May is one of the most beautiful months of the year; the weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and summer is coming; Also during the month of May, one of the most colorful and happy holidays is celebrated by a group of fun-loving people who love color, singing, dancing and good food. The month of May features Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican national holiday that celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in Puebla in 1862.
Imagine the sound of mariachi bands, the delicious echo of children’s laughter, colorful clothing, and the tantalizing aroma of delicious food. Now you have transported yourself through your imagination to the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo celebrations will take place across Mexico and for those of us lucky enough to be there, it will be an enchanting time. However, those of us here at home in Southern California and other border states need not feel left out, as there will be many celebrations in these areas.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, the most obvious place to find a Cinco de Mayo celebration would be on Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. Olvera Street is just across the avenue from Union Station and is easily accessible by car or subway from the Valley area. Olvera Street has many shops with colorful gift items from Mexico, as well as tempting restaurants. During Cinco de Mayo there will be singing and dancing, as well as food. There will be artisans exhibiting their crafts, mariachi bands, and Aztec and Spanish dancers. Olvera Street is part of the La Puebla de Los Angeles State Historic Park, which is the center of the original part of the City of Angels. Similar festivities will take place in several other areas and in the border states of Arizona and Texas, as well as in the city of Chicago and Denver. Many other cities in the United States will also have celebrations. To locate a Cinco de Mayo celebration near you, check the Internet; the information will be there.
For those who prefer to celebrate at home, Cinco de Mayo is a wonderful excuse to throw a party, as Mexican food easily lends itself to entertainment. True Mexican cuisine is quite different from the Mexican-American cuisine that used to be served in many American restaurants. Fortunately, today’s ethnic cuisine is becoming more authentic and good Mexican restaurants can be found in many cities in the United States and elsewhere.
Mexican cuisine has its origins in the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico, namely the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec Indians. Mexican cuisine relies heavily on foods that we have come to think of as indigenous to California, but which are actually indigenous to Mexico. One such food, the ‘California Avocado’, is actually a member of the Laurel Family and is known in Mexico as Ahuacatl, a name given to it by the Aztecs. The avocado used to be known in the eastern United States as a crocodile pear and was known as ‘green gold’ because it was a very lucrative crop and could have a high price. So many farmers have entered the avocado business today that the supply has increased to the point where avocado is now affordable for everyone.
The best tasting avocado has a pebble skin and should be soft to the touch when ripe. The ripening of an avocado can be sped up by placing it in a brown paper bag along with a lemon, lime, or orange. Citrus fruits give off a gas known as ethylene that speeds up the ripening process. Avocado is the main ingredient in guacamole, (literally translated as avocado mix) which makes a very tasty appetizer along with crunchy vegetables and / or tortilla chips. In Mexico, dried avocado leaves are used as a condiment in soups and stews and is an essential ingredient on barbecues.
Another food that we have come to consider as originating in California, which also had its origins in Mexico, is the tomato. Tomato seeds were brought to Europe from Mexico by the Spanish conquerors and quickly adapted to the cuisine of the Mediterranean countries, Spain, Portugal and Italy. When the tomato was brought to Northern Europe, more exotic names such as ‘The apple of love’ and ‘The apple of paradise’ were added to it, although the British and American settlers believed that the tomato was poisonous! Reason to think the tomato is native to California, it flourishes rampant in hot, dry inland regions, and one-third of all tomatoes eaten in the United States are grown in California.
Another food originating in Mexico and that some people will say they literally cannot live without is chocolate, which is made from the cocoa bean, which was again used for the first time by the Aztecs. Chocolate is an important ingredient in Mexican dishes like chicken mole and some versions of chili. Milk with Hot Chocolate, also a popular drink in Mexico, is prepared with eggs and cinnamon that give it a quite different flavor to the hot chocolate that we are used to.
Many authentic recipes call for unusual ingredients that are difficult to find in the common supermarket, but can be found in Mexican grocery stores and delicatessens. Tortillas, both corn and flour, are available in almost every market in the country. It’s fun to try and make your own and flour tortillas are pretty simple to make, but making corn tortillas is a time-consuming art to perfect. Today, tortillas come in a variety of flavors like spinach and tomato, but they are a new innovation and would certainly not be considered authentic.
Chili, which is a must in most Mexican cuisine, can generally be eaten in most markets. Jalapenos are very popular and can be purchased green or red. Reds are a more mature version of greens and cannot always be found. Summer time is when you are most likely to find them. Another chili that is popularly used in Mexican cuisine is Serrano. Serrano is considerably hotter than jalapeño. While jalapeno is spicy, it almost has a kind of sweetness, but serrano is spicy! Poblano is a large chili and is often used for ChileRellano, a popular dish in which the chili is stuffed, battered, and then deep-fried.
If you’ve never cooked Mexican food before, start with something simple like tacos or enchiladas. Enchiladas are usually made with cheese, chicken, or beef and served with a tomato-based sauce and melted cheese on top. To keep it simple for beginners, you can buy canned enchilada sauce, or if you prefer, you can make it yourself. Making enchilada sauce isn’t really difficult; all you need is a recipe, chili powder, garlic, chicken broth, and tomatoes.
Cheese is another important ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Some people use Jack Cheese, but nowadays it is quite easy to buy authentic Mexican Cheese or Queso. There is soft cheese, crumbled cheese, and cheese that looks like mozzarella and is generally used for enchiladas.
The herbs and plant products you will need are coriander (also known as Chinese parsley or coriander, depending on where in the world your recipes come from), garlic, scallions (scallions), and of course tomatoes and avocados. The list can go on and on, but these are the essentials.
Try your hand at Mexican cuisine or find a good restaurant and enjoy Cinco de Mayo.
