Mexican Food

The increasing number of immigrant population in the US, is topped by the Mexican presence with more than 8.5 Million legal immigrants (Mexico’s National Council of Populations, Sept. 2001). The United States is therefore slowly inheriting traditions brought about by the oldest and newest Mexican inhabitants. One cannot even deny that anything to do with the Mexican culture has gained popularity in TV shows and advertisements endorsing Mexican products to radio programs playing guitars and crooning Spanish love songs. Mexican immigrants and their descendants are also becoming socially and culturally influential as their way of life seeps into the contemporary American politics, food and daily living that will soon redefine the nation’s identity.

The demand for Mexican foods has increased and slowly becoming part of the mainstream culture and threatening to displace the long-time Italian and Chinese ethnic favorite foods. The unwillingness of Mexican immigrants to assimilate the American culture with strict preference over their own traditions (Smith, 1997: 112) is evident in their traditional choice of food in a new host country. As members of the leading minority group, Mexicans are coming out from obscurity and are collectively insisting a tangible conception of their democratic culture through cuisine (Rivera, 2006:4). This is creatively presented in their attachment to their native Hipic Mexican foods that has created a common link between the Americans and Mexicans through the culinary arts.

Mexican Traditional Food

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Mexican foods are becoming so popular and quite evident with the sales boost of salsa product outstripping ketchup sales in the United States. Tortillas are also becoming commonly needed in American palates with popular sandwich wraps replacing traditional breads (US, Levine; 2004: 32). American people are truly catching on the flavor of Mexican food that is intense and has varied spices (Wood, 2004:215). The original Mexican foods are rich in terms of proteins, vitamins, and minerals though it is characterized by some as spicy.

Corn particularly presented in corn tortillas, plays a fundamental role in the Mexican cuisine along with beans as another major staple ingredient (Wood; 215). Such food staples are often boiled and fried. Beans are also high in fiber with an anti-oxidant benefit which is excellent against disposing unwanted cholesterol and for cancer prevention. Along with avocados used in salads, soups and other main dishes, hot chili peppers are mixed with most Mexican dishes which are mostly served fried to provide the characteristic spice for flavor mostly composed of jalapeno, poblano, habanero, cascabel and pasilla as the most common spicy ingredients.

Protein-rich Mexican Diet

In the Mexican food, cilantro or Chinese parsley is a very popular herb used in salsa and sauces. It’s composition of phytonutrients, flavonoids and acid compounds are known to help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol levels and fight infection with its antimicrobial properties. Along with fresh tomatoes in the Mexican salsas, they’re used in most sauces and soups. Its lycopene-rich composition is a potent antioxidant and a rich source of vitamin C, A and K.

The papaya fruit is also a popular in the Mexican diet especially during breakfast which could be eaten as is or mixed with salsa. Papaya has been known to protect against heart disease, colon cancer and supportive to the immune system. It is also beneficial for digestion with its papain enzyme component particularly a good aid for digestion. When properly prepared, the benefits are well accepted in the human body with the best long-term effects.

Food Preparation

In Mexico, Mexican food preparation is fraught with traditional practices. In the preparation of salsa and tortillas and tamales especially during holidays, fire from the preparation is put out with either milk or butter and not water as a superstition of consistency in the food preparation is believed. As an ethnic group, Mexicans in the US do survive the ritual practices of religious and syncretic content, where the main offerings are food and beverages, such as mole during religious holidays like All Souls’ Day tamales or Saint Cross’ Day barbacoa (West, 1988:208) is upheld. These foods though take a lengthy preparation process yet in  Mexico’s different regions particularly in the rural areas during San Isidro Labrador’s feast day (West: 208),food is prepared as in a healthy manner and not merely fried with fat-rich oils.

Mexican Cuisine adaptation in the US

Mexican food demands created a major influence on American meals as shown by studies that Americans are currently eating Mexican foods four times more compared to 20 years ago (Wood: 216). Food chains are emulating the Mexican trend according to the Institute of Food Technologists (Dept of State, 2004) who claimed that Mexican food has almost doubled in popularity among people who cook regularly, from 44 percent in 1985 to 86 percent in 2003.

