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Día de los Muertos (also called Día de Muertos or, in English, Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the connection between the living and the dead, honoring people who have passed away. In Mexico, the living traditionally take part in parades, decorations, and cemetery vigils throughout October until the holiday on November 1 and 2, when the dead are believed to be present. In Mexican homes, families assemble ofrendas (altars to departed loved ones), prepare their favorite foods, and share memories. Here are popular Mexican foods that F&W Best New Chefs, F&W staff, and a F&W favorite chef have shared in honor of their loved ones for the occasion.
Arroz a la Mexicana
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
2022 F&W Best New Chef Ana Castro’s take on this classic Mexican rice dish infuses fragrant jasmine rice with tomatoes, onion, and garlic along with a vibrant addition of green peas and carrots. Castro likes to add a whole serrano chile for a spicy kick, and serves it all with a sliced banana for a cleverly balanced sweetness. Finally, she tops the 35-minute rice dish with a rich sunny-side-up egg.
Entomatadas
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
2023 F&W Best New Chef Edgar Rico fries fragrant corn tortillas until they’re crispy enough to stand up to a dip in the tomato sauce but still pliable enough to fill with queso fresco and Cotija cheeses.
Cheesecake with Tequila Cajeta
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Claudette Zepeda makes a crust with lightly sweet store-bought Maria cookies as a crisp base for silky-smooth cheesecake flavored with lime juice and lime zest. The feathery, light cheesecake is served over a cajeta caramel sauce infused with tequila.
Pan de Muerto
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
2023 F&W Best New Chef Isabel Coss scents butter-and-egg-enriched dough with orange blossom water, then shapes it into a circular mound topped with long ropes of dough formed to resemble bones. A smaller ball of dough on top gives the bread its distinctive shape when it bakes. To finish, she brushes the soft and fragrant pan de muerto with syrup and dusts with granulated sugar or sanding sugars in a variety of colors.
Mole Negro
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez transforms a mole paste into a rich, deep, and complex mole negro sauce with chicken broth. He burns dried chiles until black and crispy for this symphony of dried pasilla, ancho, and morita chiles with toasted almonds, pecans, and peanuts, plus dried fruits and spices, along with Mexican chocolate.
Champurrado
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Champurrado is a type of atole, a thick, sweet drink made with a slurry of masa, aromatic Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and piloncillo — a type of brown sugar used in Mexican sweets. This 25-minute recipe is from the F&W Test Kitchen’s Diana Perez.
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