The agricultural, regional, and cultural significance of the enchilada dates back thousands of years to the time of the Mayans. The enchilada consists of a filling of meat and cheese rolled in a corn tortilla and covered in chili sauce. The Mayans, who inhabited central Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, used what was readily available to them in order to make this unique dish that has since become a cultural phenomenon. Because wheat was not introduced to the Americas prior to European colonization, the indigenous people relied on corn, or maize, as their staple. The Mayan people utilized slash and burn techniques as a way of cultivating the land necessary to grow their crops like corn. There is also evidence to show that people in Mexico were milling corn into corn flour as far back as 9000 years ago. Since corn was so heavily ingrained in the lifestyle of those inhabiting this region, it makes sense why the corn tortilla became the cornerstone of the enchilada. In addition to corn tortillas, European conquerors documented that peppers stood out as a staple in the Mayan diet. Chili peppers which grew in the Yucatan region were incorporated into the enchilada as its flavorful sauce. The Yucatan Peninsula, bordered by The Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, influenced the contents of the enchilada as well. Because of its proximity to the ocean, fish were the first fillings of the enchilada. Later, chicken and beef were …show more content…
introduced as the primary protein of this dish. Today, we are going to learn how to make an enchilada... Today, the enchilada remains one of the most revered dishes of Mexico and Central America.
What began as a way to utilize what was made available by a specific region has turned into a cultural essential. The enchilada and its ingredients, especially the corn tortilla, have gained popularity all over the world. Today, Mexico continues to spread its agricultural wealth, especially with the United States. The US receives almost 80% of all of Mexico’s agricultural exports which was the equivalent of 23.8 billion US dollars worth of goods in
2016. There are many reasons why Mexico succeeds in crop production, especially in its main exports of fruits, vegetables, corn, sugar, and coffee. One of these is due to the abundance of undeveloped land which has the potential to be cultivated, harvested, and add to the country’s total production. Secondly, government policies have aided in the growth of Mexico’s agriculture. In 1992, President Salinas of Mexico, successfully amended the Constitution of 1917 in order to allow a community of peasants, known as the ejidos, to sell or lease the land that they previously owned. Prior to this amendment, the peasants were forced to maintain this land and now have sold millions of acres to private agricultural investors. In more attempts to increase agricultural profitability and exports, the Mexican government instilled The Procampo Program where the government directly pays farmers to produce crops of their choosing as a way of diversifying the crops being produced, therefore, increasing the production of the specific goods demanded by other countries. Modern Mexican culture has begun to stray from the traditional rural farming techniques that once were staple of the country. Certain regions like the Southern Plateau, still are predominantly run by small families and communities who tend to their crops as the indigenous people did. However, this population is shrinking with the increase of industrialization and technology in major cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara.
In the beginning, Burciaga provides a brief history when Taco Bell was established. First starting in Mexico City and then spreading throughout the United States, the chain sold “mild imitations of the real thing” (382). Many Mexican businesses and people protested against Taco Bell because unlike homemade tortillas made from hand, they used “prefabricated hard tortilla shells” (383) that tasted nothing like real Mexican tacos. Additionally, the restaurant also combines food and makes up names so that it appears different. From Enchiroto, a combination of a burrito and enchilada, to Cinnamon Crispas, known as bunuelos, Burciaga points out that “the Taco Menu can be a mystery if one is not familiar with the renamed food items” (383).
Hispanic families have always made time to go to the panaderia in order to buy conchas for not only their families, but the families of others. The appearance of the sweet breads in Mexico was heavily influenced by the French and Spaniards. They were the ones who introduced baked goods and various pastries to indigenous people and inspired them to create many different varieties of Pan Dulce. Thanks to them, Mexicans and people visiting this country can enjoy these sweet treats every day! In Mexico City, bakeries are more plentiful with people than gas stations and grocery stores. An element of daily life, they service customers for breakfast, a midday bite post-lunch coffee breaks, and pre-dinner snacks. Savory loaves of bread are found at these bakeries, but more common and more plentiful are the pan dulces. It's a category of sweetened breakfast pastry that includes, by some estimates, up to 2,000 unique
Corn is a high commodity in the U.S; our ham, eggs and pancakes for breakfast, California BLT at lunch, or double cheese hamburger for dinner were all produced with U.S. Cor...
The preparation and flavor of food in Mexico can vary significantly based on the region. The basis of most cuisine is rice, beans, meats, and vegetables served with either flour or corn tortillas. Dining is considered a time for socialization with varying mealtimes that can begin late into the evening. Depending on the people, their socioeconomic status can influence the availability and nutritional value of food in certain areas of Mexico. Due to geographical and climate limitations the Polish food choices are limited to potatoes, vegetables, meats and dairy products. All of which may be changed depending the growing season that can have a significant impact of food availability. The Polish American diet is frequently high in carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fat (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). This type of food preparation should be taken into consideration when interacting with individuals from this culture. The influence of the catholic religion impacts both the Mexican and Polish cultures...
