6 Mexican Food Myths

How well do you know your facts about Mexican food?

Did you know, as just one example, that a real taco is one that’s made with carne asada or bistek, not ground beef.

Read below for the truth about five other Mexican food myths.

Americans believe a few “facts” about Mexican food that really are myths. Read below for the truth about five myths about Mexican cuisine.

Myth 1: If you’re pregnant, you can’t eat salsa because the spices in it will hurt the baby. It’s OK to eat salsa when pregnant – or at any time. But, like anything else, overeating salsa isn’t a good idea – for anyone. Remember, moderation in all things.

Myth 2: Menudo smells terrible when cooking so it must taste terrible! Menudo (cow intestines) does smell terrible while being cooked. Yet it’s a delicious food. Like the proverb about not judging a book by its cover, or a person by the way he or she dresses, don’t judge Mexican food – or any food – by how it smells when being cooked. Judge it only by how it tastes once it’s been cooked.

Myth 3: Everything red in a Mexican dish is very hot and spicy. Are tomatoes spicy? So why should everything else red be spicy as well? Mexican food, actually, can be very mild. It all depends on how much salsa is in a dish. The less salsa, the less hot and spicy.

Myth 4: Mexican food is just tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, and so on. In truth, Mexican cuisine has many complex dishes, including cabrito (a dish using the meat of baby goats), mole, pozole, sopa de lima, ceviches, tamales, and on and on and on.

Myth 5: Mexican food is unhealthy and is laden with fat. Mexican food here in the United States does tend to be swathed in cheese and fatty meats (the ground beef), and thick sauces. But it needn’t be this way. Tacos made with fish or chicken (with a bit of cheese sprinkled upon it), can be very healthy. So can fajitas. Burritos made with chicken or fish also can be very healthy. So it’s not Mexican food that’s unhealthy, it’s how it’s prepared.

For some delicious – and healthy – Mexican cuisine in the Dallas area, visit a Mattito’s location near you. Contact us today for more information.

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