PITILLAL, MEXICO - As we traipsed along the narrow streets of this little community just east of Puerto Vallarta, our small group kept chanting the mantra, “Delicious! Delicious!”

We were out with Vallarta Food Tours, owned by American ex-pat Paul Mayer and his wife, Lindsay Prime, and our three-hour itinerary included stops at street stands, taquerias (taco stands), a paleteria (ice cream parlour) and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

“We like to go off the beaten track and eat where Mexicans eat,” Mayer told me as we strolled behind our guide Alex. Mayer said he and Prime like to join the tours every so often to make sure their product stays up to scratch. The couple is keenly aware of cleanliness and choose dining spots accordingly so there’s little chance of an upset tummy.

Our first stop was Birrieria Robles, an open-air patio with outdoor cooking station, were we sat down for a tantalizing, Jalisco-style slow-cooked meat stew marinated in chilies and served in a soft taco. A cerveza (beer) supplied just the right amount of complimentary coolness.

Thankfully we were walking in between mouthfuls of some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. Wandering along the streets, we poked our heads into party-dress stores rigged with frothy, colourful creations for splashy occasions such as weddings and first communions. Nestled alongside the frock shops were numerous food stalls offering a myriad of dried chilies, spices and other accoutrements. Ladies sat curbside tending long tables filled with fresh cheeses and poultry and I spied many a working man stopping at a sidewalk counter for a large, frosty cerveza served up in a Slurpee-sized cup.

Left: A mother pauses making tamales long enough to shower her daughter some affection. Middle: A woman offers a stranger some freshly-made tacos. Right: The hard working people of Pitillal take great pride in the dishes they serve up to customers.

Next up for tasting was Neto’s famous pork carnitas — so slow cooked the meat melted in our mouths. We opted for a soft taco and our plates came to the table brimming with the stewed meat and onion mixture. Neto, who does most of the cooking himself every morning, takes pride in serving ice-cold Coca-Cola in the bottle, but I wanted something I’d be hard-pressed to find at home so I opted for a glass of ruby-coloured Jamaica (pronounced heh-my-ka) juice made from dried hibiscus flowers, sugar and lime juice. So crisp and refreshing on a hot day.

Pitillal is a residential and business area where you’ll see very few tourists.

“It’s off the beaten path and it really showcases authentic traditions,” explained Alex while leading us down a side alley to reach our next destination, La Tianita. We marched around to the back garden and patio area of a private home and came upon three generations of women who sat at tables or hovered over large pots, bantering back and forth as they scooped and tied small corn husk packages.

“They make some of the best tamales in the bay,” confided Alex.

Sitting outside at white plastic tables, we tried the freshly made tamales with a variety of homemade hot and medium salsas. Did I say delicious? Alex explained that the restaurant was only open for dinner on the weekends, but during the day Vallarta Food Tours has exclusive entry to the site.

As a palate cleanser, we stopped at a street cart where owner Ernesto expertly chopped up sweet mangos, papaya, apples and watermelon and scooped the resulting mixed salads into plastic take-away bags, complete with spoon.

Hard to believe, but I actually had room for more.

Above: The freshness of the produce is what makes the difference in taste.

Next stop was a taqueria without a name, where we lined up for carne asada (grilled meat) tacos (beef) topped with chopped onions, queso fresca (fresh cheese) and a squeeze of lime juice. Sitting on little plastic chairs scattered around the stand, we smiled and nodded at townsfolk also enjoying a tasty meal.

But my favourite dish was the seafood taco at Marisco’s Pichi. Piled high with succulent shrimp, octopus, chopped cucumber and tomato, and then topped with a rich dollop of guacamole, it was a challenge to get it up to my mouth without spilling. Oh, who cares, I thought as I forked up runaway bits of shrimp, relishing every bite.

We capped off our tour with a stop at Paleteria Villasenor for authentic Mexican popsicles and frozen treats.

What to choose from the huge list posted on the wall above the counter?

Guayaba (guava), tamarind or zarzamora (blackberry)?

I opted for a zarzamora. Heavenly.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a day.