==== ==== For many Mexican cooking recipes, please visit our site: http://blogs4u.biz/mexican-cooking/ ==== ====
As the name suggests, Mexican cuisine is a style of food which originated in Mexico, with some dishes having an influence of Spanish and Middle Eastern cuisines. Mexican cuisine uses a variety of local spices and other ingredients and is known for its diverse flavors and colorful decoration. Mexican food has a long and interesting history with its culture, cooking methodology and diversity of food all blended into it. It goes back as early as 320 AD, a date which is inscribed on a jade plate discovered in the Tikal region of Northern Guatemala. The Leiden museum in Netherlands houses this plate which gives us a glimpse of the early Mayan culture. The Mayan Indian Empire encompassed the regions of Guatemala, Belize, Veracruz, Yucatan and the entire southeast Mexico up to the present Mexico City. The period of 700 AD-1000 AD saw fierce battles between the Toltecs from northern Mexico and the Mayan Indians, resulting in the Toltecs becoming the dominant force in the region. However, for the next 200 years, the Aztecs fought with Toltecs and Mayans and seized control over the region. They brought avocados, honey, squash, guava and raised ducks, pigs and turkeys. However, rice, beans and maize still remained the staple food for Mayans. The earliest Mayans were basically hunters and gatherers and followed wherever there was food. They could eat well when the food was in abundance but had to be frugal when food was a scarcity. While they grew their own food in the form of corn, beans and spices, they also bartered for food with people of neighboring regions. In fact, bartering and trading were part of the economic standards. Maize was the staple food of Mayans which was freshly used in salsas and then made to dry to preserve it. As dry corn was not easy to grind by hand, the women would cook it in lime water for some time and soak it overnight. The skin of the corn would burst and kernels expand as a result of it absorbing the water. The women then removed its skin and washed it a few times to remove the lime. The whole kernels (now called hominy) could then be used in a cool weather stew or simply dried to make nixtamal. This nixtamal was then grinded on a metate and mano to make masa or dough for tortillas and tamales. The Mayans used the same method with molcajete and tejolote to grind spices and other ingredients for guacamole and salsa. The Mayan culture discouraged wastage of food, hence people saved the fine corn flour from the grinding to mix it with water to make a cool drink. In fact, they only drank water which was mixed with fruit juices or corn flour. Interestingly, the Mayan lifestyle changed with location. The ones living on the coast had a lot of fish and seafood in their diet, collected fruits and berries and cultivated vegetables, chili peppers
and squash. The fresh foods were either eaten raw/ lightly grilled or made into sauces. Consequently, they had a healthy and balanced diet. On the other hand, people living on low and high lands hunted wild animals, collected fruits and berries and cultivated a few vegetables and had fresh foods as their meals. Several Mexican Indian cuisine historians claim that the Aztecs were the first ones to introduce chocolate. However, some believe that the Mayans were using chocolate for hundreds of years before Aztecs and that the Aztecs simply increased its prominence as a drink exclusive for nobles, warriors and for occasions. They believed that chocolate or cacao was the 'Food of the Gods' and any person violating this practice was sentenced to death. Like Aztecs, Toltecs too believed that their kings and warriors were descendants of Gods and hence, the drink was only for them. The chocolate was a gift to the new world from the old world when Ferdinand Cortez took some chocolate back to Spain in 1519. 2 years later, Spain invaded Mexico and brought several new foods such as pigs, cows, dairy products and spices which had a major influence on Mexican food. The tropical rain forests near the equator had an ideal climate for growing cacao beans as they had just two seasons, dry and wet. The beans after being harvested from the fruit of cacao tree were dried and either utilized as currency for trading with nearby tribes or ground to make chocolate for special occasions. This resulted in people becoming aware of the value of cacao plants. The Toltecs, Mixtecs, Aztecs and Spaniards were desperate to possess the cacao plant lands and battled the Mayans for them. The influence of invading forces made major changes in the traditional Mayan food but even then, they were healthy foods. Mexican food started with fresh ingredients. Today, with our latest food processing and storing techniques, we have exchanged healthy and fresh Mexican food for harmful calories, minerals and preservatives. No wonder that the Mexican food has transformed drastically. MEXICAN DIET A typical Mexican table has an assortment of food stuffs. Stews, soups and sauces are common and the food is prepared from quick frying to slow roasting. Below are some of the important ingredients in a Mexican diet: Corn: It is most commonly used for tortillas, the warm and flat rounds accompanying several dishes. They are also used for tacos (tortillas stuffed with chicken, beef or fish) and tamales (steamed and stuffed with vegetables and meat). Chilies: They are used both fresh and dried. The white veins and seed pods are the hottest part of chilies and really pack a punch. Mexicans love distinguishing between heat and flavor, something not many people can do. Some of the popular varieties of chilies are jalapeno, poblano, guajillo, ancho, chipotle, mulato, pasilla and cascabel. Beans: They range from lentils to kidney and fava beans and can be found in several soups and stews. Small beans are many times served refrito (refried in lard, tasty but heavy) or de la olla (boiled and served in a light broth).
Tomatoes: These are essential ingredients for a mouth watering salsa, mexicana and are also used in sauces for fish and beef dishes. Tomatillos are small green tomatoes covered in a stiff husk. They have more tart and are often used for a punchy tomatillo salsa laced with spicy chilies. Fruits: Mangoes, papayas, coconuts and pineapples are eaten fresh or used in sauces and desserts. Nopales (prickly pear cactus paddles) are sautéed and eaten as a vegetable but are also found as sweeteners in desserts. Special ingredients: Flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) are used in almost everything from soups to sauces. Huitlacoche is a tiny and dark fungus which grows on a corn stalk and is creamy and delicious. Crepas de huitlacoche (huitlacoche crepes covered in a dreamy cheese sauce) is a wonderful Mexican treat. Romeritos and epazote are two spicy herbs which add a special flavor to fish, beef and chicken dishes. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are used in sauces (like pipian) and are used to top many chicken dishes.
Mateo Gomez is the founder of AllAboutMexicanFood.com. Visit the site for great free Mexican Recipes and for information on his great mexican cook book.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mateo_Gomez
==== ==== For many Mexican cooking recipes, please visit our site: http://blogs4u.biz/mexican-cooking/ ==== ====