milian and the presidency of Porfirio Díaz were influential in promoting the French style of cooking in the Mexican cuisine. An interesting find about the French influence on Mexican cuisine is a menu dated March 29, 1865, which is written in French. It includes a five course meal including two soups, five fish and shellfish dishes, five meat dishes and side dishes, desserts, champagne and French, Hungarian and even Rhenish wines.

Other Minor Influences on the Mexican Cuisine

In due course of time, the Mexican cuisine experienced a wide range of culinary experiences starting from the Caribbean, the South American, the West African as well as the Portuguese, which led a to the emergence of a highly diverse cooking style which also varied from region to region. The Mexican cuisine also has a minor Filipino influence owing to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade from 1565 to 1815.

Popularity of Mexican Cuisine in America: Tex-Mex

The popularity of the Mexican cuisine has led to emergence of several variations of this cuisine in other countries. The Tex-Mex cuisine evolved on the Texas-Mexico in the Southwest America and is a modification of the traditional Mexican cuisine with an unusual American touch to it. One of the best examples of the Tex-Mex cuisine is the ‘refried beans’ which is a term that has actually been coined in Texas and is the translation of the Mexican term Frijoles refritos. The Tex-Mex cuisines is however quite different from the original Mexican cuisine although it might include the same ingredients to a certain extent. Similarly there also exists a ‘New Mexican Cuisine", which is type of regional cuisine originating in the state of New Mexico in USA and in southern Colorado and is a subset of Mexican-American cuisine.

Mexican Cuisine Today

The Mexican cuisine is a blend of all the above-mentioned influences, however there still exists diversity in the cuisine according to the regional differences in Mexico. Mexican food varies by region, and is influences by the local climate, geography and ethnic differences among the inhabitants. The northern Mexico is famous for its beef production and meat dishes, whereas southeastern Mexico, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based preparations. On the other hand, seafood is commonly prepared in the states of Mexico, which border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. Here is a list of some common dishes found in the authentic Mexican cuisine:

Appetizers: Arroz Amarillo, Arroz con lima, Arroz Español (Spanish rice),Arroz Verde, Bolillos, Calabaza, Camote, Mexican Dry soup, sopa, Consomme, Curtido, Ensalada de fruta, Elote, Fideos, Frijoles pintos, Frijoles negros, Frijoles charros, Guacamole, Jicama, Lentejas, , Nopalitos, Frijoles Refritos Pambazos, Papas, Pico de gallo, Salsa, Yuca Cassava and Iris. Read more about Mexican Appetizers

Main Course: Arroz con camarones, Arroz con pollo, barbacoa, birria, Bistec a la Mexicana, bistec picado, burrito, caldo(soup), carne asada, carnitas, cecina , cemitas (sandwiches ), chapulines and escamoles, chilaquiles, chiles en nogada, chile rellenos, chilorio, chilpachole de jaiva, chimichangas, choriqueso, chorizo, churipo, coyotes, huaunzontles, empanadas, enchilada, gorditas, glories, huevos divorciados, machaca, mancha manteles, mole, nachos, parilladas, pozole, quesadillas, rajas con crema, tacos, tamales, taquitos, tortillas, tortas, tripas, and venado.

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