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Southern Food - popular but few spots that have true Southern Food as in any other state - the most popular food here is probably Mexican.
In a sense you have a point. BUT...it is TEX-MEX...which is very different from authentic Mexican food. Although many of us Texans just call it "Mexican", it is more out of convenience and brevity than anything else. It really doesn't have all that much in common with the stuff served in the true SW states...much less Mexico. Tex-Mex is really Texas cooking (which in turn is essentially Southern in origin and style) using many traditionally Mexican ingredients.
To continue, most traditional home cooking -- including that found in most privately owned cafes/restaurants -- are clearly Southern. Hell, how many Texans, did not eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day? LOL But anyway, tea brewed in the "Southern sweet" recipe is pretty much the way most native Texans do it at home! And show me an eating joint in Texas that does not serve classically Southern fare (i.e. fried chicken, catfish, fried okra, chicken fried steak, bisquits and gravy, etc, etc?) as part of the staples? Then I will show a yankee imitation that needs to be closed down by the County Sheriff
OK.....have to call you on these, TR, especially the first excerpt......<VBEG>
While Tex-Mex may be different from interior so-called "authentic" Mexican cooking, it's not that far removed. I lived in central Mexico for a few months many years ago, and found the food delicious and very similar to Tex-Mex in many respects. I ate most of my meals with a family, so I had what the upper classes ate daily. All of the standard fare was there--tacos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros...the difference was that these items were SIDE dishes or snacks, and didn't comprise the entire meal.
What we call Tex-Mex was originally brought to Texas by poor immigrants who worked on ranches, farms, in the fields, etc. Being the food of the poor, it was heavy on corn/flour tortillas and beans/rice. The combination made a complete protein, since meat was often scarce in the very poor homes, and not served every day. Eggs were another complete protein, and often topped enchiladas.
The so-called Mexican food served in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, etc. is similar to Tex-Mex, although there are regional differences across
all. Even Tex-Mex has evolved over the years, and includes much more today than it did even as recently as the 1970s.
I'd agree with you on the second paragraph--the big difference is--most of the items prepared in a restaurant cannot compare to what is cooked at home. A REALLY good CFS....and REALLY good fried chicken/catfish is very, very hard to find anywhere in any restaurant, and most are just plain nasty.
But yeah.....definitely southern in origin!
To back up a bit to make a general comment:
An earlier post mentioned that Houston had a far greater number of blacks than many other cities (NO, Atlanta, Memphis, etc.)....but the Houston area population in general is so much bigger than the other areas mentioned. As a percentage of population in Houston, blacks would be about 22-25%......and NO/Atlanta each have more than 50%. I would guess that black/southern culture is so diluted in Houston that you don't notice it nearly so much as you do in NO and the others. Houston has to be far more cosmopolitan than any of the other places mentioned.....
Last edited by Cathy4017; 01-07-2012 at 12:39 PM..
OK.....have to call you on these, TR, especially the first excerpt......<VBEG>
While Tex-Mex may be different from interior so-called "authentic" Mexican cooking, it's not that far removed. I lived in central Mexico for a few months many years ago, and found the food delicious and very similar to Tex-Mex in many respects. I ate most of my meals with a family, so I had what the upper classes ate daily. All of the standard fare was there--tacos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros...the difference was that these items were SIDE dishes or snacks, and didn't comprise the entire meal.
What we call Tex-Mex was originally brought to Texas by poor immigrants who worked on ranches, farms, in the fields, etc. Being the food of the poor, it was heavy on corn/flour tortillas and beans/rice. The combination made a complete protein, since meat was often scarce in the very poor homes, and not served every day. Eggs were another complete protein, and often topped enchiladas.
The so-called Mexican food served in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, etc. is similar to Tex-Mex, although there are regional differences across
all. Even Tex-Mex has evolved over the years, and includes much more today than it did even as recently as the 1970s.
I'd agree with you on the second paragraph--the big difference is--most of the items prepared in a restaurant cannot compare to what is cooked at home. A REALLY good CFS....and REALLY good fried chicken/catfish is very, very hard to find anywhere in any restaurant, and most are just plain nasty.
But yeah.....definitely southern in origin!
To back up a bit to make a general comment:
An earlier post mentioned that Houston had a far greater number of blacks than many other cities (NO, Atlanta, Memphis, etc.)....but the Houston area population in general is so much bigger than the other areas mentioned. As a percentage of population in Houston, blacks would be about 22-25%......and NO/Atlanta each have more than 50%. I would guess that black/southern culture is so diluted in Houston that you don't notice it nearly so much as you do in NO and the others. Houston has to be far more cosmopolitan than any of the other places mentioned.....
Just because it became more cosmopolitan doesn't mean it wasn't a cookies and cream city like the others.
Give it time, ATL is becoming more cosmopolitan too.
I just think that people look at present day Houston like it is fixed in time. Fact is these cities all evolve. Houston just grew more rapidly than the others with internationals
OK.....have to call you on these, TR, especially the first excerpt......<VBEG>
While Tex-Mex may be different from interior so-called "authentic" Mexican cooking, it's not that far removed. I lived in central Mexico for a few months many years ago, and found the food delicious and very similar to Tex-Mex in many respects. I ate most of my meals with a family, so I had what the upper classes ate daily. All of the standard fare was there--tacos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros...the difference was that these items were SIDE dishes or snacks, and didn't comprise the entire meal.
