Mexican Food History

“Taco USA: How Mexican Food Became More American Than Apple Pie” was written in 2012 by Gustavo Arellano, a prolific food author for the Orange County newspaper OC Weekly. This article originally appeared as an online publication in Reason Magazine. Arellano has written books about Mexican food and its role in the American experience. His writings explain how this genre of cuisine has evolved and transformed as it has spread geographically throughout the United States. Growing up in Orange County California with two Hispanic parents, Arellano experienced firsthand the transformation of traditional Mexican dishes into the tex-mex that most American families are familiar with today. The online news site, Reason Magazine, originally published this article to accommodate to an audience of readers who want to be informed but also entertained by the news. These readers care about what is happening in society but are not considered scholars on the topics presented. Although the readers of Reason Magazine might not have any formal knowledge about food and its role in culture, all of them have experienced the importance of a meal in their everyday lives. The author uses the experience and background of his audience to show them the importance and prevalence of Mexican food in the American culture. In “Taco USA” Arellano uses personal stories, ethnic language, and historical information to show his

Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food by Jeffery M. Pilcher, a Professor of History at the University of Minnesota, provides rather than a history of Mexican cuisine instead a changing of people’s culinary choices by investigating how people’s minds change over the course of decades in the presence of marketing strategies both domestic and international and changing consumer outlooks and tastes regarding foreign cuisine. Pilcher does this by using a seemingly

In Tamales or Timbales: Cuisine and the Formation of Mexican National Identity, Pilcher also looks to the history of Mexico and national identity through cuisine. Historically, Mexico is a conquered nation even after reaching independence in 1821. And while Mexico is a country with heavy influence from Europe, it has created its own national identity through foods with the use of Spanish, indigenous, and French ingredients. The elites believed that Mexico would only advance and progress when they abandoned Native American techniques and adopted the European

With limited scientific data and limited understanding of genetics the Spanish came to accept this theory that diet controlled physical appearance to the extreme of race, setting a trend for Spanish colonies and others. They believed that through diet individuals could control their appearance, and it is the list of consumables listed previously that “nurtured” the Europeans. It is an extreme idea of, “you are what you eat” (original), if you eat European foods than you are European or become Europeans vice versa with the Native American diet. Food was a

Although their tastes differ when it comes to types of chiles, the grandmother and the speaker share a love for the traditional Mexican-American garnish. They also respect each other, simply based on their actions. Here we have two individuals, from different generations, that bond over the age-old tradition of food and love.

The Mexican culture is a mixture of Spanish and Aztec roots dating back to the 19th and 20th century when Spain had rule over Mexico. Their rich heritage and inhabitance formed their culture today with pride and unbreakable traditions. Back before the Spanish had power over Mexico, it was first occupied with an enormous number of Indian groups that varied in social as well as economic systems. Mexico was shared with the Mayans, Totonac, Huastec, Otomi, Mixtecs, Zapotecas, and Tlaxcala’s, Tarascans, and Aztec tribes. Before the Spanish arrived, the Aztec tribe ruled most of Mexico. They built most of what is known as Mexico City due to a tribe prophecy that demanded the city to be established where there was an eagle with a snake in its beak resting on a cactus. That became a national symbol of Mexico and embellishes on the country’s flag

However, three known dishes establish the heart of Mexican dishes. Corn, beans, and hot peppers are three known dishes that form the heart of Mexicans ( ). Their culinary norms are based widely on social class and the level of income ( ). Those who are considered middle and upper-class income bases their diets closely to that of American and Europeans. In Mexico, tequila is well known, and sodas are popular drinks. Sweet rolls, milk, and coffee are served mainly for dinner between the hours of eight and ten. Their main meal eaten between two and four in the afternoon is considered the most important meal of the

