Once upon a time, two culinary cultures collided, and a glorious fusion known as Tex-Mex cuisine was born. This iconic food style is the love child of the Lone Star State, Texas, and its southern neighbor, Mexico. Tracing the roots of Tex-Mex requires delving into a fascinating blend of history, tradition, and flavor, demonstrating how food evolves with human migration and cultural interaction.
The origins of Tex-Mex cuisine are as old as Texas itself, dating back to the 18th century, when Spanish colonists moved into the region now known as Mexico and Texas. The colonists, and later the Mexican ranchers, brought with them their culinary traditions, including ingredients like beef, garlic, and onions. This food began to merge with the native American cuisine, rich in corn, beans, and chili peppers.
However, the term “Tex-Mex” itself didn’t enter the culinary lexicon until the late 19th century. It was initially used to designate the Texas-Mexican Railway and later began to describe a style of cooking by Tejanos – Texans of Mexican descent. The railroad brought people, goods, and, most importantly for our story, new ingredients, and food ideas that greatly influenced local cuisine.
Tex-Mex was popularized in the 1940s and 1950s by restaurateurs and home cooks in Texas. One pivotal figure in this development was Mama Ninfa Laurenzo, a Houston entrepreneur who transformed an old tortilla factory into a booming restaurant. Her interpretation of tacos al carbon, later known as fajitas, became a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine.
