Cuisine: tacos, worms, mole

A sampling of my sampling thus far:

Hole in the Wall/Street Cart Tacos -- I've had at least one every day in Mexico. eat them standing up or at a narrow bar in front of the kitchen/cart. small but thick tortillas filled with a spoonfull of chicken, pork, beef, chicharron, shrimp, etc. usually there is a vegetable mix you can shovel into them, plus red and green salsas. messy but great. $1.50 will get you fat and happy.

Gosanos de Maguey -- a delicacy I was told. the same worms you find in good tequila, fried up crispy and served with tortillas, guacamole, and salsas.

Mole -- Mexico's special sauce, usually served on top of a piece of meat, but can be served separate with tortillas and other fixins for make-your-own tacos. My only fancy dinner in Mexico City included the "Festival of Mole," which was a sampling of 12 different types of Mole. The best, and most famous, was mole poblano, a dark brown sauce incorporating chocolate and chili flavors.

Elotes -- a street staple. Corn on the cob, slathered in mayonnaise, sprinkled with cheese, salt and pepper, chili powder, and salsa. I could take one out in about 60 seconds.

Sopes -- crispy tortilla topped with refried beans, meat, salsa, and sprinkled cheese

Chilaquiles -- like sopes but the tortillas are broken up and drenched in a whole plat of salsa.

Mescal -- at least as I tried it, the nasty moonshine cousin of tequila. comes in a bottle that looks like vegetable oil. only muted with lots of soda, delivers a mean hangover.

Noche Buena -- brewed by the makers of the Sol/Tecate family, and only sold in Mexico for a week or so around the Christmas holidays. Served free to visitors at the Cerveceria Cuahtemoc.