According to them the weak link between the super-sized and super-fattened food sold as Hipic or Mexican in the United States is the main problem as the Americanized version is loaded with calories. Further it is believed that as Hipic people blend in with American culture, Hipic would soon take in the food preparation and eating habits of the American people as they too are transformed into busybodies. While there is a mixture of both cultures in food preparation, the unhealthy element is retained as busy American-Mexicans hasten to prepare food faster fried in rich oils.

Food and health relationships

The traditional Mexican diet is advantageous but the American-Mexican is not! Staple as the main food composed of beans, corn and squash has a higher content of complex carbohydrates which is emphasized by the consumption of other fruits and vegetables. However when liberal amounts of fat are added through stewing or frying instead of baking or broiling, the purpose of a healthy diet is defeated. Fried foods which is a growing trend to a faster preparation needs fat-rich products which leads to obesity and contributes to diabetes, hypertension and a combination of these illnesses (Lisabeth and Kaplan: 2006).

Cutting down on fat, sodium and sugar in the diet would ultimately reverse the effects. It would be beneficial if the carbohydrate intake could be increased by eating servings of bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables. Spanish rice can be served with potatoes and beans as well. Corn tortillas should also be made using whole wheat flour and made with unsaturated fats such as canola oil, soybean or corn instead of lard. Avoidance of too much soft drink would also spell health as the American-Mexican drinks more water. Corn chips are also health-wise when baked instead of fried and avoidance of salty foods would mean a modified healthful Mexican meal with flavored garlic, cumin, regain, cilantro and other spices.

Works Cited

• Smith Robert. (1997). The City and the World: New York’s Global Future in Margaret E. Crahan, Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush (eds.). Council on Foreign Relations.
• Lisabeth, Lynda D. and Kaplan, Norman D. (2006). Mexican-Americans at Higher Risk for Second Stroke. Annals of Neurology, Sept.
• Rivera, John Michael. (2006). The Emergence of Mexican America: Recovering Stories of Mexican Peoplehood in U.S. Culture. NYU Press.
• United States. Department of State Reports.  (2004). Americans at the Table Reflections on Food and Culture. Diane Publishing.
• West, John. (1988). Mexican-American Folklore. Arkansas: August House.
• Wood, Andrew Grant. (2004). On the Border: Society and Culture Between the United States and Mexico. Rowman & Littlefield.

Mexican Cuisine

Mexican cuisine is a style of food that originates in Mexico. It is known for its varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices and ingredients, many of which are native to the country. What makes a meal distinctly Mexican, of course, are the lively seasonings. Not all Mexican recipes are fiery, though; while renowned for their heat, many subtle and intriguing spice combinations are also found in Mexican fare. The staples of Mexican cuisine are typically corn and beans.

Corn, traditionally Mexico's staple grain, is eaten fresh, on the cob, and as a component of a number of dishes. Most corn, however, is used to make masa, a dough for tamales, tortillas, gorditas, and many other corn-based foods. Squash and peppers also play important roles in Mexican cuisine. The most important and frequently used herbs and spices in Mexican cuisine are chilli powder, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. Chipotle, a smoke-dried jalapeno chilli, is also common in Mexican cuisine. Many Mexican dishes also contain garlic and onions.

Next to corn, rice is the most common grain in Mexican cuisine. Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef, goat and ostrich production and meat dishes, in particular the well-known arrachera cut. Central Mexico's cuisine is largely influenced by the rest of the country, but has unique and tasty dishes such as barbacoa, pozole, menudo and carnitas.

Southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. The cuisine of Southeastern Mexico has a considerable Caribbean influence due to its location. Seafood is commonly prepared in states that border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes. In Pueblos or villages, there are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, chapulines, ant eggs, and other kinds of insects.

