Mexican Workers Are All Foodies!

[gulfporter]

It's not that my Spanish has improved all that much, but for the past 4 months I have focused on listening.  Over the years my vocabulary increased, but my ability to understand a fast-talking local remained almost impossible.  Currently I'm using online sites that don't cut me any slack....they speak as fast as most Mexicans do. 

 

Last week, we had crews at the house doing maintenance and a few repairs and I was able to eavesdrop fairly effectively. 

 

I quickly discovered that all they talk about is food!  One would mention a place with the "best" tacos de pulpo (octopus) and it would set off a round-robin of comments from the other workers on their food finds.  It went on literally non-stop all day;  even when the maestro (boss) showed up, he'd join in with his recommendations.  At times there were some heated exchanges over the "best" this or that.  

 

I asked a few guys about some spots.  Alas, their highly recommended taco stands open after 9PM, most not until 10PM.  A few open at 7AM for breakfast for workers heading out, closing by 9AM.  I may make it to a breakfast stand that they told me is only a block away, set up early in front of a family's house....I walk by that house daily (but always after 9AM) and there is no indication it sells tacos.

[heidih]

As a construction manager for many many years I can assure you that ALL the guys knew the best place and  food was highlight of their work day. The genesis of food trucks in our local culture and now the the given phenomenon. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by heidih (log)

[gulfporter]

I started the topic because we also own a home in FL where we've also had plenty of local contractors working over the years.   I never heard them talk about food.  Here is what our FL contractors talk about.   

 

• Fishing
• Sports 
• Traffic
• Fishing
• TV Shows 
• Fishing
• Current Weather
• Past Storms/Hurricanes
• Fishing

Edited April 9, 2019 by gulfporter (log)

[gfron1]

I would suggest for consideration that it's not Mexican workers but most cultures outside of the US that place a higher value on the dining experience. In the US we lean toward scarfing down a meal between work or scarfing down a meal while partying hard. My experience in other countries is that meal time is about family and friends, and cooking for f&f is an honor and an opportunity. These are all generalizations that lean toward stereotypes, so take it FWIW. 

[teonzo]

Besides what Rob wrote, there are other things to consider.

It's pretty typical for all people with hard jobs and low pays (like the ones named in this thread, but there are others like cooks, waiters and so on) to end up talking about food. After a stressful day you need to go out and have a bit of a party, just to vent out and dissolve a bit of adrenaline. If your salary is low, then you can't afford much, so you end up in bars and similars, both for the cost and for the atmosphere. When your life consist of family + work + bar, then you tend to talk about the bar side to keep your spirits up. Add to this that most people are not masochist (meaning they try to go to places they love, not just anywhere), then it's easy for the discussions to vert on what you are eating and drinking. People who can afford to go to opera, the Caribbeans and so on will tend to talk about that, people who can't afford those things have a much more limited spectrum.

 

 

 

Teo