Spartan Daily

Mexican Misconceptions

Christian Gin, Spartan Daily

Isaes Mendoza Interview

All Mexican food is Spicy:

Though Mexican food does generally consist of corn, beans, and peppers it does not mean that all Mexican food is spicy.  Many Mexican dishes do call for a certain type or at various times for different types of peppers.  This is all used for flavoring.  The best thing to remember when cooking a Mexican dish is that it is up to you to use peppers in moderation.  Here are some Mexican dishes that call for spicy:  Enchiladas, Chile Rellenos, Camarones a la Diabla, Chipotle Chicken, and Salsa.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico:

During the year of 1861 Mexico was in a serious economic debt situation with England , France and Spain.   President Benito Juarez decided to not pay the debt in order to deal with the internal economic crisis Mexico was already in.   Though President Juarez was able to amicably resolve the issue with England and Spain, the France decided they wanted to go to war with Mexico.  After the long battle France was defeated and Mexico didn’t have to pay France anything.  This holiday is widely celebrated in the United States because Mexican’s that lived in United States had to pay a higher amount of taxes when they lived here and worked hard to earn their money than those working and living in Mexico.

Burrito comes from Mexico

Burritos are widely recognized in the U.S., they are quick, cheap, and yummy.  Generally they are filled with beans, rice, meat (either beef or pork), guacamole and salsa. They meaning of a burrito is small donkey.  Burritos do come from Mexico, but are not generally found on a menu at a restaurant.  Burritos are known to have been made for the urbanized areas, where they can be picked up and eaten fast without having to sit down.  Burritos are also known in the Northern part of Mexico, closer to the Mexico, U.S. border.  The first time that a burrito was featured on a menu was at a restaurant called El Cholo Spanish Cafe during the 1930s in Los Angeles, California.

El Dia de los Muertos is the Halloween for Mexicans

Many believe that El Dia de los Muertos is the equivalent of Halloween for Mexicans, this is false.  This is a holiday that has been celebrated for many years going back to the 1800’s.  El Dia de los Muertos is traditional holiday that celebrates the dead.  Though in U.S. it is fun to dress up as monsters and other scary characters, in Mexico it is seen as a form of art.  This holiday doesn’t have anything to do with monsters, witches, ghosts or anything else that some many consider evil.  Part of the celebration is for those that are living attend a Catholic church ceremony dedicated those that have passed.  Once the ceremony is done, it is a ritual to visit the gravesites of those that are no longer living and take them gifts, such as their favorite foods, fruits, candy, and flowers.  Many of the family members also take the time to clean or adorned their gravesites.  For many it is the embracing of life that is celebrated.  It is also a time to thank their ancestors for their influences.