Maybe you think you have had a traditional mexican dish, but do you really know how to spot authentic mexican food? There is a bit of a difference between Tex-Mex and traditional and once you have had the real stuff you will have truly had the best mexican food. A few signs you have never had real mexican food could be:
- Even if you are dining at a ?mexican restaurant?, if you’re eating a taco with ground beef that is actually Tex-Mex and not traditional.
- Traditional tacos come with onion and cilantro not lettuce and tomatoes like the majority of what is served in fast food mexican restaurants.
- Real mexican tacos are served on a small corn tortilla they don’t actually use hard shells for crunchy tacos or soft flour tortillas.
- Asking for salsa at a traditional mexican restaurant will usually get you a bottle of hot sauce and not the chunky Picante you’re probably looking for.
One out of every 10 restaurants sells mexican food, making it the most popular ethnic food segment in the U.S.; even though the Americanized versions of tacos and burritos are causing a lot of people miss the nutritional benefits of mexican food the way it’s supposed to be made. Traditional mexican food is actually very healthy for you because of some of the basic everyday ingredients in their dishes, such as:
- Beans: Beans are a very good source of soluble fiber, low in fats and can sometimes be quite delicious with the right mexican herbs and spices.
- Corn: Corn, high in fiber and whole grains, is used in many mexican dishes like tortillas, tamales, and enchiladas which literally translates to in Chile.
- Avocados: Mono-saturated fats are known to be heart-healthy and avocados made into dips or added to recipes are a great source of mono-saturated fats.
It is almost a shame that Americans are eating their own version of mexican food and unknowingly missing out on all the delicious benefits of authentic cuisine, some may prefer the Tex-Mex version, but then again you won’t know unless you try. Now that you know how to spot authentic mexican food you can start really enjoying all it has to offer in the form of nutrition, taste, and individuality. Who doesn’t love to try new things?