Mexican cuisine is a style of food that originates in Mexico. It is known for its varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices and ingredients, many of which are native to the country. What makes a meal distinctly Mexican, of course, are the lively seasonings. Not all Mexican recipes are fiery, though; while renowned for their heat, many subtle and intriguing spice combinations are also found in Mexican fare. The staples of Mexican cuisine are typically corn and beans.

Corn, traditionally Mexico's staple grain, is eaten fresh, on the cob, and as a component of a number of dishes. Most corn, however, is used to make masa, a dough for tamales, tortillas, gorditas, and many other corn-based foods. Squash and peppers also play important roles in Mexican cuisine. The most important and frequently used herbs and spices in Mexican cuisine are chilli powder, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. Chipotle, a smoke-dried jalapeno chilli, is also common in Mexican cuisine. Many Mexican dishes also contain garlic and onions.

Next to corn, rice is the most common grain in Mexican cuisine. Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef, goat and ostrich production and meat dishes, in particular the well-known arrachera cut. Central Mexico's cuisine is largely influenced by the rest of the country, but has unique and tasty dishes such as barbacoa, pozole, menudo and carnitas.

Southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. The cuisine of Southeastern Mexico has a considerable Caribbean influence due to its location. Seafood is commonly prepared in states that border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes. In Pueblos or villages, there are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, chapulines, ant eggs, and other kinds of insects.

The main characteristics of Italian cuisine is its extreme simplicity, with many dishes having only four to eight ingredients. Italian cooks rely chiefly on the quality of the ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation. Dishes and recipes are often the creation of grandmothers rather than of chefs, and this makes many recipes ideally suited for home cooking. This is one of the main reasons behind the ever increasing popularity of this cuisine, as cooking magazine in foreign countries popularize Italian recipes targeted at the home cook.

Italian cuisine has a great variety of different ingredients which are commonly used, ranging from fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats, etc Italian cuisine is also well known (and well regarded) for its use of a diverse variety of pasta. Pasta includes noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes. Distinguished on shapes they are named — penne, maccheroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, lasagne and many more varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.

The main characteristics of Italian cuisine is its extreme simplicity, with many dishes having only four to eight ingredients. Italian cooks rely chiefly on the quality of the ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation. Dishes and recipes are often the creation of grandmothers rather than of chefs, and this makes many recipes ideally suited for home cooking. This is one of the main reasons behind the ever increasing popularity of this cuisine, as cooking magazine in foreign countries popularize Italian recipes targeted at the home cook.

Italian cuisine has a great variety of different ingredients which are commonly used, ranging from fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats, etc Italian cuisine is also well known (and well regarded) for its use of a diverse variety of pasta. Pasta includes noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes. Distinguished on shapes they are named — penne, maccheroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, lasagne and many more varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.

Old El Paso Mexican Food

What: Kurt, the associate marketing manager of Old El Paso, needs to develop a new marketing plan to increase its brand awareness and educate the public about the convenience of preparing Mexican meals. Why: Old El Paso has been the market leader in the Mexican food industry for many years. Now, General Mills wants Old El Paso to increase its sales by 5% while maintaining the same level of profitability.

However, Mexican food industry is growing at a relatively slow growth rate of 3% per year, because Mexican food is not always on customers shopping list as there is a strong perception that Mexican food is inconvenient and difficult to prepare. That is why Kurt needs to develop a new marketing plan to raise brand awareness and educate the public in order to achieve the 5% goal. There is a misunderstanding in the communication process between Old El Paso and its customers.

Old El Paso has been positioning itself as a “Family Fun Experience” product. Meanwhile, the customers are more concerned about the process of preparing Mexican food, ie. , while many factors, including time needed for preparation and simplicity of preparation contributed to consumer perception of convenience/ease of preparation, ingredient availability was found to be the most significant barrier to making Mexican meals more often. They also need to educate their customers about the benefits of cooking Mexican food.