The Yucatan food was developed or people who were involved in developing it, were Mayans. Maya culture was component of this self-determining evolutionary process. Located in eastern Meso-america, the Maya flourished in a varied homeland of Mexico. The Maya produced bountiful harvests of food from a diverse and productive agricultural structure that incorporated irrigation, & drained fields in shallow lakes. “Religious festivals are a part of life in Yucatan. Every city, and state have its own specific festivals throughout
The people of early Mesoamerica had an abundance of different foods. One main food they had though in the 3 main groups (Aztecs, Olmecs, and Mayans) was maize. Maize is a corn like plant derived from teosinte that was domesticated around seven thousand B.C. to five thousand B.C.. Maize was about seventy percent of the Mesoamerican diet and around twenty one percent was meat . The Olmec’s had corn, beans, squash, and chili peppers (194). Each of their food items went in to a balanced diet of carbs, minerals, and vitamins. According to Concise Thematic Analysis “The Olmec system produced a food surplus that freed members of the community to take on specialized roles” (194) which just goes to show how much was around for them. Mayans ate corn and beans as their most important part of their diets, but also had some small domestic meats such as dog, turkey, duck, and fish. The Mayans also had honey and alcoholic drinks made from a stingless bee. The Aztecs had a good variety of plant foods as well with maize topping the charts of their diet with having other stable foods such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans chilies, squashes (also big in their diet), carrots, etc. They also, had a lot of animals to choose from but they did not
One of the methods to acquire food for the Cahuilla was through Gathering and Harvesting seasonal foods. One of the most notable food the Cahuilla’s enjoyed was the Pinion Nuts. Pinion Nuts derive from a pine tree that is local to the South Western California and upper Mexico. The pine tree contains a small edible s...
I will examine the importation of tomatoes from Mexico and the social and economic impact it has on the indigenous people involved in its production. I shall also examine the logistics required for it to reach American consumers and the everyday importance of this commodity in the daily lives of Americans.
Mexican food is usually spicy from peppers that grow in Mexico’s hot climate. The main foods that Mexico produces and make the main element of their dishes are beans, cactus, avocado squash and fruit. These are typically in every or on the side of every Mexican dish because this is home grown food that the Mexican choose to show off. In contrast Cuban food is less spicy than Mexican cuisine and Cuban cuisine isn’t usually fried. Cuban food also leans towards using their home grown food such as; rice being one of the main crops grown also plantains, bananas, mangoes, mamoncillos, and coconut and plenty more tropical fruit because of the tropical climate. For the Cubans it's almost mandatory to have a fruit or vegetable on the plate when serving.
Josephine parents are from Central America and therefore is her culture. In her culture the head of the family decides solely on the meals menu. The head of the family, the father, has to be heeded and since they try as much to conserve their culture, they will prefer having their traditional foods to others. The traditional food of the Latin Americans is mostly fried and therefore, most of Josephine’s food will have a lot of fats. Guatemala’s cuisine is depended on their religion and the Maya cuisine is responsible for the largest share of their traditional foods. The key ingredients involved are corn, chilis and beans. On her mother’s side (from Honduras), their most popular dish is baleada which represents their gastronomy. The meal has flour tortilla folded and filled with refried beans and Parmesan cheese or sour cream. Sometimes they may decide to add roast meat or scrambled eggs. The mothers are responsible for cooking the family’s meal which is mostly their traditional food. Both the Guatemala and Hondurans enjoy freedom of worship with Christianity their main religion. They are very friendly people and open in
The broad range of topographical elevations has encouraged agricultural expansion whose diverse production of food constitutes an important part of the Colombian economy. The agricultural sector contributed 14% of GDP, excluding coffee, with a production worth almost 11 billion US. In the hot lowlands of the Caribbean heartland, the inter-montages valleys, and the savannas of Orinoquia, there are immense plantations of bananas, sugar cane, rice, cotton, soybeans and sorghum, and large cattle farms that produce meat and dairy products. (Sited Dennis Hanratty)
Corn had a very deep religious significance to the Mayan people. It was believed that the gods created man from corn flour and the blood of the gods, making them literally children of the
Mexican food is influenced by the ancient civilization. For examples the Mayans ate corn tortilla with a bean paste that covered the tortilla. The Aztec found out that mixing and squishing different types of vegetables makes a savory appetizer they call salsa. They also learned how to make what are now called tamales. When the Spaniards came they brought over milk, rice and other products that were new to Mexico. But have now remained in the cuisine.
The Mayan civilization was located in southeastern Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. One of the first American civilizations, it lasted from about 1000 B.C.-1542 A.D. Their civilization flourished during the Sixth Century. They built many temples and over forty cities. The Mayan population consisted of almost fifteen million people who were all living in one of the many cities. The Mayan people were extremely religious and believed in multiple gods which meant they were polytheistic. Their most commonly worshiped god was the Maize God, or god of corn, as corn was the most grown and most relied on crop. The Mayans grew all of their own food so they needed to have useful farming methods. The one they used most often was the slash and burn method, which involved cutting down trees and burning them to make the soil fertil which was necessary to grow crops. This method worked for many years, but soon started to backfire. The Mayans were ahead of their time, but that did not prevent their mysterious decline which occurred between the years 800 A.D.-900 A.D. Although it is not known exactly why the powerful empire fell, but there are various probable theories. The mysterious decline of the Mayans may have been caused by
Upon arrival in the Americas, Europeans set out to make wheat the standard grain in the lands they had discovered; the establishment of wheat was both functional, as it was a staple of the European diet, as well as an attempt to institutionalize European control. While wheat did gain some ground in the Americas, especially among the upper classes, it failed to surmount maize as the “the foundation of indigenous livelihood.” The persistence of maize as a staple of the indigenous way of life is not shocking, as J. Eric Thompson writes: “Maize was a great deal more than the economic basis of Maya civilization: it was the focal point of worship, and to it every Maya who worked the soil built a shrine in his own heart.” The Americas were not