How Mexican Cuisine Became the Most Popular Ethnic Cuisine in the United States
How often do you eat Mexican on the go food? It?s not rare to need a quick meal at some point during the week. Many of us have our favorite restaurants that offer on the go services so that we can quickly pick up meals on busy nights. Even though you may frequent a Mexican restaurant near you, you may not know that Mexican restaurants are actually very popular all throughout the United States. It is one cuisine that is growing in popularity and continues to make its mark on the culinary world throughout the country.
Interested in learning more about the history of the Mexican cuisine and how it became so popular in the United States? Keep reading for more information on authentic Mexican food and why Americans love Mexican on the go options.
History of Mexican Cuisine in the United States
Tex-Mex first became a well-known cuisine in the United States around the 1940s. This is a form of Mexican cuisine often eaten in the United States because it?s an integration of authentic Mexican cuisine and Texas? take on that cuisine since they are neighbors. Essentially, Tex-Mex is a fusion of these two ideas.
Before Tex-Mex was a cuisine that made its way across the country, Mexican cuisine made its way throughout Mexico derived from foods Mayan Indians made more than 2,000 years ago. As Mexicans interacted more with Texans, these cuisines blended together becoming known as Tex-Mex across the country. Even before Tex-Mex was officially a cuisine, there is documentation of people in the United States eating enchiladas as early as 1885.
Popularity of Mexican Cuisine in the United States
Nowadays, Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex are very popular across the country. In fact, it is the most popular international cuisine eaten in the United States. For every 10 restaurants, at least one of them offers some form of Mexican cuisine. On top of that, there are more than 38,000 Mexican restaurants. These aren?t just located in one area of the country, either. They spread out across the United States showing how Mexican cuisine has made its mark everywhere in this country.
In addition, people aren?t just stopping at Mexican on the go restaurants to get their Mexican cuisine fix. They?re also cooking Mexican meals and with Mexican ingredients in their homes. On average, around 70% of houses in the United States use ingredients and foods derived from Mexican cuisine. They?re cooking Mexican dishes for their families, and these meals are becoming part of their everyday lives. This explains why Mexican food purchases make up nearly half of all ethnic food sales in the country. It is easily the most popular ethnic cuisine that Americans are eating on a regular basis.
Favorite Mexican Dishes Americans Enjoy
Although Americans are eating all types of Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex meals, they have some favorites. One of the items Americans love to eat is salsa. Currently, salsa outranks ketchup, mayo, and every other condiment for being the number one condiment across the nation. Tortillas also tend to outsell hot dog buns in the market, too. Since people think that Americans love their hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, and apple pie, it should be very surprising to see these statistics. No longer does the traditional hot dog with ketchup win the food popularity contest. Instead, Americans are choosing to eat chips and salsa and tacos for their favorite meals.
Mole is another traditional Mexican sauce that is very popular at authentic Mexican on the go restaurants. There are a variety of different moles sauces to choose from when you order this dish. For example, there is the Negro mole dish which is a black, chocolate mole. There is a red mole, brown mole, verde mole, amarillo mole, chichilo mole, and manchamantel mole, as well.
Do you have your own favorite fast food Mexican restaurant or sit down Mexican restaurant that you frequent? What?s your favorite traditional Mexican dish to eat? Let us know in the comments your thoughts on this ethnic cuisine that is most popular in the United States.
