Do you love Mexican food? Are you always the first in line when a new Mexican restaurant opens in town? That?s great: but do you really know authentic Mexican food? As of 2011 there were 38,000 Mexican restaurants in the United States, and that?s not all. One out of every 10 restaurants sells some kind of Mexican food, though a lot of times the authenticity is questionable. You can get a burrito at 67,391 restaurants across the United States: but here?s how to know if the Mexican restaurant you love is the real deal:
- What does your taco look like? The typical ?Tex-Mex? taco looks like a giant salad slopped onto the meat and taco shell. Real tacos come with cilantro and onion, maybe a bit of lime, and that?s it. And Mexican tacos don?t come in shells. They come on two soft corn tortillas. Real Mexican cuisine only serves hard and crunchy with a vampiro or a tostada.
- Is there a low fat option? If there is, you aren?t in an authentic Mexican restaurant. Real Mexican food is made with lard. That?s right: from a pig.
- Is the guacamole made with mayonnaise? If so, run. Remember the last part about no ?low fat? options? Avocados are crazy high in fat, and real guacamole should be made only with those. Adding mayonnaise is a cheap trick.
- Do you love the stuff that Mexicans never eat? Flour, cheese, beef, sugar: none of those things existed in the Americas til Europeans brought them. The real Mexican diet is very high in fat, moderately high protein, and very low in sugar and processed carbohydrates. If your favorite ?Mexican food? is nachos and flour tortilla wraps, you might like Mexican flavors, but you?re not eating Mexican cuisine. But that?s ok. About 71% of American homes use Mexican style ingredients and food, so if that?s your preference you?re not alone. Just don?t be confused into thinking those soft tacos and microwave burritos are anything like the real Mexican chefs would whip up.
- Does the menu mention mole, elote, esquite, or chiles en nogada? That?s just a small list, but the number of real Mexican foods that Americans who ?love? Mexican food have never even heard of is astounding. All of the above are some of the most popular foods among Mexican people, yet they hardly ever make it to a Mexican restaurant in America. Mole, for instance, comes in seven styles: Amarillo, Verde, Chichilo, Manchamantel, Rojo (red mole), Coloradito (brown mole), and Negro (black chocolate mole).
If you consider yourself a real lover of Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to find authentic Mexican cuisine in your are. Keep looking: the real stuff is out there. It may be a little hard to find, but there are amazing culinary rewards when you do.