You may love eating Tex-Mex, but how much do you know about Tex-Mex cuisine? Here are a few questions to test your Tex-Mex intelligence.
- Where does the term Tex-Mex come from?
The name Tex-Mex came about first as an abbreviation for the Texas and Mexican Railroad, which was chartered in 1875. Then in the 1920s, some people were using the name Tex-Mex to describe people of Mexican ancestry living in Texas. This was more of a colloquialism since the more appropriate term for these people is Tejaño. But the name Tex-Mex stuck and eventually began to be used for their food as well.
- What city is considered to be the birthplace of Tex-Mex cooking?
That would be San Antonio, where Tex-Mex began moving around 1880 from the Tejaño households to the larger population. The people responsible for this migration were a group of women known as the chili queens. These ladies sold bowls of chili con carne in the city’s plazas along with a piece of bread and a glass of water, all for a dime.
- Where did nachos come from?
According to Tex-Mex lore, the nacho was invented by a Mexican named Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. Early in the 1940s, some military housewives from Texas took a trip to the Mexican town of Piedras Negras. When they stopped for a snack at a restaurant, Anaya seated them. But no one was in the kitchen yet to make any food. So Anaya took matters into his own hands and put some sliced fried corn tortillas on a plate, and covered them with melted cheese and jalapeno strips. The women loved it and told their friends.
- What is menudo?
It is a soup made with cow stomach, along with garlic, onions, chilis, hominy, and tripe. The soup has a spicy red broth with white hominy. Americans generally view soup as an appetizer, but for Mexicans it is often the main dish. Menudo is fairly common in Mexico. They believe the soup can actually cure a hangover.
- How many tacos do Americans eat every year?
The answer: four billion. That’s right. That is enough tacos to make it to the moon and back again. The word taco in Spanish is akin to the “sandwich” in English. According to some taco experts, the word comes from the Mexican silver mines of the 18th century. They used the word taco for the tiny explosives used to mine silver ore. Miners wrapped the explosives in small pieces of paper before placing them in holes in the rock.
Impress your friends with your knowledge of the all that is the best in Tex-Mex cuisine by bringing them to the Mattito’s restaurant nearest you. We look forward to serving you!
