The Importance of Food in Constructing Mexican National Identity This research project is focused on how food exists to not only help us survive, but also for helping to create and shape identities, especially the national identity for Mexico. I will approach this topic primarily through a discussion on the formation of Mexican cuisine, but also about how food tells us stories about history, art, tradition, globalization, authenticity, and on gendered food identities, particularly on the role of women and their sense of empowerment through the evolution of Mexican cuisine. Mexico’s ethnic food was a part of their culture, but it became problematic when the Europeans brought with them a variety of new foods and looked at Mexican food as suspicious …show more content…
With every experience that we have with food, a memory is created. Our experiences with food begin when we are infants. The memories can be traumatic or they can be pleasant, but they will affect the way we think, act, and shape our ideas about food in the future. Just like our language, the clothes we wear on a daily basis, our individual customs, and the values and beliefs that we have, food is important in constructing our overall identity too. If the way a person speaks, dresses, and thinks can reveal a lot about who they are as individuals, then doesn't food also define us? Everything that revolves around our food from what we choose to eat and how our food is obtained and prepared to when and how we eat tells us so much about …show more content…
Jeffrey Pilcher declares that Mexicans are a people of corn, that “despite centuries of efforts to change them, Mexicans remain a people of corn” (Pilcher, 6). The native and indigenous people of corn formed identity as a society. They made tortillas with corn, and gradually began to add different kinds of meats, vegetables, and spices. Every society creates for themselves a unique set of cuisine to feed and please others. But people’s needs constantly change and the diet that is established for each society is divided through class. Besides this being a harsh reality, this is problematic because of the disparity between the rich and the poor. But even though this was the case, Mexico’s food culture was able to preserve and refine a lot of its cuisine despite evolution and struggles to maintain original forms. Thus, it can be said that the history of food in Mexico is one that is profoundly and intimately tied to the country’s developing national
“Many of the so called Mexican foods that we love like hard-shell tacos, burritos, and nachos are a Tex-Mex creation.” Anglo people were the first to encounter these delicious Mexican cultures and cuisines, but Tex-Mex did not appear until the 1940s, but in the 1970s everyone mostly knew about Tex-Mex foods because “as more people settled in Texas or wrote for cook books (Diana Kennedy) Mexican food grew and grew. People tried to make these Mexican cuisines by using Tex-Mex foods which are considered to be: beef, yellow cheese (cheddar), wheat flour, black beans, canned vegetables, and cumin which are not common in Mexican foods. Beef and cumin were used in a lot of Tex-Mex creations. Like “beef was the meat choice
In the book “Omnivore’s Dilemma” , Michael Pollan delves into the the evolution of the industrial food system. There are many parallels that can be drawn from what was discussed in the book and covered in lecture regarding food systems. One example is the importance of corn. The central ingredient to the industrial food system is corn. In fact, Todd Dawson, a biologist at Berkeley describes North Americans as “corn chips with legs” (Pollan, 2007, p. 23). Until reading this book, I was not aware of the profound impact corn has on our lives. The book focuses on corn’s role in North American diets. However, in this course we learned about the significance of corn in certain cultures. In fact, corn is central to the culture and identity of guatemalan people that when they move away they rely on MASECA to continue eating their beloved corn tortillas (Maupin).
Crouch, Ned. Mexicans & Americans : Cracking The Cultural Code. NB Publishing, Inc., 2004. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
Three products constitute the heart of most Mexican dishes: corn, hot peppers (chiles), and beans. ("Like Water for Chocolate"). Much of the sophistication of Mexican cuisine comes from the use of more than one hundred different types of chiles, which range from the large and "sweet" chile ancho to the small and extremely hot chile habanero. (“Like Water for Chocolate”). In Like Water for Chocolate, the reader sees Tita express herself through the food, and essentially lives through it. That is the culture, food is not just food, it has a deeper meaning. The cooking is methodical, and important, almost an art form. It is beauty, emotion, celebration, etc. In September people commemorate independence and, in central Mexico, eat a sophisticated dish called chile en nogada, a stuffed chile poblano dressed with a white walnut sauce, red pomegranate, and green parsley, in a representation of the Mexican flag. (“Like Water for Chocolate”). In the novel the reader sees Tita make a very similar dish but in the month of December for her niece, Esperanza’s,
The search for identity in Mexico has been a continuing exploration of many different cultures and realities. Although Mexico has an established democratic political system, cultural uniqueness has been in flux since the invasion of Spain in 1492. The Aztec culture was well instituted and was a direct decedent of the Olmec civilization that formed the Mexican identity over a thousand year reign. However over a two year attempt at genocide by the Spanish conquers the Mexicans have been struggling with an inability to recapture their roots ever since.
