The Most Beautiful Photos of Mexican Food You'll EVER See

Say whatever you want, but Instagram was basically made for food photos [1] that make you salivate — and this beautiful account highlighting Mexican dishes is about to make your tummy roar.

Esteban Castillo, a Mexican-American graphic designer from California, started Chicano Eats [2] as a blog and Instagram account [3] that celebrates the beauty of Mexican dishes. "I'm the type of person that likes to reminisce and recount stories from my childhood. I grew up in a low-income home where for the most part, all we had was food. We never received toys for Christmas, or got any lavish birthday parties, but my mom always had a great meal on the table for us," Castillo told us. "I'm also just insanely proud of my roots and the colorful culture that I am blessed to be a part and in our current political climate I think it is very important that we make our bodies and our stories visible." And does Castillo deliver!

His blog and social media feature beautiful photos of Mexican dishes [5] he whips up at home based on his mom's recipes. "She'll tell me 'Ponle tantito de esto y tantito del otro,' without giving me exact measurements, so it takes a little tweaking to get it just right sometimes," Castillo said. "I have always been into food, and I believe cooking is one of those things that run in your blood. I learned from watching my mom and constantly asking her questions. My grandparents have also always been involved in their community back in Comala, Colima, where they are the go-to 'cocineros' for local celebrations. My passion for food stems from their deep appreciation for it."

In a time of cultural friction in the US, Castillo hopes to highlight the diversity of Mexican food. "I hope my feed starts to counter the narratives that mainstream keeps forcing on us. Mexico is constantly reduced to a few ingredients, and people tend to forget that Mexico is a country with more than just limes and jalapeños. Our cuisine has influences from all over the world!" Scroll ahead for some of Chicano Eats's best photos and recipes.