Why Are Mexican and American Food Different?
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Ken Kudra in Diet & Nutrition
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?
History
There is a historical reason for the difference, which is in large part responsible for this difference. As everyone knows, Mexico was formerly a Spanish colony until winning their independence. However, as you probably also know, parts of the United States were also once Spanish territories! As it happens though, these regions (largely in the southwest) do bear a distinct influence from the Spanish colonial period, though not to the extent seen in Mexico since they have long been part of the US.
The US has a different history, being a former British colony with most of its early immigration coming from northern Europe and having different culinary traditions. This alone accounts for some of the divergence of Mexican and American cooking, since traditional Mexican recipes have a profound Spanish influence which is missing from most American cooking.
European settlers arriving in Mexico came largely from Spain for a long time, having a much larger influence on the diet of the country than any single immigrant group in the United States ever did. In fact, many traditional Mexican recipes are directly from Spain or are adaptations of Spanish classics using local ingredients where the ingredients used in Europe were unavailable locally. The predominant influence of this one cuisine led to a mixture of Spanish and native cuisines, which evolved into what, we now know as Mexican food.
Mexico 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
The other important factor in the difference between the cuisines of Mexico and the US is in the ingredients used. Just like in this country, Mexican cooks and Spanish colonists alike have always worked with the ingredients, which were widely available. In Mexico, of course that meant avocado, chili peppers, corn, pumpkins, pineapple, and other produce typical of the country’s warmer climate.
This blend of native ingredients and recipes with those brought over by the Spanish is what made Mexican food what it is today and many of the most famous Mexican food recipes clearly show this marriage of old world and new world cuisines. From tacos to soups to Mexican casserole recipes, this is one very successful – and very popular type of fusion cuisine.
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