Many of us travel to eat and if you’re skipping out on a trip to Mexico because of your familiarity with Tex-Mex, you’ll never be able to appreciate how distinct those two cuisines really are. Although they’re cousins, they aren’t interchangeable, and a lot of that has to do with the Tex part of the name.
The Name Says It (Almost) All
Tex-Mex is an increasingly popular type of food, spreading across the United States, Canada, and many parts of Europe. Perhaps because many people around the world like to dismiss America as not having its own cuisine, everyone seems to forget the “Tex” next to the Mex. Tex-Mex is an “American regional cuisine,” according to Robb Walsh, author of the book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Photos and Recipes. A cuisine evolving over the past 300 years, combining north Mexican food fundamentals with Texan meat, bean, and cheeses.
This mutation of cheese, tomatoes, and spice was the result of Mexican immigrants to Texas, native Texans, Spaniards, and local indigenous groups naturally mixing their traditions in the best place possible – on a plate.
Mexico is a large country, the world’s 13th in terms of area and 11th by population, so it’s not surprising that their food is hardly uniform. The Mexico-Texas border region isn’t particularly fertile agricultural land and why you find Tex-Mex is heavy on ground beef, flour (not corn) tortillas, and dairy. Tex-Mex dishes are also much larger than those you find in Mexico, remember, everything is bigger in Texas.
As the Mexican immigrants stayed in Texas, over generations, their culture diverged from that of their ancestors. Tex-Mex has become something more Texan, and ultimately, American over time. This is what happens to foods all over the world – from Moldova’s boozy Germanic mix to Georgia’s Persian-Baltic blend – and our appetites are better off for it.
Common Tex-Mex Foods That Aren’t Mexican
I had always known that Tex-Mex was related but not a replacement for Mexican food, yet for some reason it never occurred to me that some dishes I was familiar with were completely Tex-Mex in origin. These are just a few dishes that weren’t born in Mexico.
Carranza’s story is symbolic of the Tex-Mex’s mixed background. She was born in Durango, Mexico, to an American father and Mexican mother. They later moved to El Paso, Texas and then Los Angeles. Many other common Tex-Mex inventions like chimichanges have similar multicultural tales.
The Differences Don’t Have Clear Borders
Although you can point a finger at some Mexican foods like quesadillas in Tex-Mex, almost all aren’t the same on both sides of the border. Despite the similarities, Tex-Mex doesn’t represent Mexican food or all American food for that matter. After visiting Mexico, you’ll have appreciation – plus an appetite – for the differences.