Mexican Wood
Mexican Wood
Authentic Mexican Cooking Vs. Tex-Mex And Mexican American
One of the main differences between authentic Mexican and Mexican-American is that Mexican-American uses more ground beef and cheddar or yellow cheese than does authentic Mexican. In Mexico, boiled and shredded beef and other meats, as well as white asadero cheese is used. Another main difference between authentic Mexican and Mexican-American is the way enchiladas are prepared. In the US, tortillas are covered with enchilada sauce and filled with large quantities of ground beef and cheese, then placed in the oven for baking. In Mexico, tortillas are dipped in enchilada sauce then fried in oil and filled with a small amount of meat and cheese for a garnish.
Tex-Mex is often referred to as dishes using large amounts of beef and cheese along with a gravy style enchilada sauce. Puffy tacos are something you won’t find anywhere else in the US or Mexico and Texas style salsa is made with jalapeno chilies, whereas Mexican salsa is made with tomatoes, tomatillos and other types of chili.
New Mexico and Arizona also add their style of cooking to the broad term Mexican-American. New Mexican’s incorporated many of their dishes with the Pueblo Indians and the Spaniards. Treats like sopaipillas are unique to New Mexico. Sopaipillas are deep fried flour tortillas filled with honey or sometimes seasoned meat. New Mexico also uses its own style chili sauces made from chilies grown in their state. Arizona brought us popular Mexican-American dishes like burritos and chimichangas which were not found in other areas until recently.
It’s interesting to note that the most popular Mexican food in the US, such as tacos, enchiladas and tamales, are staples and regarded as a snack or light meal in Mexico. They are as hamburgers and hot dogs are to people in the US.
Low fat, Low Calorie Mexican Dishes
Fat and fatty recipes were introduced into Mexico when the Spaniards brought over oil and other fatty foods. Many authentic Mexican recipes use little cheese, small amounts of meat, if any, and many of their sauces are made from tomatillos and tomatoes. Mexicans are also famous for their seafood recipes, many of which are also low fat. Many of the dishes you see in “Mexican” restaurants are variations of authentic Mexican cooking adjusted and adapted to meet a more American style of taste. So, if you happen to come across a truly authentic Mexican restaurant, you might be surprised at the size of the entrée and the fact that it doesn’t contain a large amount of meat or cheese.
Can’t wait to learn more about Mexican cooking? Visit Mommies Magazine for Mexican Cooking Techniques that you won’t want to miss.
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About the Author
Wendy Wood, owner of the online mommy magazine, MommiesMagazine.com serves the needs of mommies of all ages and stages of life. Mommies Magazine offers a wide variety of Family Friendly Recipes to Health Tips , to Decorating Your Home and How-to Repurpose your items. Visit Mommies Magazine to learn more about mom related resources.