Cemitas, Puebla City tortas

Soon I will be meeting my group in Puebla, Mexico for my "Travel the ages... From the colonial town of Puebla to the lavish culture of Mexico City" tour.   It will be an exciting nine days.

In Puebla, we will have a tour of one of the oldest markets in town, the Cinco de Mayo, right in the historic center of town.  One day we will have comida (lunch) here and enjoy some of the local cuisine specialties.  

One of the specialties is the Cemita.   The Cemita is Puebla's local take on the typical Mexican sandwich, the torta.   It refers to the torta as well as the bread roll that is covered in sesame seeds and made without any eggs.  

This tremendous colossal torta is usually filled with sliced avocados, onions, meat (beef, pork or chicken), cheese (Oaxacan or queso fresco), chipoltes and papalo.  

Papalo is a pungent herb with a distinct flavor.  The taste is often likened to the spiciness of nasturtiums, the bitterness of arugula, and the zesty, green flavor of cilantro mixed with citrus, mint, and cucumber.  If making a Cemita at home and you can not find Papalo, a combination of cilantro and watercress drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lime will do.

The name Papalo was derived from the Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) word for butterfly. Experts believe the plant was given this name in honor of the way the leaves flutter in the wind and its ability to attract  pollinators, including butterflies, when flowering. 

More photos and another post to follow after my trip on the markets in Puebla!