Mixiote leaf
Mixiote is the thin, translucent membrane peeled from the outer skin of maguey leaves, used to wrap seasoned meat for steaming. The word also names the dish cooked in it.
Description
Larousse derives mixiote from Nahuatl mexiotl and notes the alternative name oblea de maguey. The membrane is carefully lifted from the surface of a maguey leaf to obtain a wide, thin, translucent sheet, which is dried and sold rolled in markets and soaked in water before use to make it pliable.
Use
Meat is marinated in a sauce of guajillo and pasilla chiles, pulque, cumin, oregano, thyme, marjoram, clove, bay, garlic and avocado leaf, placed on a square of mixiote, tied with string and steamed. Because the result is soupy, it is served opened in a deep plate. Hidalgo favors mutton, goat or rabbit; the State of Mexico is known for the mixiotes of Texcoco and Chalco; Tlaxcala uses chicken or rabbit marinated a whole day in guajillo and ancho. They are popular Sunday food in central Mexican markets.
Restrictions
Removing the cuticle badly damages the maguey leaf and prevents the plant from being used for pulque, so its sale has been prohibited in some places. Plastic bags or aluminum foil are now widely substituted, though Larousse says the flavor is not the same.
Reviews
Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.
See also
References
- "Mixiote". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.