Knowra Tex-Mex cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine is a regional food tradition that developed in Texas from Mexican and Anglo-American traditions. It is known for dishes such as chili con carne, nachos, and flour tortillas.
Tejano : A person of Mexican descent whose family has lived in Texas for generations. Tejano communities shaped the Texas food traditions from which Tex-Mex developed.
Fajita : A dish of grilled strips of meat, often served with tortillas and accompaniments. The Texas restaurant version turned a ranch-hand cut into a widely recognized Tex-Mex meal.
Spanish colonization of the Americas : The expansion of Spanish rule across the Americas beginning in the late fifteenth century. Spanish colonial foodways helped shape the ingredients and cooking traditions later found in Texas.
Mexican cuisine : The diverse regional food traditions of Mexico, shaped by Indigenous, Spanish, and other influences. Tex-Mex shares roots with Mexican cuisine but developed distinct dishes and conventions in Texas.
Northern Mexican cuisine : The regional food traditions of northern Mexico, shaped by local ingredients and ranching cultures. Its foodways crossed the border and helped form Tex-Mex cooking.
Nachos : A dish of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and other ingredients. Created in northern Mexico for guests from Texas, nachos became a staple of Tex-Mex menus.
Mexican Texas : The period when Texas was part of Mexico, from 1821 until 1836. Mexican-era settlement and food traditions preceded the emergence of Tex-Mex cuisine.
Cal-Mex cuisine : A regional Mexican-American cuisine associated with California and its local ingredients and history. Comparing it with Tex-Mex reveals how Mexican-American cuisines vary by region.
Chili con carne : A stew of meat and chiles, commonly associated with Texas cuisine. This early Texas dish became one of Tex-Mex cuisine’s best-known signatures.
Enchilada : A corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with chile sauce. Tex-Mex enchiladas often pair cheese, sauce, and meat in regionally distinctive combinations.
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