The Influences That Helped Shape Mexican Food History

There have been many influences that have all taken part is shaping Mexican food history.  A closer look at the country will reveal that the French, Spanish, Mayan, Portuguese, and Caribbean people have all left a mark on the great cuisine that can be found in this country.  The ingredients became a potpourri of what is found indigenously in the country as well as those that were brought by the various settlers and travelers.  This made the country a mixing pot for many different types of dishes as well as tastes. 

Of course, as with any other country, Mexican food history is also shaped by the wealth of the area.  Poorer areas tend to use whatever is grown locally to concoct dishes because it is abundant and relatively inexpensive.  These dishes are often referred to as peasant dishes.  Areas that are located in coastal regions have access to fish, lobster, shrimp, mussels and other types of ocean dwelling fare.  This also shapes the country from the north to the south as far as what might be on the menu.
 
Mexican food history even expands into the United States.  With so many immigrants coming to America, it is quite natural that they would also carry their beloved recipes with them.  Many types of restaurants began to appear in this country offering the cuisine from south of the border.  However, the menu was somewhat modified to reflect the tastes of people in the United States as well as the availability of the ingredients.  This is how Tex-Mex cuisine was born.  Tex-Mex often includes a meat that is not usually found in traditional recipes, and that meat would be hamburger or beef.  Most of the meats used in dishes in the country of origin would include chicken, goat, and seafood.  There are other things that set Tex-Mex apart from the authentic dishes found in the country of origin such as hard taco shells.  These are not widely used south of the border, but they are found in nearly every restaurant in the United States that offers the Tex-Mex menu.

While the influences came from being invaded or occupied or from settlers making their way to the country, the Mexican food history definitely offers tastes of other countries and other cultures.  In the earlier days of the culture, meals were prepared over an open flame.  There were no ovens.  As each country slowly deposited a little of its culture and cuisine, the various recipes and new ingredients continued to shape the way the country not only ate but cooked as well.

Some of the ingredients are probably not things that people would immediately attribute to the traditional Mexican food history.  Cocoa is one of these types of ingredients.  It is found mostly in the warmer parts of the country and is used in a lot of the cuisine that is served in country today.

While the cuisine that Americans have come to know and love isn’t really authentic or what one would find in the country, it is surely going to remain a favorite for a long time in the United States.