“La cruda” is such an evocative name. It literally means raw, but in Mexico it is used to describe a bad hangover, from which many Mexicans will be suffering on New Year’s Day.

The “posada” season is in full swing, and in Mexican kitchens, the fragrant aroma of the festive drink called “rompope” hangs in the air like a velvet cloud. Spicy, rich and decidedly boozy, it is one of the essential components of a Mexican Christmas.

Huevos del albañil are a typical, traditional breakfast throughout the country, although a popular variation is to toss some stale tortillas into the sauce to make green “chilaquiles” which serve as a bed for the eggs.

Wander around any Mexican market and you will be struck by the countless chickens on the butchers’ counters. There seem to be hundreds, if not thousands, and it is difficult to believe that there is a demand for quite so many of them!

The “eggs from the ranch” are to be found in every nook and cranny of Mexico – every cook churns them out regularly for breakfast (and only for breakfast), and of all the egg dishes in the repertoire of traditional Mexican cuisine, they are a classic, perhaps the best known and most widely eaten.

No Mexican kitchen is ever without its bubbling earthenware cazuela of frijoles – beans are an integral part of everyday life and food. They are utterly earthy, true Mexican food for the soul, wholesome, soothing, satisfying.

Huevos Divorciados or Divorced Eggs are certainly not a part of historical, traditional Mexican cooking, as the origins of the dish are obviously very present-day!

Mexicans tend to “break the fast” in the early morning with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee spiked with cinnamon and a “pán dulce”, but as the morning progresses, appetites are kindled and it is time for the “desayuno”.

For the past week, the market stalls in Taxco have been decorated with brightly coloured tissue paper cut-outs of pumpkins and skeletons and some very seasonal goods have made their annual appearance.

"Enfrijoladas" are Mexican street food at its simplest but most satisfying and comforting, drawn from poverty cooking – the ingredients are cheap and plentiful, staples to be found under every shabby market awning and in every Mexican household, particularly the pot of beans.