Mexican food is among the most popular cuisines in the world. It is a mixture of three different cuisines – Mexican, Spanish and Central American. Its origins probably lie in a mixture of Spanish and Mesoamerican cuisine. As food culture has evolved through time, so has Mexican food, as well. Today, Mexican food has come a long way, from the simple blend of different ingredients to the highly spiced and flavorful dishes. Find Best Mexican food in Austin, Texas, USA
It is believed that the Mexican people were introduced to the Europeans by the French and that the two countries formed an alliance when they were conquering each other’s lands. Because of this, the French decided to wipe out much of the Indian population and took much of their belongings, such as horses and other farm animals, with them as they traveled along the north coast of Mexico. The cattle were used for grazing and milk was collected for making cheese and other dairy products, such as yoghurt and butter. The Indians were taken as slaves to the south and many died of disease and malnutrition on the way to America. This created an extreme hatred towards the Indians and the French also felt the same way, even though it was a war at the time.
As the years passed, with the Americans having more success in the south, the Mexican population there grew and so did the number of restaurants. As this happened, more cooking techniques were adopted, such as using dried fruit and tortillas instead of French fries and hamburgers. By the time the Spanish-American War broke out, there were already a strong connection between Mexico and Central America and so Mexican cuisine too developed. During the war, soldiers in the American army brought back with them much of their Mexican fare. It was then that Mexican food began to be called ‘Americanized’, a term that stuck.
Since the variety of dishes available was vast, Mexican cuisine also changed. After the war, America became a big supplier of beef, and because of this, the demand for pork was high. So as the demand increased, Mexican food started to adapt more recipes for people to make. Chicken and pork became the star attractions. There are still a great number of these dishes available to eat, and to this day many are familiar with some of those dishes, such as tacos and burritos.
As more people tasted what was available in Mexico, they began to demand more of it. They had no choice, since this was how things were done. Thankfully, after the Civil War, things began to get back to normal again. The Mexican government, seeing that Americans were demanding more Mexican food, learned from the Americans how to better prepare and serve it. Now you can see the Mexican influence on dishes like nachos, quesadillas, burritos and tamales.
Michael Jackson made a recipe for his album called ‘Mexican Food’ and this is probably his best-known dish. He called it ‘Rumpkin Spice’. The recipe called for okra, red and green bell pepper, onion, garlic, coriander, salt and white pepper. This dish contained peppers that were large, red and green, and that had to be prepared with oil.