Cinco de Mayo is just in a few days, and give me ALL the tacos and margaritas. My city has no shortage of delicious Mexican food, but cultural holidays are full of foods invented in America. Although we may associate said foods with that culture and therefore restaurants will offer it as a staple for that celebration day.
Here’s a list of a few Mexican (inspired) foods – some might surprise you!
+Fajitas! This was invented in Texas with flavors rooted in Mexican cuisine. The story I found was that Mexican workers working in Texas were given cuts of meat that weren’t “sellable”. They did what they knew best. Add their home flavor profile to it, and eat in a tortilla.
+Hard shell tacos. For the actual shell, you can thank Taco Bell of that one. Born out of the need for restaurant efficiency, the owner wanted the ability to fill taco shells quickly, so he invented a way that stiffens the shell for easy filling.
+Chimichangas: this one was invented in a Mexican restaurant in Arizona by a chef who was experimenting. Again, Mexican-flavored foods, but not authentic to Mexico.
+Taco Salad: yup, that deliciousness dip of cream cheese and taco seasoning with all the toppings is another American invention.
+Honorable mention: Margaritas! Surprisingly, the origins are unknown but I was finding it most likely was born in the USA as well.
Although these Mexican-inspired foods were invented in the USA, they’re still enjoyable. Personally, I like to err on the side of authenticity, but I won’t turn down delicious flavors.
I visited Puebla back in 2017 with students on a work trip. I’ll save those stories for future story-telling. Looking back, it was absolutely wonderful, one of my favorite trips! The people, the architecture, the FOOD, were all very fondly memorable. Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) beats authentic Mexican food!
