Mexican food is so popular in the United states that 1 in 10 restaurants serve the cuisine; counties in Texas and California have the most eateries.

Food is deeply ingrained in cultural identity, and is one way to learn about a community’s heritage, familial customs and values. In the U.S., Mexican food is one of the most popular cuisines, with 1 in 10 restaurants serving Mexican, according to recent findings from the Pew Research Center. This trend reflects an expanding Mexican American population, with 37.2 million people or 11.2% of the U.S. population tracing their ancestry back to Mexico.

  • BigDiction@lemmy.world
    2·
    8 months ago

    I don’t have a solid answer for what is considered authentic, but growing up in California there are a few things I look for.

    • Is the salsa tasty with a nice balance of spice and aromatics? Great chips are a plus, but making them in house is a PITA so I assume most restaurants use a vendor
    • Rice and beans are actually delicious. I prefer refried
    • trying to remember the last time I had tacos served in a flour tortilla but that would be a red flag. Corn tortillas should be the default or only option
    • weird one but I trust a place that does traditional food cost pricing more. $11.40 enchiladas vs $11.25 where the pricing is less rounded