Latino & Borderlands Traditions

Following the end of the Mexican-American war in 1848, the United States acquired a massive stretch of land from Mexico through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. According to the National Archives, “Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming”. In addition to the state of Texas, which independently joined the United States before the war, the US incorporated a vast expanse of land that was previously part of Mexico that brought with it a population of Native Americans and settlers of Mexican decent. The cuisine of this borderland region is very reflective of this cultural history, and continues to be influenced by its close proximity to the country of Mexico. The predominant styles of cuisine in this category are the following:

Tex-Mex

• Fusion between Texan and Mexican cuisine

• Chili powder, containing a blend of ancho chiles, cumin, oregano & pepper, is a key feature of the cuisine

• Beef is commonly featured, usually slow-cooked or grilled

• Hard-shell tacos, made from deep-fried corn tortillas, are commonly eaten

• Cheddar cheese is frequently used instead of traditional Mexican cheeses

• Read more about Tex-Mex cuisine here

New Mexican

• Fusion between Spanish, Mexican and Native American culinary traditions

• Corn, beans and squash are commonly used ingredients

• Both corn and flour tortillas are often used; blue corn tortillas are fairly prevalent

• This cuisine is most characterized by its use of two kinds of Hatch chiles; the fresh, green and the dried, red version

• Read more about New Mexico cuisine here

Sonoran

• Simplicity is the defining aspect of this cuisine

• Flour tortillas are most commonly used, unlike in the majority of Mexico

• Beef is the dominant meat, usually grilled

• Ingredients such as corn, beans, squash meat & flower, nopales (cactus pads), prickly pear and chiles are often used

• Chiltepin chiles are the predominant type of chile used in this cuisine, in addition to guajillo, ancho and chile de arbol

• Read more about Sonoran cuisine here

California Mexican

• Known for using fresh and locally-sourced ingredients

• Lighter ingredients, such as fish and avocado, are more often used in this cuisine, while red meat and cheese is used less than in other Mexican fusion cuisines

• When cheese is used in a dish it is more often Monterrey Jack, which originated in California

• Read more about Cal-Mex cuisine here