Pozole

Pozole is a hominy and pork stew simmered until the corn blooms open, topped at the table with shredded cabbage, radish, lime and chile. It's Mexico's festival soup — the dish for Independence Day, for birthdays, for any occasion that calls for a pot large enough to feed everyone who shows up.

What it actually is

Hominy — dried corn kernels treated with lime (the mineral, not the fruit) until they swell and burst into soft, chewy flowers — simmers for hours with pork, usually shoulder or a mix of cuts, until the meat falls apart and the broth turns rich. A red version is coloured and flavoured with dried chiles; green and white versions exist too, built on tomatillo or left plain, and each is a genuinely different regional tradition, not a variation of one recipe.

The broth itself stays relatively simple — it's the pile of toppings added at the table that finishes the dish and makes every bowl slightly different from the last.

How it's served

• In a deep bowl, broth, hominy and pork together, toppings added after it arrives.
• With shredded cabbage or lettuce, radish, onion, lime and dried oregano on the side, for guests to build their own bowl.
• With tostadas or fried tortilla chips, for scooping and crunch.

Writing it on a menu

• Say which colour — rojo, verde or blanco — since they're distinct dishes with different bases, not shades of the same one.
• Mention that the toppings are part of the dish, not an optional garnish; a pozole without them is only half finished.
• Note the pork, and whether chicken is available as an alternative.
• Flag that it's a substantial, shareable pot dish; portion and pricing expectations should reflect a meal, not a starter soup.