It is not news that the cuisine of America and the cuisine of Mexico are quite different things. Mexican food recipes, for example are certainly not all that similar to those found in America. Strangely enough, Canadian food is rather similar to our own, as is often the case with neighboring countries - so why is the culinary tradition of our southern neighbor so different than ours? Mexican recipes use different ingredients than we commonly see in the average grocery store and create flavors, which seem exotic to American palates.

Historical Factors

There is a historical reason for the difference, which is in large part responsible for this difference. As everyone knows, Mexico was formerly a Spanish colony until winning their independence. However, as you probably also know, parts of the United States were also once Spanish territories! As it happens though, these regions (largely in the southwest) do bear a distinct influence from the Spanish colonial period, though not to the extent seen in Mexico since they have long been part of the US.

Most of the US was instead colonized by settlers from northern Europe, with cuisines, which differed greatly from Spanish cooking. These immigrants had a much greater influence on the culinary scene in the fledgling nation, accounting for much of the difference in Mexican recipes and those having their origin in points north.

For a long time, however, immigrants to Mexico from the old world hailed, for the most part, from Spain, leaving an indelible stamp on the new nation’s cuisine. Many Mexican recipes are adaptations of Spanish dishes, with some classic recipes from Spain surviving more or less intact. This led to a distinctive blend of culinary traditions drawn from Spanish and indigenous ingredients and cooking methods.

The Spanish are not the only immigrants to Mexico who have made contributions to Mexican food, of course. The popular Mexican recipe al pastor came to the country with immigrants from Lebanon and Syria and is an adaptation of the Middle Eastern dish shawarma. However, it is unquestionably the Spanish who have had the strongest influence over Mexican food recipes.

While the US has had many immigrants from many different parts of the world, the diversity of the US population as compared to Mexico’s has meant that the cuisine of Mexico has remained more distinct than that of its northern neighbor. This by no means, means that Mexico is a place where foods from other countries is not enjoyed and adapted to local tastes either.

Different Ingredients

The other important factor in the difference between the cuisines of Mexico and the US is in the ingredients used. Just like in this country, Mexican cooks and Spanish colonists alike have always worked with the ingredients, which were widely available. In Mexico, of course that meant avocado, chili peppers, corn, pumpkins, pineapple, and other produce typical of the country’s warmer climate.

This blend of native ingredients and recipes with those brought over by the Spanish is what made Mexican food what it is today and many of the most famous Mexican food recipes clearly show this marriage of old world and new world cuisines. From tacos to soups to Mexican casserole recipes, this is one very successful - and very popular type of fusion cuisine.

Chicken has been used for a long time in Mexican cuisine, partly because of its available and partly because chicken is a versatile ingredient which suits a lot of different styles and flavors. Mexican chicken recipes include chicken fajitas, corn and chicken soup Mexican style and traditional Mexican chicken enchiladas.

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