Food Rules in Mexico

[shelora]

I just wanted to add that in the bay area, we've always had poblano chiles (almost always erroneously called pasillas) as far back as I can remember (and I'm almost 18!) We have plenty of crap but we've had chiles for quite awhile.

Why are they called pasillas in California? There is nothing remotely past about them.

That erroneous term is all pervasive up here too, because most if not all our poblanos come from California. I'm forever correcting the produce guy - they just roll their eyes when they see me approaching.

And it makes sense to me that you've always had chilies, dude. California used to be a part of Mexico, verdad?

When I was in the Yucatan (near Jaymes' Playa del Carmen) everything was fajitas, with bell peppers. I was quite happy to discover some local chiles, with seeds I smuggled back. I should have looked for "queso" (which I've never heard of before this thread.)

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Well, bloody depressing that the Yucatan has stooped to ignoring their wonderful regional cuisine for red bell peppers and fajitas. No wonder everyone up here is so confused about what constitutes authentic Mexican.

Good for you for smuggling those chile seeds, Rancho Gordo. May the force be with you.

Shelora

[shelora]

Girl, this is going to be one messy post!!!

......................

  Let's try it this way:  I am waiting for the day that I hear from out midst a discourse on ethnic food, which focuses on foods of France, or Italy.  If foie gras had come from the Aztecs (Muscovy ducks are native to Mexico, but alas, the Aztecs were into hearts, not livers!), we'd be buying it for $US 0.89/pound.

You may take you hip waders off now!!

Theabroma

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Could you just ignore me next time?! I'll have to wade through your discourse a few times before I post.

Whew!

[rancho_gordo]

Why are they called pasillas in California? There is nothing remotely past about them.

That erroneous term is all pervasive up here too, because most if not all our poblanos come from California. I'm forever correcting the produce guy - they just roll their eyes when they see me approaching.

I do the same. My Mexican friends here don't call them either. they say "stuffing chiles". They are from Jalisco. I heard once that some part of Northern MX calls them pasillas and now we are stuck with it.

And it makes sense to me that you've always had chilies, dude. California used to be a part of Mexico, verdad?

But wasn't Texas, too?

 

Good for you for smuggling those chile seeds, Rancho Gordo. May the force be with you.

And maybe good for you, too. I'll share the seeds if they have a good germination next spring!

[theabroma]

I promise I'll not let 'er rip like that again! I am soooo sorry. It just sorta gushed out (in case you couldn't tell by the fact that coherence wasn't it's strong suit!).

To Shelora: I really, really am rather embarrassed!

To Sandra: Good point on the unfamiliarity with things other than antojitos. HOwever, and I must apologize for letting my being in Texas act as blinkers. I expect my fellow Texans, at the very least, to be more knowledgeable about the cuisines of Mexico. People here rebel at the idea of paying upscale prices for fine Mexican food. Many of the upscale (I HATE that word, but I'm trying to be brief) Mx restaurant chefs 'upscale' things by adding foie gras to the menu, and using chiles, or corn as a tip of the hat to Mexico. High Mexican dining merits white damask without the foie gras to get it through the door. Thus my crack about what we would be paying for it if it were a Mexican, rather than a French, thing.

To Rancho: I'm an American by birth; but a Texan by the grace of God. Texas is, BTW, Occupied Mexico!!!!!

Silence,

Theabroma

[shelora]

I promise I'll not let 'er rip like that again!  I am soooo sorry.  It just sorta gushed out (in case you couldn't tell by the fact that coherence wasn't it's strong suit!).

To Shelora:  I really, really am rather embarrassed!

Silence,

Theabroma

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No apologies required! Please don't you go hiding.

s

As an addition to all that has been said, when does a dish become part of a culture, as in a regional dish? What would be the time frame? I hope I can be articulate about this.

So many ingredients have made their way into the regional dishes of Mexico, sesame seeds, olives, wheat, meats, etc., that is has become part of the national palate.

I started thinking about this yesterday as part of what is truly authentic, pre-conquest food or conquest food, or both, and that sequed into what Rancho Gordo said about fajitas and sweet red peppers being served everywhere in Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan.

So using that as an example, do you think that perhaps fajitas and red peppers might become so popular there, that it will be embraced by the Yucatan to become a regional specialty? Would this concept take ten years? 20 years? 50 years?

Edited September 30, 2005 by shelora (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I started thinking about this yesterday as part of what is truly authentic, pre-conquest food or conquest food, or both, and that sequed into what Rancho Gordo said about fajitas and sweet red peppers being served everywhere in Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan.

So using that as an example, do you think that perhaps fajitas and red peppers might become so popular there, that it will be embraced by the Yucatan to become a regional specialty? Would this concept take ten years? 20 years? 50 years?

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The bad thing was watery bell pepper were everywhere. But the good thing was the regional pepper (starts with an "x". Xcactic?) was at Sam's Club.

[LarsTheo]

I agree with all of the above! I told my Japanese stepmother about the sushi with cream cheese situation; her first response was "what's that?"...when I told her it is what my father likes on his bagel, she was absolutely HORRIFIED! I think she may never come to Mexico...

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I'm horrified by this too, but then I can't eat cream cheese (or even want to). I pretty much agree with the rest, but keep cream cheese away from me! I don't even have cream cheese on my bagel with lox.