Essential History And Examples of Tex-Mex Cuisine

By Catering Staff | December 28, 2016

Tex-Mex cuisine shares many similarities with Mexican cuisine but it also has many differences. Indeed, Tex-Mex cuisine has a totally different story as a distinctly Northern cuisine.

The Modern History

Tex-Mex cuisine is a relative newcomer in world cuisine. When Anglo-American settlers settled in the area we now know as Texas, they encountered Mexican cuisines that caught their attention. The Rio Grande area was filled with dishes that tickled their taste buds, a collection of exotic dishes that their palates quickly took a liking to.

The popularity of Mexican food grew among Texans, thanks in part to the proximity between the two lands. Texans began cooking Mexican-inspired food in their own kitchens but with a twist – instead of using authentic Mexican ingredients, they substituted their own available and preferred products.

For example, beef and wheat flour were used. These two ingredients aren’t as common in Mexico as it is in Texas, not to mention that ground corn was used for Mexican dishes.

Mexican restaurant owners in The Lone Star State also started to incorporate more gringo touches into their menu, mainly to accommodate the groundswell of diners looking for them. Innovations were made, such as ground beef in enchiladas, as well as the invention of nachos and chili con carne.

The result: Tex-Mex cuisine. But it wasn’t until the 1940s when the term itself was coined in the 1940s and the cuisine came into national attention in the 1970s.

The Essential Foods

If you’re new to Tex-Mex cuisine, your best bets for your first bites are in the popular chain restaurants. Examples include Chili’s, Taco Bell, Qdoba, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Chipotle, to name a few. You will likely find at least one Tex-Mex restaurant in major cities and towns across the United States.

And when you’re in it, you should order the following essentials:

• Nachos are usually doused in ooey-goeey yellow cheese, a Northern delight that delights young and old alike. These are great as both meals and snacks, too.
• Chili con carne is considered as the quintessential Tex-Mex dish. You will love the spiciness from the spices and chili peppers, the rich tomato sauce, and the filling quality of the ground or cubed beef in it.
• Fajitas are wheat tortillas served with meat and assorted vegetables.

And the best thing about Tex-Mex food? You can actually eat them with your fingers and on the go, aside from the fact that these are filling, nutritious and delicious.