Pozole

Pozole is one of Mexico's oldest dishes, built on cacahuazintle - a large-kernel maize nixtamalized until the grains burst open like flowers - simmered for hours with meat into a broth that is then transformed at the table. Three main styles divide the country: blanco, the plain version common in Guerrero and central Mexico; rojo, coloured and flavoured with guajillo and ancho chiles, dominant in Jalisco and the west; and verde, the Guerrero speciality thickened with pumpkin seed, tomatillo and herbs. The garnishes are non-negotiable and always self-served: shredded lettuce or cabbage, radish, onion, oregano, dried chile, lime, sometimes avocado and chicharron, with tostadas spread with cream on the side. In Guerrero the tradition is Thursday - pozoleras fill from midday and stay loud into the night - and nationwide the dish is fixed to independence celebrations in September. Its pre-Hispanic origins are documented in the early colonial chronicles, where the ceremonial versions are described in terms modern diners are glad to leave in the past.

What you actually see

• The hominy - burst maize kernels in a long-simmered broth.
• The three colours - blanco, rojo and Guerrero's verde.
• The garnish plate - lettuce, radish, oregano, chile and lime.
• Thursday pozolerias - Guerrero's weekly institution.

When to go

Thursdays in Guerrero; mid-September everywhere for the independence tables. Pozolerias serve year-round, usually from midday.

Honest expectations

Portions are large; a chica is plenty for most. Vegetarian versions exist but are not traditional. Dress the bowl yourself and taste as you go - it arrives deliberately plain.

Nearby

Chilpancingo, Acapulco and Guadalajara all hold famous pozolerias with long queues on the right day.