Danica Puente

Profesor Smith
Spanish 1010
4 December 2016
Authentic Mexican Food
What do Taco Bell, Del Taco, Barbacoa, Caf Ro and Chipotle all have in common?
They are fast food chains that serve authentic Mexican food in America, right?! WRONG! As
Jeffrey Pilcher a scholar in food study will tell you, few people in Mexico actually eat the
burritos (made with wheat flour tortillas) and taco shells (pre-fried corn tortillas) that often pass
for Mexican cooking in the United States. So what makes a food authentically Mexican and
does the worlds interpretation of Mexican food capture the essence of what makes something
Mexican?
I remember the first time that I realized my perception of Mexican food might be wrong.
I was twelve years old and my family was traveling to Rosarita for Christmas vacation. We
stopped in Tijuana to eat at a Dennys Restaurant. I was expecting the type of Dennys food I was
used to back in Utah but was shocked to see something called mole on the menu, not just one
kind, but several different kinds of mole. Almost nothing on the menu was familiar to me and
looked nothing like what I thought Mexican food was. I continued to be oblivious to true
Mexican cuisine even though my family continued to spend Christmas in Mexico. I continued to
be oblivious because we would pack our own food and bring it across the border (pre 9-11, no
passport or rigorous customs regulations)
In order to define what makes a food authentically Mexican, you need to know the
difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican food. Typical Tex-Mex includes nachos, ground beef
and the use of shredded cheese all of which evolved from Americans trying to recreate authentic
Mexican food. On the other hand authentic Mexican cuisine is the food that resulted from the

blending of the Aztec, Mayan and Spanish cultures. Truly authentic Mexican food is not as
readily available outside of Mexico and includes dishes such as mole, elote, chilaquiles and
pozole. The use of chile peppers is prevalent and was initially a shock to foreign palates.
(Pilcher, Tamales or Timbales)
Mole is a rich savory sauce that is typically served over chicken or turkey and often
contains chocolate. It is considered a traditional food of Mexico partly because three different
states in Mexico claim to be the originators of the national dish. Elote is considered traditional
because maize (corn) the main ingredient, was not an import from Europe. The breakfast dish
known as chilaquiles consists of, among other things, scrambled or fried eggs, pulled chicken,
salsa and cheese. Mexicans will tell you that cheese is not yellow or shredded. Authentic
Mexican cheese is typically white and crumbly. Pozole is a soup/stew that can also be traced
directly to Mexico because its base, hominy, is derived from corn.
Has authentic Mexican food made an impact on the world? Absolutely! In 2010 the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized
Mexican cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity because of its contribution to
world cuisine. And while Tex-Mex is more prevalent than traditional cuisine, Mexican food is
becoming easier to reproduce authentically with the increase in specialty markets. Globalization
of information makes sharing and recipes and ingredients easier to do.
Even though I was introduced to the idea of mole, I didnt actually try it until almost 20
years later and it was delicious! As a self-proclaimed foodie I have made an effort to venture
into foreign cuisines. This means that I have been making an effort to be authentic in my
preparation of traditional foods. I ventured into a Latino market for ingredients like cotija and
quince paste. Earlier this year I attempted tamales and will need a little more practice before I let

anyone other than my husband try them. But next on my list will be mole, the official dish of
Mexico.

Works Cited
Pilcher, Jeffrey M. Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012.
Print.
Pilcher, Jeffrey M. "Tamales or Timbales: Cuisine and the Formation of Mexican National
Identity, 18211911." The Americas 53.02 (1996): 193-216. Web.
Bethune, Meredith. "What's the Difference Between Tex-Mex and Mexican Food?" Serious Eats.
N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.

Lapetina, Adam. "What's the Difference between Tex-Mex and REAL Mexican Food?" Thrillist.
N.p., 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
Remolina, Sergio. "Mole Poblano." Epicurious. Epicurious, 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Kennedy, Diana. "Cooking with Cotija, Queso Fresco, and Other Mexican Cheeses | - Cinco De
Mayo | Epicurious.com." Epicurious. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
Gaskell, Katja. "Top 10 Foods to Try in Mexico." BBC Good Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov.
2016.
"Intangible Cultural Heritage." Traditional Mexican Cuisine - Ancestral, Ongoing Community
Culture, the Michoacn Paradigm - Intangible Heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO. N.p., n.d.
Web. 01 Dec. 2016.