Tex Mex cuisine, now ubiquitous in the United States and often referred to only as Mexican food, is food originating from Texas and the Southwestern that blends Mexican and Southwestern ingredients. These days, the term Tex-Mex is also used to indicate a local or regional take on authentic Mexican cuisine.
Early Days
According to food historians, the origins of Tex Mex emerged from a melange of Mexican and Spanish recipes with Anglo-American dishes. The term "Tex-Mex" itself first arose as a moniker for the Texan-Mexican Railway which began traveling through Southern Texas in the 1870s. Some 50 years later, this label was also used to describe Mexican-Americans born and raised in Texas. Though originally the cuisine was a more authentic mixture of Spanish and indigenous Mexican foods, during the early 20th century, Tex-Mex dishes began to include more available American ingredients such as cheddar cheese. The food was also greatly influenced by the many ranches that spanned the Mexico-Texas border region, and thus included plenty of barbecued beef and other cattle products. In the 1950s, the number of Tex-Mex restaurants increased along with the growing numbers of Mexican immigrants who came to settle the Southwestern United States.
Later Years
It wasn't until the late 1960s that Tex-Mex cuisine began drawing some attention from the press. For example, 1968 Los Angeles Times article proclaimed Texas cooking to be a mix of the Old World, the South and Tex-Mex. In 1972, influential food writer Diana Kennedy published a book on the differences between true Mexican cuisine and the Americanized version, or Tex-Mex.Three decades later, another reputable food expert, Robb Walsh, updated Kennedy's information and elaborated on the historical and social aspects surrounding the food in his Tex-Mex cookbook.
Features
Throughout the years as Tex Mex cuisine evolved, several key ingredients became synonymous with the food. At first, Tex Mex was more heavily influenced by Spanish and native Mexican foods such as beans, corn and chili peppers, plus Mexican-style tortillas. As the food began to take on a more Texan flavor, beef was increasingly used in Tex Mex dishes such as fajitas and the Texan classic, chili con carne. Other American-influenced elements have been the use of melted yellow cheese, chili gravy and tortilla chips.
Effects
The popularity of Tex Mex food has spread throughout the United States and the world since the cuisine's inception in the mid-1800s. It's rising popularity during the mid-20th century elevated the status of Tex-Mex food and gave rise to hundreds of new restaurants. Today, these establishments dot the U.S. in the form of chain restaurants and independent businesses. Some of the most popular Tex-Mex franchises today include Taco Bell, Chevy's Fresh Mex and Serranos. People throughout the world can now enjoy a taste of the many different recipes blending Mexican flavor and Southwestern style.
Misconceptions
While much of Tex Mex cuisine is known simply as Mexican food throughout parts of the United States and throughout the Western world, the dishes are actually more representative of the Southwestern U.S. Though Tex Mex is heavily influenced by Mexican cooking, it also includes many recipes conjured up in the South, such as the taco and the burrito. Certain ingredients included in this style of cooking are not commonly used in Mexico, such as melted cheese and chili gravy.
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