In Lavanya Ramanathan’s Washington Post article published in 2015 titled “Why everyone should stop calling immigrant food ‘ethnic’”, she discusses about people’s preconceptions on the type of food that should be labelled ethnic. Ashlie Stevens also touched on a similar topic in her Guardian article published in 2015 titled “Stop thinking and just eat: when ‘food adventuring’ trivializes culture”. She talks about how people assume that just by eating food from a certain culture, they are able relate to the culture as a whole. Both authors acknowledge the importance of appreciating authentic cuisines, but takes different approaches to convince the audience. Both authors establish credibility by using a wide range of substantiated evidences. While,
The role of women in Northern Mexico during the change of the nineteenth century are explored in depth by Laura Esquivel. The connection of food, and the role of the Mexican revolution are greatly shown through this novel. In addition, the use of sorrow and intense emotion help create an atmospheric place including loss and loneliness. The overall picture of the novel is effected by Tita’s cooking skills; each month represents the emotion she is currently feeling. This makes it so that when the ingredients are combined and cooked gently, smooth and unusual flavors appear. In Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, the author explains food as a object that is being described in great detail. It
Choosing a restaurant to eat is always a hard choice, due to the fact that they all have different aspects that they excel in. Many take in consideration the kind of food that they are in the mood for which is a major factor in choosing a restaurant. People always have a favorite restaurant, for certain reasons that they take in consideration. Likewise, others may think that it might not be the greatest restaurant to eat at, but that’s because, everyone has their own opinion based on their experience at the restaurant. If one comes to the conclusion of choosing Mexican food, Caliente Mexican Craving in Central is an excellent restaurant to eat at, because they have great customer service, a vast menu, and events throughout the week.
The history of authentic Mexican food dates backs centuries, and some believe it can be traced back even further to the Maya Empire (2000 BC to 900 AD) as corn tortillas with bean paste was one of their common food items. At La Chata Mexican Cuisine, they continue the tradition of serving genuine Mexican cuisine to the residents of Saint Peters, MO, today.
Enjoy fun and colorful Mexican dishes and recipes, and the history behind it all. Learn about the history behind Mexican food, the popular foods to try out, and a recipe to explore and make your own fantastic dish. It will be a fantastic experience which you don’t want to miss out.
I grew up with the traditional Mexican diet consisting of a balanced diet, rich in taste. My eating pattern changed since I moved to Brownsville, but I still love Mexican food. As a child, I remember that my breakfast range from something light as yogurt or cereal to a huge spread of food. For lunch, I ate meat, chicken or poultry with rice, potatoes or beans and of course tortillas. For dinner, I ate tacos, ham with egg or anything that my mother cooked. My family ate together for lunch and dinner. My sisters and I used to help our mother to set up the table and sometimes with the preparation of the meals. According to studies, children who regularly eat their meals together with their families “are more likely to experience long-term physical
Food is not just something we eat to survive; it is significant to the make-up of a person’s cultural identity. Preparation of food and special traditions surrounding food can form vivid sensory memories that are cherished throughout life. Memories are important but moving to a new country is difficult for several reasons; especially when you have to adjust to different foods. I interviewed two women who moved from Mexico to the United States at different times in their life; which did affect how easy it was from them to adjust to new foods. I had the opportunity to interview Marisol at the East Side Freedom Library. She moved to the United States over 17 years ago while she was an adult. I also spoke with Stephanie, a friend of mine, who
Although many state they are against Mexicans, they have to accept the fact they are now Mexicans themselves, “71.08 percent of American household use Mexican food and ingredients.” (D5) However, by using ingredients they connect with the Mexican culture, and are now part of it. They begin to incorporate it in their daily life, and without knowing it, they start becoming connected to the culture. Today, taking a look in the “American” supermarkets, there is a special aisle. Guess what? Well this special aisle is devoted, to just Mexican food and ingredients. So yes, Mexican food is currently making the best impact to the American culture. Even in fast food restaurants, “the USA added ‘Mexican’ to its own list of ‘what we can eat tonight?’” (D7) This means, Mexican food is merging with American. Not only is the food connecting also with their ancestors. With their ancestors people also make connections, “Part of it was growing the food … when I’m cooking something I know my grandmother used to cook.” (D6) Many people cook a certain culture’s food, not to be part of the culture but to connect with their ancestors, to know how food was before. On the other hand, many people cook a culture’s food, to not forget where they came from. To always know, their true identity. These people accept the fact, that they are part of the Mexican culture, and even participate in the development of new Mexican American
Some ethnic restaurants do not conserve authenticity in their food. For multiple reasons, such as the lack of certain ingredients and the difference of the local’s taste that forces restaurants to change the way they cook their dishes to serve their customers what they want. Therefore, this can give culturally inexperienced people the wrong idea of a certain culture. For example, the fast-food restaurant chain “Taco Bell” that serve Mexican food may give Americans the idea that this is what Mexican people usually eat. Taco Bell would represents the Mexican culture in a different way than what it truly is. This does not only happen in the United States. For example, in the middle-east (where I am from) people believe that McDonalds, KFC and Carls Jr. are American foods and that an American family’s regular dinner would usually be these sorts of foods. This reflects differently on what is true about the culture. Although it is true that altered versions of an ethnic dish may present the culture differently than what it really is, this is not the case for everyone. Even Taco Bell could be the starting point for a person to start exploring authentic dishes of Mexican food. Therefore, it boosts the chances that the person will be motivated to learn about Mexican culture. According to Kwast and Kim, “It seems that Ms. Sibley’s efforts to foster
The ethnic- Mexican experience has changed over the years as American has progressed through certain period of times, e.g., the modernity and transformation of the southwest in the late 19th and early 20th century, the labor demands and shifting of U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Through these events Mexican Americans have established and shaped their culture, in order, to negotiate these precarious social and historical circumstances. Throughout the ethnic Mexicans cultural history in the United States, conflict and contradiction has played a key role in shaping their modalities of life. Beginning in the late 20th century and early 21st century ethnic Mexicans have come under distress from the force of globalization. Globalization has followed the trends of conflict and contradiction forcing ethnic Mexicans to adjust their culture and combat this force. While Mexican Americans are in the struggle against globalization and the impact it has had on their lives, e.g., unemployment more common, wages below the poverty line, globalization has had a larger impact on their motherland having devastating affects unlike anything in history.