Learn About Tex Mex and the History of Adapting Mexican Food
It’s no secret that California has deep Mexican roots. Ceded to the United States Union in 1848 after the Mexican-American War, the state of California spent the previous few hundred years belonging either to the Spanish or the Mexicans. Even before the Spanish possession, California was home to a great concentration of various and distinct groups of Native Americans. That means diversity is as much a part of California as the famous year-round sunshine that our great state is known for. One of the most prominent aspects of any culture is food, and when you look at the history of California, it’s no wonder the indigenous food of the golden state plays a significant hand in that diverse culture. From “Tex Mex” to our Mexican and rotisserie chicken combination, the food culture of the United States has continued to adapt.
At Benny’s Tacos, we rejoice in that celebration of diversity. Diversity has allowed us the opportunity to make the Mexican food that Californians love and pair it with the fresh rotisserie chicken that you’ll fall in love with, but the decision to combine two different cultures of food didn’t start with Benny’s Tacos.
We don’t make “Tex Mex” at Benny’s Tacos, but we respect the way American and Californian cultures have adapted to Mexican food over the years.
States bordering Mexico have a history with changing adapting the Mexican food that they love to fit the diverse and hungry culture of where they are. “Tex Mex,” a term that describes the Texan approach to Mexican food, has been used in print as far back as the 1940s. Tex Mex is regarded as “native foreign food,” in that it is foreign of inspiration but native in that it does not exist elsewhere.
Over the years, talented culinary experts have put their hand to the Tex Mex trend, and have created edible masterpieces inspired by Mexican culture and instantly adapted into the Californian culture. Variations on burritos, chimichangas, chili rellenos, enchiladas, fajitas, and more have become so much a part of the experience of living in California that it’s easy to argue that no culture has had as great an impact on the way we eat in California as Mexican culture.
Benny’s Tacos is happy to continue the trend of combining Mexican food with other foods that enhance the dining experience. Many of our meals are traditional Mexican dishes, and a few others offer our interpretations of Mexican dishes. Our rotisserie chicken may not sound like a natural partner for a Mexican meal, but trust us when we say the evolution of food has brought these two cultures of food together in the best possible way.
