“Tex-Mex” food is widely available throughout the US and often gets misidentified as authentic Mexican cuisine. While derived from many Mexican food traditions, the dishes served in US restaurants and other food service facilities, and often prepared by home cooks in the US, are more likely to be Tex-Mex dishes, or “north of the Mexican border.” This Southwest US cuisine came from Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent) or Hispanic Texans living in regions near Mexico’s northern border states.
While Tex-Mex dishes share some common ingredients with authentic Mexican dishes, Tex-Mex cuisine has its own charac- teristics: more use of black beans, cheese (especially shredded cheddar), meat, peppers, flour tortillas, premade crisp taco shells, and spices (e.g., heavier reliance on cumin). Tex-Mex dishes such as jumbo-sized burritos, chili con carne, fajitas, and even nachos topped with melted cheddar cheese may be found in Mexican tourist spots, but likely not where authentic Mexican food is served. Even dishes such as the ever-popular enchiladas in the US are generally prepared Tex-Mex style. In Mexico, enchiladas are diverse depending on family traditions and region of the country—some are made with green or red sauce, mole sauce, chicken, sometimes with little cheese, sometimes with crema, and more.
Traditional Mexican foods, including chiles en nogada, tacos al pastor, chalupas pozole, tamales, and checient with mole sauce.