6 Mexican comfort foods to warm you up this autumn

As autumn arrives in Mexico, marking a subtle change in temperature with cooler mornings and nights while days remain mild, the country's culinary landscape offers a variety of dishes to warm the heart. Six comforting Mexican foods stand out to satisfy the cravings for steaming broths, warm tortillas, and other soothing flavors.

From the northern cattle-ranching state of Sonora, hailing with its freezing winters, comes Apapacho de mamá, a cheese soup that feels like a "warm hug from mom." The broth combines tomato, onion, garlic, chiles, and cubes of queso fresco or regional cheese, with potato, zucchini, corn, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips sometimes added for texture. This nourishing dish, unlike other cheese soups, allows the cheese cubes to soften without completely melting.

Milpa soup, rooted in the pre-Hispanic crop-growing system called milpa, signifies an accessible, balanced, and nourishing meal for the colder months. This soup incorporates maize kernels, onion, squash blossom, and chilies, with a base of chicken broth introduced after the Spanish conquest. Traditionally, milpa soup represents a harmonious blend of flavors that keep you warm throughout the autumn season.