International Foods in Mexico

stinkyboy1 wrote:

Just bought a bunch of green tobacco leaves at the market in Morelia.God only knows what bacteria or filth its carrying though.Any ideas on how to disinfect tobbaco?

You need to wash them then hang them out to dry in the sun slowly,  its abit of a process & can be time consuming as once the leaves are dried they need to be cured to get rid of all the ammonia still in the leaves and aged to get it to a taste that isn't offensive.  Best people to ask is someone that grows their own tobacco.

stinkyboy1 wrote:

There is a big difference between tobacco leaves freshly cut from a field in Tennessee than tobacco leaves you bought in a market in Morelia.God only knows what germs and filth they contain.Amonia or anything like it would ruin it Im afraid.I have since thrown it in The garbage anyways.

LOL i did not mean that you should wash the leaves in ammonia.  The actual leaves themselves contain ammonia when they are green thats why they need to be thoroughly dried out and cured to ensure there is no trace of ammonia left in them (even when brown they can still contain ammonia).   As for any germs,  the drying out and curing process would have taken care of any germ problems.  Home growers only wash their leaves to rid them of dirt,and insects, germs has never been an issue but c'est la vie it matters not now that you threw them out lol.

stinkyboy1 wrote:

In Mexico when you buy lettuce in The store when you bring it home you have to soak it in bleach to kill The germs The same goes for most veg and plants.Leaving it out in The Sun will not kill mexican nastyness

Yet, you will buy Mexican lettuce in the US and simply wash it in cold water. Same here. Produce bought in supermarkets are of the same quality as in the US. Mercados are different. Most use Microdyn to disinfect products bought at the street mercados.

stinkyboy1 wrote:

In Mexico when you buy lettuce in The store when you bring it home you have to soak it in bleach to kill The germs The same goes for most veg and plants.Leaving it out in The Sun will not kill mexican nastyness

I have a problem with the "have to" part. 
The FDA says 'You can thoroughly rinse your produce  with good effect'.   Hydrogen peroxide is a much better  potent biocide and not toxic for normal use. The University general recommendation is "Do not wash fruits and vegetables with bleach or soaps – it can absorb into the product and change the taste." 

If we are talking relative safety, the food in Mexico from my perspective is safer than the U.S. I have done some minor testing for myself of this idea and the food in the U.S. definitely indicates a higher bacterial load. I use H2O2 or hydrogen peroxide to clean surfaces. I use chlorine ( bleach) in the pool.

stinkyboy1 wrote:

I was constantly sick for my first three months in Mex,I have been eating The very same food for years in The states without problem.Since then I have not been ill once.Depends on where you eat also,Im in Coatzacoalcos at The moment and Im here to tell you That 90% of The eateries in this dump would be shut down on The spot by The usda.

Who in the first few months of the move to Mexico hasn't gotten sick? In terms of the count and amount of bacteria in Mexico and the US, you have to realize that Mexico is a tropical country without the necessary winter freezes to kill off a large  amount of the bacteria that causes the Aztec-two-step. The count of e.coli bacteria in the US is far below what is found in Mexico. Why doesn't if affect you in the US? Because you are used to it and gain an immunity. Time spent in Mexico will give you the same immunity. Mexican friends who visited the US suffer from e.coli maladies just like gringos from the north do in Mexico.

I've eaten in many places in Coatza and Mina without problems, but I also remember that first few weeks in Xalapa where my place to sit was in the baño on the taza.

stinkyboy1 wrote:

I ate some carne apache in Morelia ,tostadas of hamburger meat cooked with lemon juice alone.I love The stuff have been eating it for years never had a problem

The lemon juice makes up for whatever may be lacking in sanitation.

My favorite taco place doesn't look like much.  Just a hole in the wall.
But the guy at the grill makes sure the meat is well heated before serving.
The fresh veggies are already cut, chopped or cubed so I give it all the lemon juice treatment when I get home.  That and a healthy shot of chamoy which give it a nice flavor without getting too picante.

On the other hand, I like a little more chile in my pozole.  I've had it in restaurants all over the country and never had ill effects from the fresh lettuce, radishes and onion served along with it.