Focusing on Mexico, this is one of a series of pocket guides which celebrate the foods, holidays and traditions of individual countries. The Mexican calendar includes many holidays and feast days, with the Christian influence of the Spanish overlaid on the rich variety of earlier civilizations. The accompanying cuisine is similarly varied - Mexicans have been eating chilli for over 5000 years, but the spicy foods for which they are best known are balanced by delicate tortillas, exotic fruits and a variety of seafood.