What we call Tex-Mex was originally brought to Texas by poor immigrants who worked on ranches, farms, in the fields, etc. Being the food of the poor, it was heavy on corn/flour tortillas and beans/rice. The combination made a complete protein, since meat was often scarce in the very poor homes, and not served every day. Eggs were another complete protein, and often topped enchiladas.
The so-called Mexican food served in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, etc. is similar to Tex-Mex, although there are regional differences across
all. Even Tex-Mex has evolved over the years, and includes much more today than it did even as recently as the 1970s.
These are all some very good points, sister Cathy! I will be the first to admit I am not an expert on the subject of Tex-Mex (other than I LOVE it!), but the information I have has been come by honestly! LOL I am sure a lot of it is experience.
My own is that most people who are familiar with true Mexican food, as well as the variety served in the interior SW states is noteably different from what we know as Tex-Mex. Certainly, there would be overlaps as there are with almost any regional cruisine. Also, that Tex-Mex contains features of traditional Southern cooking, which is really the root of most Texas fare and styles. But again, your points are well taken! Here are some interesting links that bring out some of both our points (which are not necessarily contradictory ):
Though Tex Mex is heavily influenced by Mexican cooking, it also includes many recipes conjured up in the South, such as the taco and the burrito. Certain ingredients included in this style of cooking are not commonly used in Mexico, such as melted cheese and chili gravy.
Quote:
I'd agree with you on the second paragraph--the big difference is--most of the items prepared in a restaurant cannot compare to what is cooked at home. A REALLY good CFS....and REALLY good fried chicken/catfish is very, very hard to find anywhere in any restaurant, and most are just plain nasty. But yeah.....definitely southern in origin!
We are definitely in strong agreement on this one. There are exceptions of course, but as a general rule, I concur with you. Especially with fried chicken. I have yet to find a place anywhere that can come close to duplicating true home cooked old-fashioned Southern fried chicken! No question on that score! (at least IMHO). Chicken fried steak matching home variety, I would also agree is pretty hard to find, although not impossible. Catfish? That one falls somewhere in between. I have found some places that can make a mean mess of it! But yeah, by and large, I like my own cornmeal/spices mix and that of others who appreciate a good fish fry and what it takes to do it!
OK.....have to call you on these, TR, especially the first excerpt......<VBEG>
While Tex-Mex may be different from interior so-called "authentic" Mexican cooking, it's not that far removed. I lived in central Mexico for a few months many years ago, and found the food delicious and very similar to Tex-Mex in many respects. I ate most of my meals with a family, so I had what the upper classes ate daily. All of the standard fare was there--tacos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros...the difference was that these items were SIDE dishes or snacks, and didn't comprise the entire meal.
What we call Tex-Mex was originally brought to Texas by poor immigrants who worked on ranches, farms, in the fields, etc. Being the food of the poor, it was heavy on corn/flour tortillas and beans/rice. The combination made a complete protein, since meat was often scarce in the very poor homes, and not served every day. Eggs were another complete protein, and often topped enchiladas.
The so-called Mexican food served in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, etc. is similar to Tex-Mex, although there are regional differences across
all. Even Tex-Mex has evolved over the years, and includes much more today than it did even as recently as the 1970s.
I'd agree with you on the second paragraph--the big difference is--most of the items prepared in a restaurant cannot compare to what is cooked at home. A REALLY good CFS....and REALLY good fried chicken/catfish is very, very hard to find anywhere in any restaurant, and most are just plain nasty.
But yeah.....definitely southern in origin!
To back up a bit to make a general comment:
An earlier post mentioned that Houston had a far greater number of blacks than many other cities (NO, Atlanta, Memphis, etc.)....but the Houston area population in general is so much bigger than the other areas mentioned. As a percentage of population in Houston, blacks would be about 22-25%......and NO/Atlanta each have more than 50%. I would guess that black/southern culture is so diluted in Houston that you don't notice it nearly so much as you do in NO and the others. Houston has to be far more cosmopolitan than any of the other places mentioned.....
The city limits of Houston are far larger than that of Atlanta, Memphis, or New Orleans. These city propers are largely composed of inner city neighborhoods with a great deal of blacks, while the city of Houston has annexed several surrounding areas where blacks aren't significantly present. Imagine if Houston proper was only composed of the wards, the south side, and the wings of the north side. The black percentage would easily be somewhere around 50%.
And the black culture of Houston is most certainly NOT diluted. It is found in areas where many non-blacks wouldn't venture off to, but it's mostly less noteable because Houston is far more integrated than those cities.
The city limits of Houston are far larger than that of Atlanta, Memphis, or New Orleans. These city propers are largely composed of inner city neighborhoods with a great deal of blacks, while the city of Houston has annexed several surrounding areas where blacks aren't significantly present. Imagine if Houston proper was only composed of the wards, the south side, and the wings of the north side. The black percentage would easily be somewhere around 50%.
And the black culture of Houston is most certainly NOT diluted. It is found in areas where many non-blacks wouldn't venture off to, but it's mostly less noteable because Houston is far more integrated than those cities.
Go to 5th Ward and see how diluted black culture is. Or come up to Gunspoint where I am the token white guy.
There is no way anybody could argue against Houston having a significant black influence.
From reading earlier posts from various threads, it seems like Greenspoint is ever changing. Names that is.
you would fit right in
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): 
From reading earlier posts from various threads, it seems like Greenspoint is ever changing. Names that is. 
