For the Love of Authentic Mexican & Tex-Mex Food by Julia Romano
The flavors of Mexican food have influenced American cuisine for centuries. In the last half of the 1900s, Mexican-inspired foods found their way to every part of the United States, as it seamlessly blended as widespread popular cultural fare. Alongside traditional foods like tortillas, tacos, tamales, enchiladas, and salsas, new dishes emerged that combined Mexican, regional American, and other Latino cultures. Americans have welcomed Mexican foods into their diets and desired choice of cuisine. As a melting pot of numerous cultural backgrounds, the United States has incorporated Mexican cuisine into their daily eating habits as a common practice. As a matter of fact, salsa is the number one condiment throughout the nation, surpassing even ketchup and mayo. And tortillas have now been outselling hot dog buns for more than a decade. One of the primary reasons for the integration of Mexican food into the American food culture is the immigration of Mexicans into the United States. The immigrants may have left their country of birth, but their pride for their ethnicity caused them to bring their traditional, familial foods with them. To the delight of many Americans, many of the immigrants opened restaurants, serving the 26 Shop In RI
authentic Mexican food that they have come to love. The creation of Tex-Mex (which became popular in the 1940s) is the best example of our integration with our neighboring country, as Texas borders Mexico, and the popular Tex-Mex cuisine is a blending of the two.The cuisine we refer to as TexMex is rooted in the state’s Tejano culture (Texans of Spanish or Mexican heritage who lived in Texas before it became a republic) and also Mexican immigrants who hailed largely from Northern Mexico. Until the 1970s, though, most people referred to it simply as Mexican food. Mexican cuisine, on the other hand, has been around for thousands of years, beginning with indigenous communities (such as the Mayans and other Mesoamerican groups), bringing their cooking methods together. There are also Spanish, African, and even Asian influences in Mexican cuisine due to colonization. Another difference is with the spices used to create the dishes, but even more so, the specific dishes that exist in Mexican versus Tex-Mex. Mexican cuisine is different across regions, with different dishes, moles, and cooking methods that region is known for.
Yet all of these cuisines are a part of Mexican culture and tradition. The Northern Region is well-known for its meat dishes, while Oaxaca and Veracruz are more known for their seafood. Each region has unique flavors and dishes that they use. Some popular dishes are: mole, which is a traditional sauce made from chiles and cacao; cochinita pibil, or slow roasted pork; and tamales, which is masa/dough steamed in a corn husk with meat inside. Other well known dishes include: chili con carne, which is spicy stew made with ground beef, beans, and tomatoes; fajitas, which is grilled meat and veggies; and chimichangas, which are deep-fried burritos. Due to the American’s love of Mexican cuisine, Mexican restaurants across the country are thriving. Americans who have visited Mexico and have experienced an authentic Mexican meal are loving it, and maybe even more so thanTex-Mex meals. Rhode Islanders are no different when it comes to their love and preference for Mexican food. In the last several years, there have been dozens of Mexican restaurants opened across the state.
