Change and Influence in Mexican Food

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Mexican food has been very influential in American culture. One can either see authentic restaurants, like a taqueria, or a restaurant that serves a variation of authentic Mexican food, like a Tex-Mex restaurant. Either way, Mexican food has greatly impacted American culture, even through changes in the traditional ways.
One of the greatest influences of Mexican food was the Aztecs in the fourteenth century. Some of the foods they ate are still eaten today and some are even staples of the Mexican diet. Corn, corn tortillas, beans, and avocados are significant to Mexican food. Another major influence was the Spanish conquistadores from the fifteenth to nineteenth century. They brought various foods and ways of cooking that were used in Europe. They taught the locals to cook with wine, garlic, and onions. The conquistadors also introduced imported beef and cheese, which is another staple in Mexican food. The most important product the Spaniards brought was rice, changing the way Mexicans have eaten, making it a key component to the diet and culture of Mexico. Like all of the other ingredients and recipes concocted by the Aztecs and conquistadores, these foods and techniques are still used frequently today.
Mexicans brought the food and cooking techniques to America when parts of Mexico became American territory. One of the large groups that contributed to integrate Mexican food to America was the Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys. The vaqueros were hired by ranchers to teach them how to utilize the grasslands and how to live a more suitable lifestyle based on their environment. Vaqueros taught the ranchers to use cattle to graze in a more orderly fashion, they introduced the different foods and meals that were eaten in Mexico, and th...

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.... N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .
Miranda, Carolina. "The California Taco Trail: 'How Mexican Food Conquered America'" NPR. NPR, 23 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .
"National Tortilla Chip Day." National Tortilla Chip Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .
Prasertong, Anjalia. "100% American: How the Crispy Taco Was Invented." The Kitchn. N.p., 22 Aug. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .
"Tex-Mex Recipes - Food.com." Tex-Mex Recipes - Food.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .

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