving. It should not to be confused with Spanish chorizo, which is more like salami.
Mexican Crema A savory, slightly salty table cream with a thinner consistency than sour cream. Use as a base for sauces; drizzle or dollop as a topping. The Cacique brand is most commonly available. Look for it in the dairy section or purchase online at Walmart.com or Amazon Fresh.
Olive Oil Originally imported from Europe. Even though the trees were not grown in the region until 1894, olive trees are now commonly found throughout the city.
Red and Green Chiles, Frozen, Chopped, or Pureed Stemmed and deseeded red chiles, chopped, or pureed, are available in the frozen food aisle in
Duros, puffed wheat snack.
Mesquite seed pods, which are dried and ground to make flour.
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Sonoran-Style Staples
many supermarkets and specialty stores. Look for varieties that contain only chiles. Cook before consuming.
RO-TEL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
RO-TEL has a bit of a cult following, but it’s sometimes difficult to find the cans of chopped tomatoes and chiles east of Texas. Order online if you can’t find them locally. There are several varieties and heat levels available.
Sweetened Condensed Milk Like evaporated milk but sweetened. Used mostly in beverages and desserts.
Tamarind Candies Tamarind pulp is coated in a sweet and sour combination of sugar, salt, and chile powders. The candies are most commonly available shaped into ropes or small chunks. Mexgrocer.com offers a huge selection.
Tepary Beans A heritage food found in prehistoric sites in the Tucson mountain basin.