Mexican cuisine as it is known today began with the advent of the Spaniards, who brought with them twenty-eight generations of Moorish domination. Livestock and poultry, rice and wheat, onions and garlic, citrus fruits, sugarcane, and spices from the Far East, when merged with the foodstuffs of the conquered land, forever changed the diet of the indigenous peoples and Spanish settlers alike. Of special importance was the role of the convent, where the nuns used their talents to transform these ingredients into exotic offerings to please visiting dignitaries. Complex dishes from moles to desserts soon found their way onto the tables of aristocratic Spanish families and now are served in homes and restaurants in every part of the country, but especially in Puebla and Oaxaca, where the influence of the church was greatest. To sample some of our most popular dishes, click on the thumbnails below