For example, according to their consumer research, 70% of decisions to purchase Mexican meal products are made before consumers ever arrive at the grocery store. Apply the fact to the AIDA model, it is important to raise its brand awareness and get consumers interested in its products in order to increase sales, because most of the purchase decisions are made before the customers see the actual product. With the fact that Old El Paso is the market leader and its brand equity, as soon as the brand awareness and interest is established, the sales will increase.

The biggest competitor in the Mexican food industry is private labels. Old Pl Paso has most of the market share in Mexican dinner kits (91. 2%) and Mexican components (70. 4%) category, while ranks number 3 in the Mexican salsa (15. 6%) category. Although both private labels and Old Pl Paso products are in high standards, Old Pl Paso is the only brand that offers a full product line in the Mexican food industry and is distributed in 98% of all grocery stores (with an average of 7. Old Pl Paso items on shelf). This means that Old Pl Paso is reachable to most of consumers while certain private label’s products are only available in certain grocery chains. How: Targeted results: Increase brand awareness while convince the public that it is easy to prepare Mexican food. 1) General public: Using kiosks to demonstrate the process of how to cook a Mexican meal with in-store ingredients. Reason: 80% of the population still do majority of their shopping at grocery stores.

By using in-store ingredients, the general public will know that everything they need for cooking a Mexican meal is in the store, so it is easy to prepare a Mexican meal. 2) Regular Mexican food shoppers: Place Old Pl Paso products at cashier counters. Reason: Placing products at the check-out counters to remain regular Mexican food shoppers that they could use Mexican food as an option for tonight’s dinner. Although this tactic implies impulsive shopping behaviour of some consumers, it also constantly remains consumers that Mexican food is available in the market.

The Mexican-American War, Were We Justified

The Mexican-American War was a war between the United States and Mexico which lasted from April 1846 to February 1848. It stemmed from the United States' annexation of Texas in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River (Mexican claim) or the Rio Grande (U. S. claim). The war was the most devastating event in Mexican history, where Mexico lost the modern day areas of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Montana. The Mexican-American spawned out of land lust. The idea of Manifest Destiny and the promising lands of California, which were coveted by many European nations, led to a war of greed.

Even Abraham Lincoln, then a young Congressman, and Ulysses S. Grant, the future Civil War victorious commander and U. S. President, believed that the invasion of Mexico was not justified. Mexico had rejected a $15 million cash-for-land deal offered by the US. The area included what now covers the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Utah. This territory was Mexican, but only nominally; control over the area was slight, and open to intrusion. Irritated at the rebuff, the US struck back in1845 by annexing Texas, a territory long disputed and fought over by both countries.

Mexico responded by severing diplomatic relations. U. S. President Polk further provoked Mexico by moving troops south to the Rio Grande, a river that historically was considered well within Mexico. U. S. and Mexican troops skirmished across the river, leading Polk to declare to Congress on May 11, 1846, that “…the cup of forbearance has been exhausted,” and that “American blood has been spilled on American soil. ” (Source: Eisenhower’s So Far From God, pages 49-55) The U. S. -Mexican War is the pivotal chapter in the history of North America.

It is the war that sealed the fates of it's two participants. For the United States, the War garnered huge amounts of territory and wealth, bootstrapping the fledgling democracy onto the world stage. For Mexico, the War sent the emerging nation into a tailspin that it is still reckoning with today, one hundred fifty years later. In the United States the US-Mexican War is virtually forgotten, and for good reason, as it is the clearest example of American greed and undiplomatic actions. The Mexican-American War was waged upon Mexico out of pure greed and disregard for international liberty.

In conclusion, the United States was unjust in its declaration of war on Mexico in 1846. The U. S. was clouded with dreams of Manifest Destiny. It had a president that was obsessed with fulfilling campaign promises and greed for new land. Polk was looking for revenge for the denial of the proposal for buying California as was evident in his original reasons for declaring war on Mexico. Also the U. S. provoked this border dispute into the two-year war that it became by purposely inciting the Mexicans into a fight. All these reasons are the evidence that the US was not justified in declaring war on Mexico.

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