What Makes Mexican Food Mexican?
Mexican dish is a unique combination of indigenous Mexican cuisines and Spanish. The several ingredients in it make it stand out among other foods around the world. UNESCO has recognized it as an intangible cultural heritage contribution towards humanity.
The traditional Mexican cuisine is more than authentic spices and dishes. It is a vibrant, lovingly served cultural heritage. The handcrafted recipes are passed down from one generation to the other.
The Mexican food culture involves planting and harvesting indigenous ingredients like the Chile peppers and corn in Chinampas. The next step involves the manual grinding of the grain for tortillas on mortar and stone.
The Mexican cuisine embraces the whole heritage of culture dedicated to preserving the native customs and cultural practices. Most Mexican meals served in the US cities bordering Mexico, like San Diego, are far from being traditional or authentic. Some foods include queso dip, enchiladas, hard-shell tacos, chill con Carne, and burritos.
Fajitas, a Tex-Mex invention, is currently served to most tourists in the US because it is considered authentic. Tex-Mex is loosely related to Mexican cuisine. The early settlers in Texas invented it. It was inspired and developed from Mexican cooking. However, the culinary practices and ingredients related to the indigenous Mexican cuisine are not part of the US-based food.
Benito’s restaurant is a local favorite known to be part of the Fairmont area in Fort Worth. This Mexican restaurant is located on the famous Magnolia Avenue and Near the Southside neighborhood. The head cook at Benito’s restaurant has been preparing authentic dishes from scratch for over two decades.
The menu contains numerous delicious Mexican entrees. Some of the most popular dishes at the restaurant are milanesa, Rellenos, your favorite enchiladas, and tamale wrapped in banana leaves.
Note that at Benito’s restaurant, the main entrees are served with homemade tortilla soup. The restaurant finds pride in serving large quantities of your favorite dishes. You will leave the place satisfied.
Because of Benito’s tasty margaritas, great meals, and excellent services, it has become a renowned landmark in Fort Worth. The restaurant is the place to be whether you need the late-morning breakfast, evening dinner with pals, or require lunch specials.
Authentic Mexican meals are derived from a blend of Spanish traditions, Mayan and ancient Aztec. There are particular recipes to adhere to, specific textures and flavors to expect, and specific results to be achieved. Some liberties are allowed, more so in Mexico’s haute cuisine. There could be wide variations in the dish preparation, but each dish is traditional and authentic in the region.
Distinct Features of the Mexican Dishes
There are distinct features of traditional Mexican cuisine that can assist you in differentiating authentic Mexican from Tex-Mex preparations. The features include:
- Frijoles prepared from scratch, not the American-based refried beans
- Cooked corn grains
- Complete corn cobs instead of salsas
- White cheese instead of the yellow cheese
- Soft tacos instead of the crisp taco shells
- Maize-based tortillas instead of wheat tortillas
- Traditional spices and not dry oregano or cumin
- Fresh and healthy ingredients like chiles, tomatoes, instead of store-bought salsa
Corn is Everywhere
From tamales to tortillas to enchiladas to the Hominy of large kernels, corn seems to be present everywhere in the Mexican food industry. You will be amazed to know how the Mexican people process what appears to be a bland ingredient into some of the most beautiful and delicious food creations. Among the Mexican preparations, Tortillas are the most dominating form of corn.
They are the foundation of most Mexican staples, such as the flautas, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas, and taquitos. They are widely found. Take a look at both South and Central America. From street foods to beaches to restaurants. The dishes form part of every meal because they are an absolute staple among the Mexican dishes.
Spices Dominate
Mexican dishes present unique flavors and are some of the most delicious. Common ingredients used in the preparation of the dishes are chilies, cumin, oregano, cilantro, onions, and garlic. Note that there are more than 100 different varieties of chili used in preparing Mexican meals.
Cocoa, cloves, and cinnamon are also used in unique ways not present in European or North American dishes. Epazote, a traditional herb in Central America, has been in Mexican meals from ancient times. It is majorly used in preparing corn dishes, fish, and beans, where it elicits a solid musky flavor that complements the unique Mexican flavor.
The Mexican Cuisine at the North of Border
You are likely to find authentic Mexican cuisine in the US. Aqui es Texcoco is proud to be forwarding the cultural heritage of Mexico’s traditional cuisine by bringing authentic barbacoa to the restaurants based in California.
Texas Monthly Holy Guacamole
The old-fashioned restaurant is a beautiful place to be. A mention of what you would expect is thick corn-cake tarts which come with grated cheese, refried beans, and green chile sauce.
The gigantic Oaxaca chicken and mole tamal wrapped in banana leaves can serve a starving family. Note that the adobo sauce is dark and rich. Not everything is perfect. Authenticity efforts are still distinct.
Other Ingredients
They include:
Avocado
In Guacamole, avocado is the main ingredient. Mexican food history points out the cultivation of the avocado plant to have started at least 5000 years ago. In preparing Guacamole, the sliced avocados are added to soups. The avocado leaves flavor stew. In some instances, they are ground and added to sauces and moles.
Annatto
They are bright red seeds obtained from the tropical bush in Mexico. They are ground into seasoning pastes. Annatto seeds add an intense flavor and deep red color to Mexican dishes such as Cochinita Pibil.
