Some foods that were commonly eaten by the peoples of historic Mexico are not so often seen in Mexican-style cuisine today, such as dog, frog, axolotl, spider monkey, rattle snake and gopher.
The style of Mexican food varies according to the region. Near the coast, seafood is more dominant. Further inland, meals may be based more around beef (particularly in the north, where there is more influence from the US), chicken (particularly in the south), pork and even goat. Central Mexico tends to draw on foods from all around.
The style of cuisine known to many as ‘Mexican’ is more akin to ‘Tex-Mex’, an American adaption of Mexican food that originated in Texas. Tex-Mex combines tortillas with plenty of cheese, beef, salsa and spices into dishes such as enchiladas and burritos. Dishes like chili con carne and the fajita were born out of Tex-Mex.
Nachos are not a traditional Mexican food. They were invented in 1943 at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, when some US soldiers’ wives turned up at after closing. The maitre d' threw together a dish using chopped up tortillas, cheese and jalapeno peppers. His name was Ignacio Anaya, often shortened to ‘Nacho’. He dubbed the new dish ‘Nachos Especiales’, and a new snack food was born.
