Lent, the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, commenced February 26. While generally considered among practicing Christians as a time for penance and fasting, in Mexico it stands out for the guilty pleasures of indulging in lip-smacking culinary specialties of the season.

Despite the fact that some devout Roman Catholics appear to be ditching the long-held custom of guardando la vigilia – meaning refraining from eating red meat on Fridays – you might notice that local taco stands tend to close for the day. Housewives and restaurant chefs pick up the slack by churning out a tempting array of seafood and vegetarian dishes.

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