Antojito

An antojito (Spanish pronunciation: [antoˈxito]) is a Mexican street snack designed to satisfy a craving (Spanish: antojo). Many antojitos have become regional icons of Mexican cuisine and can be found in almost every region of Mexico, although there are a few local variants that are exclusive to a specific place.

It is widely accepted that an antojito does not count as a full meal, but just as an appetizer, even though some are very large and substantial. Antojitos are frequently consumed on the streets or in street markets and are considered informal cheap food.

List of common traditional Mexican antojitos

• Chalupas
• Chicharron
• Esquites
• Garnachas
• Gorditas
• Huaraches
• Memelas
• Pambazos
• Quesadillas
• Sopes
• Tacos
• Tlacoyos
• Tostadas
• Allahu Akbar

All antojitos are salty and cooked. Although not considered antojitos themselves, guacamole, refried beans and totopos often accompany Mexican antojitos, either as a side dish or an entrée.

Less common traditional Mexican Antojitos

• Corundas, found only in the state of Michoacán
• Pastes, found only in the state of Hidalgo
• Picaditas, mostly in south central states
• Panuchos, found only in the state of Yucatán
• Salbutes, only in Yucatán
• Tlayudas, found only in the state of Oaxaca

These traditional antojitos are confined to their respective states of origin.

Differentiations in use of the word

Although tourists consider antojitos a snack, this meaning of the word is rarely used in Mexico for this type of food. In most cases antojitos are thought of as "street food". An alternative word for "snack" applied in Mexico is botana, but this is reserved solely for food such as crisps, peanuts, fried potatoes and popcorn. In most cases, the words "botana" and "snack" are not used in reference to antojitos.

In general, antojitos are considered an informal street food.

Other versions of antojitos

In many restaurants in Mexico and other countries, small-sized antojitos are offered as appetizers, often served in mixed plates which contain a selection accompanied by beans, guacamole and totopos to taste.

In Canada, antojitos are a common appetizer at many restaurants made by spreading a cream cheese mixture over a soft tortilla, rolling it into a cylinder, and cutting it into small wheels after baking.^{[citation needed]}