Fajitas, nachos, chilli, burritos are all delicious dishes that people think of when they think of Mexican cuisine. It's actually a fusion of Mexican and American cuisine, and it's called Tex-Mex. Both are incredibly tasty, but one is considered more authentic, while the other is clearly adapted to American food preferences.
THE ORIGINS OF TEX-MEX
Nem csoda, hogy a klasszikus mexikói ételeknek van amerikai változata is, mivel Dél-Texas hihetetlenül közel fekszik a mexikói határhoz. A Tex-Mexet azonban eleinte nem a konyhára használták, hanem a texas-mexikói vasútra, amelyet 1875-ben TexMexként rövidítettek. Csak az 1920-as évek körül kezdték el használni a Tex-Mex kifejezést a Texasban élő mexikóiak, valamint az általuk főzött újfajta „idegen ételekre”.
Mexicans started cooking what we now call Tex-Mex out of necessity. They came to America from Mexico and wanted to eat food that reminded them of home. The only problem was that not all the ingredients available in Mexico were readily available in America. They had to make do with what they had in Texas and adapt the recipes they had brought from home to make dishes that reminded them of home.
Tex-Mex was actually born in the Rio Grande Valley because of its proximity to Mexico. Many Mexicans used to live there, but when they began to leave the Rio Grande Valley and look for work in other parts of the state, and so Tex-Mex spread across the country.
MEXICAN AND TEX-MEX: THE DIFFERENCE
The differences between the two cuisines are not significant, but there are some obvious differences that make Tex-Mex special. First, Tex-Mex food is usually topped with a dense cheese, such as jack or cheddar. While no one disputes how delicious cheese is, Mexican cuisine generally doesn't have a lot of cheese. Those dishes that do have cheese tend to be on the lighter side, such as chihuahua cheese, cotija and queso fresco.
The other difference between the two is the use of flour tortillas. Although in most parts of the country tortillas are made from corn flour, in northern Mexico they are also made from plain flour. It makes sense that Mexicans would take advantage of the abundance of corn in Mexico. In fact, there are 59 varieties of native corn in the country, compared to less than ten in the US.
Mexican cuisine relies on flavours, spices, fresh herbs and lots and lots of corn to spice up their dishes. They rely heavily on dried chillies, coriander and red onions as spices. The meats used for Mexican tacos are cooked and seasoned to perfection. The cooking techniques used by Mexicans are not for the lazy. To achieve the right smokiness, they often cook the meats (especially pork) in the ground and cover them with banana leaves, or grill them gently over a fire, which as a result will basically melt in your mouth.
Az autentikus mexikói ételek készítésénél a legtöbb alkalmazott technika a majákig visszavezethető, és generációról generációra öröklődik. Az autentikus mexikói taco is egészen más, mint amit általában a Tex-Mexben szoktak felszolgálni. A tacók kisebbek és puhán tálalják őket. Az USA-ban ezt a taco-típust gyakran „street taco”-nak nevezik. A ropogós taco „csónak” vagy a puha lisztből készült tortilla is tex-mex kreáció. Egy másik nagy különbség a kömény használata a Tex-Mexben. Bár a köményt Mexikóban is használják, nem annyira elterjedt, és nem olyan alapvető ízesítője a tacóknak, mint a Tex-Mex konyhában.
The use of cumin in Tex-Mex actually came from the Spanish immigrants from Texas. Another important difference is that the toppings for Mexican tacos are simple, usually using radishes, lettuce, cilantro or sliced onions, but not all at once. Mexicans want the carefully cooked meat to shine and be the star of the taco. If you see two or more toppings on a taco, it's more Tex-Mex.
Tex-mex is what you might call a comfort food, and also regional dish that is gaining popularity not only in the United States, but all over the world. While it may not be an authentic Mexican dish, it would be a shame not to credit the cuisine for the way Mexican food has taken off around the world. Next time you bite into cheesy nachos or a delicious enchilada, know that you're definitely eating Tex-Mex food.
