Tex-Mex is a style of cuisine, viewed as predominantly from Texas, that combines Mexican fare with American ingredients and presentation.
Definitions:
Our favorite definition – “Tex-Mex food might be described as native foreign food, contradictory through that term may seem, It is native, for it does not exist elsewhere; it was born on this soil. But it is foreign in that its inspiration came from an alien cuisine; that it has never merged into the mainstream of American cooking and remains alive almost solely in the region where it originated…”
—Eating in America, Waverly Root & Richard de Rochemont [William Morrow:New York] 1976 (p. 281)
Origin: Food historians say the Tex-Mex style of cooking first appeared hundreds of years ago when Spanish/Mexican recipes were first prepared with Anglo fare. The term itself originated in print in the U.S. in 1945.
Favorite Tex-Mex Dishes:
Chili – Unknown in Mexico, this American favorite became very popular cowboy fare in the 1800’s with the use of ample beef in a big stew.
Nachos – Supposedly introduced at the 1964 Dallas State Fair, this easy to make dish has become a staple at restaurants, movie theaters, and ball parks nationwide. This dish can be called nachos whether it is a simple queso (melted cheese or cheese sauce) poured over tortilla chips or the more elaborate pile of tortilla chips, beans, melted cheese, meat (chicken or beef), chiles, olives, sour cream, guacamole, or more.
Fajitas – Introduced at Ninfa’s in Houston, 1973, as tacos al carbon. Fajitas have become a standard offered at Mexican-American restaurants nationwide.
Combination platter – Usually consisting of enchiladas, tacos, tortillas, beans, and rice; now a standard across the country at countless restaurants.
Chimichangas – Supposedly invented at El Charro restaurant in Tucson, AZ in the 1950’s, this dish is basically just a burrito that is deep-fried.
Burritos – The Tex-Mex version is usually a large flour tortilla filled with meat, beans, potatoes, and/or a variety of other ingredients and rolled, then picked up and eaten just with one’s hands. The Mexican version is smaller and uses corn tortillas.
Reference: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html
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