What You Need To Know About The Differences Between Mexican And American Food
Everyone knows that Mexican food is different and that Mexican food recipes are definitely not the same as American recipes. Unlike Canada, which has a culinary tradition which is quite similar to our own, America’s neighbor to the south has a radically different way of cooking, with many recipes and ingredients which are unfamiliar to the American palate – but what is it that has caused such a divergence in the cuisines of the two neighboring nations?
Historical Factors in Mexican Recipes
One of the two biggest reasons for the differences between Mexican food and American food is historical. Mexico of course was once a Spanish territory; then again, so were parts of the United States! The difference is that Mexico remained a Spanish colony for a much longer time – and you can certainly see the influence of Spanish cooking in parts of the American southwest. These are regions, which were formerly held by the Spanish and of course, also bordering Mexico.
By contrast, what is now the United States was largely colonized by immigrants from Northern Europe, especially the English, Dutch and Germans, with French settlers in some areas and later on, immigrants from eastern Europe and Scandinavia – and to a lesser extent, literally every other part of the globe.
For a long time, however, immigrants to Mexico from the old world hailed, for the most part, from Spain, leaving an indelible stamp on the new nation’s cuisine. Many Mexican recipes are adaptations of Spanish dishes, with some classic recipes from Spain surviving more or less intact. This led to a distinctive blend of culinary traditions drawn from Spanish and indigenous ingredients and cooking methods.
Mexi
1000
co has also seen a large number of immigrants arrive from the Levant (especially Syria and Lebanon), adding a few dishes which are now classic Mexican food recipes in their own right such as al pastor. This dish is essentially a Mexican take on the middle eastern shawarma.
The US has had a much more diverse population historically, meaning that American cuisine is more of a patchwork quilt of different influences and ingredients, which is characterized by constant change. By contrast, Mexico has been able to develop its own style of cooking; but Mexican cooks do of course adapt the foods of other countries to local tastes as well as enjoying them as they are.
The Differences Local Ingredients Make to Mexican Food
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.
It is this adaptation of European recipes to the ingredients of the new world and the incorporation of Spanish ingredients and techniques into the indigenous cuisine that has made Mexican food the unique cuisine it is today. From Mexican food recipes like pozole to Mexican casserole recipes, tostadas to pumpkin recipes, Mexican food is one of the world’s greatest fusion cuisines that no one thinks of as a fusion cuisine.
By: Chritine Kudra
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
If you’re feeling like Mexican food tonight, give one of our recipes like our Mexican rice recipe a try. Just one of the many delicious Mexican treats on our site. If you’re looking for some great recipes, tips on cooking Mexican food. Whether you want a spicy burrito, mild salad, or salsa or another Mexican recipe.
Check out the recipes at www.MexicanFoodRecipes.org
Mail this post