By Margaret Malsam
What started as a Mexican victory holiday has now become a fiesta celebrated throughout North America. Cinco de Mayo (May 5) commemorates the victory of the outnumbered Mexican Army over invading French forces.
Denver’s Cinco de Mayo Festival, May 8-9, at Civic Center Park promises to be a weekend filled with food, fun and culture celebrating the beauty of the Latino culture. With more than 400,000 attendees expected, it’s a great fun and family-friendly event, and one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations in America.
Origins of Mexican food
Cinco de Mayo celebrations call for a Mexican feast. But what is “real” Mexican food? Mexican food reflects the diverse culinary tastes of many cultures. Prehistoric Native tribes, hardy and resourceful cowboys and today’s Mexicans have shaped the cuisine of the American West and Southwest. These spicy and colorful culinary specialties have became what we now call Mexican food
The earliest agricultural staples of Aztecs and Mayans were beans, squash and chile peppers. Maize (corn) called “the Gift of the Gods,” is the cornerstone of Southwestern and Mexican cuisine. Corn appears in almost everything: tortillas, enchiladas, tamales, tacos, and even desserts.
The region also yielded avocados, peanuts, tomatoes, squash and coconuts. The conquest of Mexico by Spain in 1521 greatly influenced the Mexican cuisine we know today. The Spaniards introduced pigs, cows and sheep and dairy products like cheese. They also brought herbs and spices, including garlic, sugar cane and coriander (cilantro).
Other Spanish influences include quesadillas and burritos. Until the conquistadors arrived, there was no wheat in Mexico and thus no wheat flour for tortillas. As a result, burritos are still unknown in southern Mexico where tortillas are made from corn. The colonization of Mexico also brought cooking techniques from France, the Caribbean, Portugal, West Africa and South America.
Two founding fathers of our country, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, are both known to have grown Mexican chilies. There are more than 60 varieties of chile peppers, ranging from very mild to fiery hot. A favorite Mexican main course, Chile Rellenos, features large poblano chiles stuffed with cheese or spicy meat Jalapeño poppers are an American version of these. Other non-traditional Mexican foods include the American-born nacho.
Foods for Cinco de Mayo
Enchiladas are a classic Tex-Mex food, the delicious result of a mingling of Mexican, Native American, Texas cowboy and Anglo cultures. Versatile and tasty, enchiladas are tortillas rolled around a seasoned meat or cheese filling. They’re covered in sauce, topped with cheese, and baked until hot and bubbly. Add a dollop of sour cream or fresh guacamole, and you’ve got a family-pleasing meal.
Quesadillas are one of the mainstays of Mexico’s street-side stands. It turns out that they are hybrid creations. The corn tortilla is Native American. The cheese, as well as the pork or beef, is Spanish. The hot sauce made with chile peppers is native, but the shredded lettuce topping is Spanish.
“Salsa” is the Spanish word for sauce. Salsa has become the best selling condiment in North America, recently pushing tomato ketchup out of the top-selling spotlight. Salsas are now served everywhere in the United States and may be cooked or uncooked. The ever-growing popularity of salsas has also widened its usage from a dip with tortilla chips to a condiment served with fish and eggs, a sauce over chicken or beef or a base for cooked sauces. Try salsa over pasta, or shock your palate and pour it over baked potatoes or French fries.
The basic salsa contains chopped or pureed tomatoes, chiles, onions and cilantro, flavored with salt and a squeeze of lime juice. You can play with techniques and try different combinations of fruits and vegetables, chiles and herbs. Leaving everything raw will result in a salsa with a bright, refreshing taste. If you cook the salsa, you’ll trade the fresh taste for a deeper, sweeter one.
Each region of Mexico has its own version of chocolate-flavored mole. No one mole dish exists because their ingredients can vary widely. Mole sauce (see recipe) is used on chicken, turkey, pork, roasts and fish. The Oaxaca and Puebla regions are so well known for their moles that they’re called the “Land of Seven Moles.”
A Mexican feast is not complete without guacamole. For a great guacamole, cut two avocados in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out the pulp and place in a bowl. Drizzle the pulp with 3 T. lemon juice and mash, leaving some chunks. Mix well with 3 T. chopped tomato, 2 T. chopped yellow bell pepper, 2 T. minced cilantro ½ t. salt and small amount of minced jalapeno pepper. Garnish with cheddar or jack cheese.
Looking for a sweet ending to your Cinco de Mayo celebration? Try serving steaming cups of Mexican hot chocolate. Add a pinch of chili powder to the hot chocolate mix before adding the milk. Serve with cinnamon sticks and scrumptious Mexican Wedding Cookies (see recipe)
