Mexican Cooking: A Melting Pot of Diverse Cultures
Mexico can boast of a colorful past that granted it diverse cultural influences. Because of this, its food took on a personality all its own. Not confined to the usual fare of tacos, nachos, and burritos that have become so popular among fast-food chains, authentic Mexican food can offer much, much more.
The best-selling novel, “Like Water for Chocolate,” introduced people around the world to the vital role that food plays in Mexican culture. In fact, native food has played such a critical role in Mexico’s history that even today, many farmers describe themselves as “el hombre del maiz,” or “man of corn.” Corn was one of the foods on which the Mexicans’ indigenous ancestors, such as Mayans, Aztecs, and Toltecs, based their cuisine. Peanuts, beans avocados, tomatoes, squash and coconuts, along with that “food of the gods,” chocolate, were traded among the native peoples for hundreds of years.
1521 saw the entry of a lot of influences to Mexico. The Spanish, led by Cortez, brought with them livestock. So, for the first time, the natives had a taste of pork, beef, and lamb. Milk and cheese also made their first appearance as far as the natives are concerned. The Spanish also brought with them many of the spices now considered staples in Mexican cooking like: cinnamon, oregano, black pepper, and coriander. Today, many Mexican dishes, such as cheese quesadillas or grilled beef fajitas are considered native to Mexico but little do people know, these dishes had a lot of Spanish influences to them.
A bit of trivia: corn tortillas was not an original Mexican creartion. It was brought to Mexico when Native Americans traded with the Aztecs all those centuries ago. It only seemed that way because their use had been so prevalent in Mexican cooking.
The French also had a role to play. For a brief period, Mexico had been under French rule, so there is a little hint of Gallic flavor to Mexican food. Chilies en nogado comes to mind, a dish made of stuffed chilies topped with walnut sauce.
Finally, the Texans have left a little bit of America on Mexican food. South Texas has been a combination of Mexican and Anglo culture primarily due to the state’s proximity to Mexico. The Mexican “barbacoa” – a method of cooking where meat is roasted slowly over a spit – is seen as the origin of the word “barbecue”. Tex-Mex cuisine is known as an amalgamation of the two cooking styles and is characterized by the heavy use of beef, pinto beans, and rich, spicy red sauces.
Today, there are countless regional variations of dishes within Mexico. Sonoran Mexican food is markedly influenced by the Pacific coast and California’s abundance of vegetables. On the other hand, food along the Gulf of Mexico centers on luscious seafood. Too bad that the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico is now under a lot of stress because of BP Petroleum’s recent debacle. Should the damage be permanent, the world will lose some of the most wonderful seafood anywhere.
With all the variety and influences, there is one undeniable gift that Mexico gave the gastronomic world – chili peppers. However they may be spelled: “chili,” “chile”, or “chilies”, the sheer number of the different kinds of chilies has made Mexican cooking truly interesting. Whether one makes chili rellano using poblano peppers, or uses roasted japalenos for fajitas, or makes liquid fire using Serrano or habanero peppers, we have Mexico to thank for.
Michelle is truly a season article writer relating to household cooking. The lady simply relishes sharing her hints and tips on preparing crock pot and / or slow cooker beef stew.
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