Sugar Skulls – So What Do You Really Know About Mexican Food Culture

Filed in Hot Right Now on Jul.09, 2009

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Mexican culture is a unique combination of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and postcolonial Mexico. The Mexican people are rightly proud of their history, ethnicity, and culture.

Mexican city life is not all that different from life in Europe or in the United States, although some villages still have more traditional ways. Most Mexicans live in large cities and there are more Spanish speaking people in Mexico than in any other country. The government recognizes over sixty other languages as indigenous Mexican languages.

After Brazil, Mexico is the second biggest catholic country in the world. Ninety five percent of the countries are catholic and the Spanish colonists introduced the religion.

Well Known Mexican Food Holidays

Every village, city, and town holds a party to honor their patron saint each year on different dates and Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16. The people will pray and burn candles during the religious celebrations and they will also use colorful flowers and utensils to decorate their churches. Fireworks, parades, parties, and dance competitions are all common during fiesta time and football, bullfighting and cockfighting events are also held.

Piatas, which are made from paper mache, are unique to Mexican fiestas. These are made to resemble well-known people, fictional characters, or animals. Piatas are filled with small toys and candy, hung from the ceiling and blindfolded children take it in turns to hit the piata until it breaks and the toys and candy spill out.

What to Know about Popular Mexican Cuisine

Mexican food is an exotic mixture of European, Aztec, Mayan, Spanish, French and Caribbean food and more. It is tasty and well balanced, both in flavor and in nutritional content. Well known favorites include tacos, tamales, mole sauce, pozole and enchiladas. There are plenty of fast food restaurants but the offerings from these establishments bear little resemblance to traditional Mexican food recipes. You can use recipes to make your own Mexican food at home if there are no good Mexican eateries in your area.

Beans, chicken, maize, beef; potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, guavas, and peanuts are used in many dishes. Some common drinks include cinnamon flavored hot chocolate, fruit juices, mescal, Mexican beer, and tequila. There are also several award winning Mexican wineries that produce wine and export it all over the world.

Corn is used in many traditional recipes, as is corn flour. Chili is also widely used in Mexican cuisine. There are Mexican soups, stews and salads as well as the better-known foods. Mexican desserts are very popular and they combine hot and sweet elements to give interesting flavor and texture sensations in the mouth.

Chili is often used to flavor candy and corn flavor candy is well liked. Calaveras de Azucar are the sugar skulls made for the Day of the Dead fiesta.

Herbs and spices are cleverly combined with fresh produce to make traditional recipes. You want Mexican? Then spice racks are a must! Quick authentic Mexican recipes are a great idea if you want to make something different for your family and there are certainly plenty to choose from. By enjoying home cooked Mexican cuisine, you will really appreciate why these foods are so well loved around the world.

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