The Myth of Authenticity Is Killing Tex-Mex

[longknife]

Let’s face it, most “Mexican Food” isn’t Mexican. Let’s take a look at the common taco.

If it has a corn flour tortilla, it’s okay. But a wheat flour one isn’t as wheat was only introduced to the New World with the arrival of the Spanish.

Lettuce? Another European addition.

Tomatoes? They came from Peru after the Spanish showed up.

Beef or Chicken? Sorry. Another European deal. Fish is okay as that was a major Mexican protein source.

Chilis in the sauce are okay as all chilis originated in Mexico.

Chili con carne? Oops. Beef.

And how many platters come with rice? That came from India by way of the Philippines.

I could go on and on but will direct you to this Pocket article @ The Myth of Authenticity Is Killing Tex-Mex - Eater - Pocket

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Hell,most food isnt local and hasnt been for centuries.
If you want to get technical beef isnt an American food.
https://www.quora.com/When-did-cattle-come-to-North-America-How-did-it-establish-here

 

[Disir]

I am not a Tex-Mex fan but because I ate more Sonoran cuisine.

 

[Ringel05]

Let’s face it, most “Mexican Food” isn’t Mexican. Let’s take a look at the common taco.

If it has a corn flour tortilla, it’s okay. But a wheat flour one isn’t as wheat was only introduced to the New World with the arrival of the Spanish.

Lettuce? Another European addition.

Tomatoes? They came from Peru after the Spanish showed up.

Beef or Chicken? Sorry. Another European deal. Fish is okay as that was a major Mexican protein source.

Chilis in the sauce are okay as all chilis originated in Mexico.

Chili con carne? Oops. Beef.

And how many platters come with rice? That came from India by way of the Philippines.

I could go on and on but will direct you to this Pocket article @ The Myth of Authenticity Is Killing Tex-Mex - Eater - Pocket

Pretty much all cuisine has adapted to the introduction of different foods/spices to the original over the centuries except in the very few isolated communities around the world. To call any cuisine a "myth" is to be an ultimate pedant.
Tex-Mex is itself is a relatively new adaptation and co-mingling of different ethnic foods so there is no myth involved.
Now if the article was dealing specifically with Mexican cuisine that might be a different story but even that is an amalgamation of European and new world foods.

 

[xyz]

Let’s face it, most “Mexican Food” isn’t Mexican. Let’s take a look at the common taco.

If it has a corn flour tortilla, it’s okay. But a wheat flour one isn’t as wheat was only introduced to the New World with the arrival of the Spanish.

Lettuce? Another European addition.

Tomatoes? They came from Peru after the Spanish showed up.

Beef or Chicken? Sorry. Another European deal. Fish is okay as that was a major Mexican protein source.

Chilis in the sauce are okay as all chilis originated in Mexico.

Chili con carne? Oops. Beef.

And how many platters come with rice? That came from India by way of the Philippines.

I could go on and on but will direct you to this Pocket article @ The Myth of Authenticity Is Killing Tex-Mex - Eater - Pocket

A lot of European dishes are also not authentic if you put it that way, potatoes and corn are now a staple of the cuisine of many European countries.

 

[Moonglow]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

The basic street taco.
Make em all the time but also add chopped Jalapeno.

 

[Ringel05]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

The basic street taco.
Make em all the time but also add chopped Jalapeno.

Here in NM Navajo tacos are the big thing, basically taco fillings on Navajo fry bread.

 

[Moonglow]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

The basic street taco.
Make em all the time but also add chopped Jalapeno.

Here in NM Navajo tacos are the big thing, basically taco fillings on Navajo fry bread.

No grasshoppers or worms?

 

[Moonglow]

Last time I went to Mexico for a week I mostly ate shrimp and ribeye steak.

 

[Ringel05]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

The basic street taco.
Make em all the time but also add chopped Jalapeno.

Here in NM Navajo tacos are the big thing, basically taco fillings on Navajo fry bread.

No grasshoppers or worms?

That was when I was eating southeast Asian..........

 

[Moonglow]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

The basic street taco.
Make em all the time but also add chopped Jalapeno.

Here in NM Navajo tacos are the big thing, basically taco fillings on Navajo fry bread.

No grasshoppers or worms?

That was when I was eating southeast Asian..........

Yes they do tend to fry up a killer caterpillar.

 

[Manonthestreet]

You telling me there is no such thing as cultural appropriation when it comes to food cause it's all been propriated already?

 

[koshergrl]

Let’s face it, most “Mexican Food” isn’t Mexican. Let’s take a look at the common taco.

If it has a corn flour tortilla, it’s okay. But a wheat flour one isn’t as wheat was only introduced to the New World with the arrival of the Spanish.

Lettuce? Another European addition.

Tomatoes? They came from Peru after the Spanish showed up.

Beef or Chicken? Sorry. Another European deal. Fish is okay as that was a major Mexican protein source.

Chilis in the sauce are okay as all chilis originated in Mexico.

Chili con carne? Oops. Beef.

And how many platters come with rice? That came from India by way of the Philippines.

I could go on and on but will direct you to this Pocket article @ The Myth of Authenticity Is Killing Tex-Mex - Eater - Pocket

A lot of European dishes are also not authentic if you put it that way, potatoes and corn are now a staple of the cuisine of many European countries.

The British tea tradition didn't get rolling until the 1840s, and was appropriated (however loosely) from China.

 

[Silent Patriot]

I prefer Tex-Mex to traditional Mexican food. To me, traditional Mexican food is too bland. Tex-Mex has more flavor.

 

[Likkmee]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

Or on the Atlantic side maybe grouper or yellowtail on a flour tortilla with lettuce tomato, cilantro....picante on the side and maybe natilla(like a sour cram-yogurt cross), as is the norm.

 

[Moonglow]

If you go to Mexico and order a taco you won't be getting any lettuce, cheese or tomato.
You will get corn torta, meat, onions, cilantro and maybe a salsa.

Or on the Atlantic side maybe grouper or yellowtail on a flour tortilla with lettuce tomato, cilantro....picante on the side and maybe natilla(like a sour cram-yogurt cross), as is the norm.

It also depends which part of Mexico you are in..I have enjoyed traveling there over the last forty years. It's a lovely country and if there were no Mexicans I'd move there(not) I might move there after the last bird leaves the nest.

 

[Pilot1]

Make and eat would you like, and tastes good. Authenticity be damned! You wouldn't want to eat "authentic" Mexican peasant food which is where what we call traditional Mexican food came from.