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Douglas S. Ladden
 
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Default Chile verde question

The Terran carbon-based unit designating itself as "A1 WBarfieldsr"
> shared its ideas in alt.food.mexican-cooking on
Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:08:28 GMT:

>> Since this is the ONLY newsgroup that has anything to do with the

> Mexican STYLE of cooking, I suppose there might be some room for food
> that had their origins in Mexico. Since there is no "Authentic"
> Mexican cooking, unless you go back to the first Indians in the
> jungle.


I think you are terribly mistaken here. Since "Mexico" didn't
exist until the Spaniards arrived and named it so, I think Authentic
Mexican food encompasses the food that has developed in the various
regions of the country now known as Mexico. It can certainly include
food that was used in pre-Columbian times, but it isn't limited to that.
We aren't talking Aztec food, nor Mayan food, nor Toltec food, we are
talking Mexican food. And yet, we aren't terribly interested in
modifications or recipes from outside the region of Mexico.

> I look at this newsgroup as foods that originated in Mexico.


Right, and that is what it should be. Recipes and foods that
originated in Mexico.

> Every country that conquered the people gave and took parts of each
> others cultural foods to make what is the TRADITIONAL style of
> cooking known today as Mexican cooking.


There is no doubt to this. However, how the people of Mexico
adapted the new foods and techniques to their cooking, is still Mexican
cooking.

> When they cooked the first
> beef "Authentic" went out the window and the food has been changing
> slowly ever since.


I disagree. Though I guess it depends on how you define
"Authentic". I'll use Merriam-Webster's definition 2(c), since it the
most relevant: "c : made or done the same way as an original <authentic
Mexican fare>". Thus, if someone introduced beef, or Emu, for that
matter into Mexico, and they figured out some way to prepare it in
Mexico, that would still be authentic mexican cooking.

> You don't have to live in Mexico to be one of
> those that prepare/consume the food.


This is for sure.

> As far as the history of Mexican
> foods, Wayne seems to have a lot of knowledge on that subject.
> Gaining any knowledge is never a waste of time, but you would
> probably gain more knowledge by attending classes on the subject than
> reading newsgroups.


Agreed that gaining knowledge is a good thing. However, if this
NG has a desire to discuss authentic mexican cooking and recipes, I
think we all should respect that. Cal-Mex, Tex-Mex, and Taco Bell
really do not qualify as authentic Mexican cooking, even though their
recipes may have at some point been modified from an authentic Mexican
recipe. It would be like saying that the Teriyaki Burger at Red Robin
is authentic Japanese food, because it uses Teriyaki sauce, originally
from Japan.

--Douglas