A cemita is a towering sandwich from Puebla, Mexico, defined by its bread: a brioche-style roll topped with sesame seeds that is sturdy, slightly sweet, and capable of holding a large volume of ingredients. The sandwich is built with Mexican mayo (made with lime juice) and house-made refried beans on the bread, layered with a fried chicken milanesa, onions, tomatoes, avocado, and quesillo — a stringy, meltable Oaxacan cheese — then topped with blended chipotle for spice, and pressed for six to eight minutes until crispy.
Washington DC
Taqueria Xochi
Cemita
Cemita bread / Mexican mayo / Refried beans / Chicken milanesa / Onions / Tomatoes / Avocado / Quesillo / Blended chipotle
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Seth visits Taqueria Xochi in D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood to learn how to make the restaurant’s signature cemita — a sandwich from Puebla, Mexico. Chef Geraldine begins with a sesame‑topped roll,spreading Mexican mayo with a hint of lime, followed by refried beans and a freshly fried chicken milanesa. From there, she adds sliced onions, tomatoes, ripe avocado, quesillo and a chipotle spread.
Technically, a cemita is a sandwich, since bread and filling are involved. One look at the split Mexican torta from a youthful Washington carryout and I find myself playing armchair geologist, hungry to plumb a cross-section of terrain that starts with a dome of sesame-seeded bread and continues with a web of tangy white cheese, mayonnaise, buttery avocado, juicy tomatoes, smoky onion, crisp chicken cutlet and refried beans. Bite down and a curtain of chipotle sauce washes over the interior.
Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post