Mexican culture dates far back as the 13th century. This is when the Aztecs were prevalent in northern mexico. Aztecs were a people who were all about war and honor. They made many enemies going to war with smaller tribes and brutally killed their enemies. In the 16th century the Aztecs Empire crumbled due to the invasion led by Hernan Cortez. Disease, superior weapons, and aid of the Aztec’s enemies were all contributing factors to the Aztecs downfall. Fast forward September 16th 1810 when Mexico gained its independence from Spain Mexico's identity started to develop. Mexican culture is defined by many things, its food, its language, its clothing, its art. However, There is one aspect that defines Mexican culture and that is family life. Mexicans have a very rich family life that defines the culture. The way that family is organized and the way each member acts can be traced back to the very beginning. It's a mixture of the indigenous peoples culture as well as the Spaniards culture. The indigenous peoples pass on their ideas of honor and machismo and the Spaniards pass on their ideas of catholicism, and family value and structure. I fit into this because I grew up on these ideas and my family still practices some of these ideas today.

I come from a Mexican family that never forgets about their traditions and foods. My sisters and I grew up with my parents always cooking Mexican food for the holidays, but when my cousin married a Guatemalan lady, Virginia, she introduced us to her food. When we first tried her tamales we didn't really know what to expect. I guess since I was used to my mom's tamales I expected them to taste the same. Well, I was wrong. To begin with the Guatemalan were a lot smaller than the tamales I was used to. Tasting the Guatemalan tamales was a moment I would call life changing because that's when I realized that even though their food and ours have similar names they won't all be the same. Every food that

Until the 19th century, the culinary tradition of the Brazilian Southeast was mostly influenced by the Portuguese cuisine and the food habits of the various Brazilian indigenous peoples and of the numerous African nations that were forcibly brought here by the slavery. After the arrive, in large numbers, of immigrants of many nationalities - such as Japanese, Lebanese, Italians, Spaniards and Germans there is a sudden and considerable increase in Brazilian gastronomic heterogeneity, especially in the city of São Paulo, at a reduced period of time.

Bean historically have been, and still are in many parts of the world, an important part of the human diet (Levetin & McMahon, 2012). This is because of the high protein content, which is a supplement to many diets around the world, especially in places where meat is too expensive to consume regularly. A culture where this has been true throughout history, and is still true today, is in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, one of the most widely consumed dished Gallo Pinto (Nalley, 2011). This dish is a mixture of rice and beans, and has been a staple in the Costa Rican diet.

Authentic Spanish Food- But, Japanese and Filipinos were not the only cultures that were discriminated Mexicans also were discriminated impressing how much discrimination in such a little town where there is a lot of diversity. Mexicans were afraid of being discriminated and example would be the restaurant “La simpatia” which for years said it served authentic Spanish food and all the time it was Mexican food like pozole but they did not admit it to

Here in California, there are several Mexican supermarkets that offer almost all of the basic and essential products in making or preparing the dishes common for this culture. This is an advantage for Mexicans that reside here in California. The interviewees also mentioned that in other states, Mexican food products are scarce making it difficult for some of them to prepare the meals that they are used to eating.

Hispanic Americans have a strong tie to their culture and display it in their cuisine. Rice and beans are staples to la familia, together they provide a complete protein, and are inexpensive. Spicy peppers and hot sauce provide antibacterial and digestive health qualities that were imperative to provide healthy meals in Mexico because the water supply isn’t guaranteed to be safe for drinking. Historically, many tomato products were introduced to the United States by Mexico, including burritos, tacos, other Mexican cuisine and even ketchup (Sowell, 1981).

To introduce this product to Mexico, the intention will be to craft meals that are traditional Mexican cuisine and reasonably low in cost. It will be important to use ingredients from local farmers to develop relationships within the country and to provide the service and product at the best price to build a customer base. This product seemed logical for the Mexican market when observing family eating tendencies in the culture. As a collectivist culture, Mexican families are likely to have meals together and cook at home. This product caters to this aspect and allows families to enjoy each other while making the task of cooking and planning simpler. (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.)