It is the late evening of Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), and you are gathered at the table to eat dinner with your family. The table is filled with foods and drinks such as tamales, pozole, menudo, champurrado, ponche navideño, and many other Mexican dishes. Mexico has food that is a blend of many different foods from around the world, but where did all these foods originate from?
It all started with the indigenous Mexicans, such as the Mayan and Aztec people, who grew maize (corn) and created the tortilla, which is primarily used for tacos. They also made a dough called masa, which is used when making tamales and sopes, which is a thick slice of corn dough topped with meats and lettuce. The Aztecs, another indigenous Mexican group, created a multi-ethnic society with many different types of foods such as beans, avocados, tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, turkey, sweet potato, cactus, chili pepper, and many more foods. After the Spanish took over the Aztec Empire, Europeans introduced a number of other foods, the most important of which were meats from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat, and sheep), dairy products, and rice.
Mexican food is very popular here in California, from immigrants from Mexico migrating to California and bringing their culture, foods, and traditions with them. That’s why there are many Mexican food restaurants here in California and in Claremont. My favorite local Mexican restaurant is Elvira’s Grill on Indian Hill next to the old school house. When I go there, I like to order the carne asada sopes, which is a popular Mexican dish, and they are very delicious. Many other popular foods from Mexico include tacos, carnitas, carne asada, taquitos, tamales, ceviche, and so much more. All of which are a blend of Spanish, Indigenous Mexican, and even Arab cuisine. Popular drinks from Mexico include horchata, aguas frescas, jamaica, tomato juice, and champurrado.
Mexican food has a very diverse range of flavors that were influenced from all over the world. Overall, Mexican food will always remain popular in the United States for its bold and exotic flavors and colorful dishes.