Tostadas are rather like an open sandwich: a crisp, crunchy tortilla topped with anything from refried beans to smoked tuna and halibut, shredded pork and chicken to scrambled eggs with chorizo - as with most Mexican antojitos, the topping is up to the cook, and what is in season and available.

Quesadillas, the Mexican version of a toasted cheese sandwich, are a crisp, crusty, golden envelope made from a corn tortilla, filled with rich, savoury cheese which is all gooey, melting and oozing out around the edges.

5 de Mayo, 5 May, is a date dear to Mexican hearts and a cause for celebrations, fiestas and general jollity, especially in Puebla, where a memorable battle was once fought. No specific dishes are served on 5 de Mayo but fajitas are real fiesta food and an appropriate way to mark the occasion.

Tacos are perhaps the best known Mexican dish outside the country, and the simplest to prepare. The easiest way to describe them is as a corn tortilla wrapped around a filling – but this does not even begin to illustrate their diversity and exuberance, let alone their potential for complexity.

According to an old Mexican wives’ tale, chilaquiles are an excellent cure for a hangover, but excess consumption of tequila aside, chilaquiles are the most comforting of foods, satisfying, rib-sticking, deeply flavoured and very good for the soul.

The actual meaning of the word “antojitos” is sudden cravings or hankerings, but it is used to describe delicious Mexican snacks, based on corn tortillas, which are enjoyed in Mexico throughout the day; they are typical of Mexican street and market food, and a real gastronomic adventure and treat.

Semana Santa, Holy Week, and Pascua, Easter, are marked by widespread celebrations, festivities and rejoicing in Mexico and while this period is in essence a religious festival, it is also tremendous fun, with a decidedly carnival atmosphere. Capirotada is a traditional Lent and Easter dish.

Corn tortillas are quintessentially Mexican, intoxicatingly fragrant and utterly addictive. They take centre stage in the national cuisine as the “bread” of Mexico, and no meal is complete without this truly pre-hispanic food which is eaten daily in every household.

According to the Mayan myth of creation, the gods made man from a dough of corn. Corn originated in Mexico, which was known as the "cradle of corn", and the veneration and cultivation of corn are inextricably woven into Mexican history, culture and food.

Cajeta is a delectable, fabulously calorific, caramelised goat's milk concoction, as Mexican as you can get, and while it may not benefit the waistline, its intensely deep, comforting sweetness is undoubtedly soothing to the soul!