The Wonderful Differences Between Mexican and American Food.
It should not be a surprise to anyone to hear that the neighboring countries of the United States and Mexico have different cuisines. Nor is it surprising to hear that Mexican food recipes and recipes for traditional American dishes are quite different. What is surprising is that they are different - quite often, countries which border each other have somewhat similar culinary traditions, such as is the case between the US and Canada. So why is it that our food is so different from Mexican food anyway?
Mexican Food History
There are two important reasons why Mexican food differs so greatly from the standard fare in the United States. One is historical. Unlike the United States, Mexico spent a much longer time as a Spanish colony than did the US. It is true that parts of the US were originally Spanish territories, though the Spanish colonial period lasted for a much briefer length of time here, with the influence of Spanish cuisine being pronounced mostly in regions, which were once Spanish territory, largely those bordering Mexico.
The US has a different history, being a former British colony with most of its early immigration coming from northern Europe and having different culinary traditions. This alone accounts for some of the divergence of Mexican and American cooking, since traditional Mexican recipes have a profound Spanish influence which is missing from most American cooking.
Colonists who came to Mexico from Europe came by and large from Spain and had a deep and lasting influence on what is now the nation of Mexico. Many classic Mexican recipes are either Spanish and are made much the same way as they are in Europe or are adaptations of Spanish dishes using local ingredients as substitutes for those, which were unavailable in the Americas.
The Spanish are not the only immigrants to Mexico who have made contributions to Mexican food, of course. The popular Mexican recipe al pastor came to the country with immigrants from Lebanon and Syria and is an adaptation of the Middle Eastern dish shawarma. However, it is unquestionably the Spanish who have had the strongest influence over Mexican food recipes.
While the US has had many immigrants from many different parts of the world, the diversity of the US population as compared to Mexico's has meant that the cuisine of Mexico has remained more distinct than that of its northern neighbor. This by no means, means that Mexico is a place where foods from other countries is not enjoyed and adapted to local tastes either.
The Differences Local Ingredients Make in Mexican Cuisine
The second reason for the difference between Mexican and American cooking has to do with geography. Just as the first European colonists in America learned to use the local produce as well as importing their own, early settlers in Mexico adapted to local ingredients and the native and Spanish cuisines melded into something all its own. Since the country has a warmer climate, different ingredients are easily available, with corn, chili peppers, pumpkins, and other crops, which have been cultivated there for millennia and imported crops, which grow easily in the country.
This fusion of ingredients native to Mexico and those brought from Spain and the cooking methods of both old world and new is what brought Mexican food to fruition. In fact, this is probably the most popular fusion cuisine in the world, though people rarely think of Mexican food as anything but its own distinctive cuisine, which of course it is as well. From Mexican food recipes like huaraches to menudo, mole to Mexican casserole recipes, Mexican food is something with a flavor which is uniquely its own.
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Wonderful Mexican Food Culture Traditions.
Each country has its own unique food traditions. Mexico is certainly no exception in this regard, with many fascinating (and delicious) Mexican food traditions which are all its own. Some of these Mexican food customs include preparing and serving special recipes for holidays and other important events. Some of these holiday dishes are world famous, while others are lesser known, being rarely seen outside of Mexico.
Mexican Holidays And Recipes
Perhaps the best known of Mexican holidays is Cinco de Mayo. This celebration on May 5th every year is commonly thought to be Mexico's Independence Day holiday. As it happens, the holiday was declared not to celebrate Mexican independence from Spain, but the victory of the Mexican army over the French in 1862 at Puebla.
While it may not be a big deal in much of the country, the citizens of Puebla take great pride in this holiday and make some special holiday recipes for the occasion. Mole is often a part of the dishes cooked n this day; mole is one of Puebla's own creations, which has become a well loved traditional Mexican recipe all over the country.
A dish, which you may see, served on Cinco de Mayo in Puebla is turkey in mole poblano (the poblano here refers not to the large peppers used to make chiles rellenos, but means "Puebla style"). Turkey happens to be a very popular food in Mexico and appears in a great many Mexican recipes. While turkey in mole sauce may not be what most Americans would expect to be served as a Cinco de Mayo dinner, it is a delicious way to celebrate this holiday.
Christmas And Other Religious Holidays
Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country, which celebrates Christmas (of course) as well as the feast days of many saints and other religious holidays. No country celebrates like Mexico, especially when it comes to holiday food! Christmas Mexican food traditions include the traditional Christmas morning "posada," a sort of morning dinner party.
The traditional posada meal might include dishes like turkey soup, codfish with gravy, punch with marshmallows, and mashed potatoes served with a spicy cranberry sauce. Making this already festive holiday meal even more so is the presence of a piata, something which adds a fun Mexican flair to the holiday.
In Mexico, the feast of Epiphany is also celebrated with special food and drink. The Spanish-style ring shaped Epiphany cake was introduced to Mexico and has become a Mexican food tradition of its own. The addition of hot chocolate, a drink which is a new world innovation is a Mexican addition to this holiday meal.
Naturally, we cannot talk about Mexican food culture without a few words about Dia de los Muertos. This is how Mexico celebrates All Saints Day. On "the day of the dead," there are special holiday sweets which are eaten. These include dulce de calabasa, a candy made from pumpkin and pan de muerto. Pan de muerto is a bread, which is glazed and decorated with colored sugar, and smaller pieces of bread shaped like bones.
One of the Mexican food traditions, which is known around the world, is the practice of making sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos. These are skull shaped candies, which are made by pressing sugar into skull shapes using a mold. The skulls are then decorated, sometimes with very elaborate hand-crafted designs. Many of these candies are so beautifully made that it seems like a shame to eat them!
Mexican food traditions, like those of other countries are a reflection of their culture. Mexico's unique blend of Spanish and indigenous cultures and culinary traditions are easy to see in the food traditions which make up an important part of many holiday celebrations in the country.
- While there, take some time to learn more about the extraordinary Mexican food history, culture and cooking methods used in this blend of old and new world cuisine. Our Mexican Cooking Glossary has complete phonetic pronunciations for the none Spanish speaking food lover.
http://www.MexicanFoodRecipes.org When it has to be Real Authentic Mexican Food.
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