Mexican vs. Tex-Mex: What is the Difference?
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex food? If you look around online, you’ll find plenty of debate over which style of cooking is better. Some “traditionalists” even question if Tex-Mex is a legitimate form of American cuisine.
No matter where the debate leads, Tex-Mex has earned its place on the American table. Still, that doesn’t answer how Tex-Mex differs from authentic Mexican food.
The roots of Tex-Mex cuisine trace back to the Spanish. The Spanish missionaries brought their recipes to Texas, and when they left the area in the 1700s, the natives of the region had already assimilated portions of their cooking culture into their own.
Along with this influence, early colonization of Texas also included other cultures. For example, individuals from the Canary Islands brought a different flavor palate with them, which included cumin, garlic, and chili powder. These flavors now form the foundation for the Tex-Mex favorite, chili con carne.
This blending of outside cultures with Mexican farm food and Texas ranch food is evident in many other modern Tex-Mex dishes.
For instance, you will find a lot more beef in Tex-Mex recipes than in traditional Mexican dishes. Even though beef cattle could be found in Mexico, grasslands were overgrazed and herds were scarce. Pigs, turkeys, wild fowl, chicken, and seafood were more likely available to the average Mexican household. As a result, these ingredients were found in more Mexican dishes.
On the other hand, beef cattle have long been a staple in Texas, so it is only natural that beef plays a more predominate role Tex-Mex recipes.
Before trade and commerce exploded in Mexico, beans, corn, and rice formed the basis for many meals. As Mexican people moved north, these foods found their way onto the plates of many households in Texas. In return, Texans introduced Mexican cooks to more plentiful milk and cheese, in addition to beef. This blending of cultures and cuisine created excitement, especially during the 1940s and 1950s as the borders between the two countries became more open.
During this time, the term 'Tex-Mex' was coined and was proudly used to describe Mexican dishes adapted by Texan cooks. However, as decades passed, the recipes lost much of their heritage. By the 1970s, many wonderful Tex-Mex dishes were almost completely revamped into unrecognizable concoctions introduced at carnivals and fairs. Chimichangas, cheese-laden nachos, and soggy tortillas soon gave Tex-Mex cuisine a bad name.
Along with carnival and fair food, much of what we know as Tex-Mex today can be traced in part to the fast food franchise explosion which introduced "Mexican" food to most Americans. These menus typically featured pre-made taco shells which housed a variety of ingredients buried under piles of cheese and sauces. Although these restaurants gave a general nod to a "south of the border" flavor, their menus had little in common with authentic Mexican or Texan cuisine.
What was once an exciting blending of cultures was given a less-than-honorable spin in order to appeal to the masses. Restaurants were popping up all over America claiming to serve only “authentic” Mexican food, when they were actually making a stab at Tex-Mex.
Often, they missed the mark on both.
This is a shame because it left many believing they don’t like either Mexican or Tex-Mex food. If this applies to you, you may want to give both styles of cooking another chance now that you know more about it.
When it comes down to deciding which is best - authentic Mexican fare or Tex-Mex cuisine - there is no right or wrong answer.
All you can do is compare and decide for yourself which you prefer. Dive into the many cookbooks available for both Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines to see what appeals to you. Then visit authentic local restaurants to try for yourself.
In the end, you don’t have to choose, because there's always room for both.