Is Mexican food popular outside North America?

[Sophia]

Traveling outside the U.S. I've often seen "Mexican" restaurants.  Occasionally, feeling homesick, I've eaten in a few.  I'd put them all on about the level of Del Taco, i.e. less authentic than Taco Bell or Bueno. 

[ilrag]

Mexican food is gaining popularity in Australia - but there's a lot of fuss from a tiny % of people that question how authentic it is. I think most mexican places here serve 'tex-mex' - but I have been to one restaurant that is said to be very authentic, and it was amazing!!

I was all over New South Wales last spring and as some one who grew 35 miles from the Mexican border (and has also traveled extensively through baja, and both coasts of the mainland in mexico) I have to say there's no authentic Mexican food in Australia.

I felt the same way when I was in college in Maine.

[Danika]

Mexican food is gaining popularity in Australia - but there's a lot of fuss from a tiny % of people that question how authentic it is. I think most mexican places here serve 'tex-mex' - but I have been to one restaurant that is said to be very authentic, and it was amazing!!

I was all over New South Wales last spring and as some one who grew 35 miles from the Mexican border (and has also traveled extensively through baja, and both coasts of the mainland in mexico) I have to say there's no authentic Mexican food in Australia.

I felt the same way when I was in college in Maine.

I grew up in an area with many Mexican restaurants. And then I went to college in Massachusetts. There were very few Mexican restaurants in Cambridge/Boston and the most famous one at the time had rodents and roaches! Highlight for TMI: You could see them behind the bar, or crawling along the rafters on the ceiling. The "best" (only tolerable) Mexican food that I had in Boston was from Taco Bell!

[that_one_girl]

The best Mexican restaurant I ever ate at was in Japan.

I'd not say that it is "popular" ... but that they really like to have interesting taste experiences.

[amandaelizabeth]

They seem very popular here.  I have never got past our local one, which imports its supplies from Mexico, it is just the best.

[mmswm]

There are two authentic Mexican restaurants across the street from each other near me.  They are both owned by (now) elderly Mexican women and run by their children and grandchildren.   The two women are from different states (though I can't remember which ones), and the food they serve is very, very different from each other. Both restaurants' menus are comprised of old family recipes, and, according to the local Mexican community, are very authentic.

[Katana_Geldar]

What constitutes 'authentic Mexican food' anyway? I'm getting the impression that getting 'authentic' Mexican food is similar to getting 'authentic' Chinese food.

[hyzenthlay]

What constitutes 'authentic Mexican food' anyway? I'm getting the impression that getting 'authentic' Mexican food is similar to getting 'authentic' Chinese food.

Authentic meaning actually served in Mexico, as opposed to vaguely composed of similar ingredients.

And honestly, I don't think most cuisines really do travel very far from their homeland without being shifted to match existing tastes. The ingredients don't always travel well, and become too expensive in the process. I live in New Mexico, and I don't think I eat more then one or two dishes a year that would qualify as Mexican rather then New Mexican (which is retains some differences from Tex-Mex.)

Anything that hits the US tends to loose any organ meats, as well as having the more outre veggies replaced with things available in the states.

[Sophia]

What constitutes 'authentic Mexican food' anyway? I'm getting the impression that getting 'authentic' Mexican food is similar to getting 'authentic' Chinese food.

When people say they have an authentic Mexican restaurant near their house, I take it with a huge scoop of salt.  But, when I read the post before yours I believed it. 
 
"There are two authentic Mexican restaurants across the street from each other near me.  They are both owned by (now) elderly Mexican women and run by their children and grandchildren.   The two women are from different states (though I can't remember which ones), and the food they serve is very, very different from each other. Both restaurants' menus are comprised of old family recipes, and, according to the local Mexican community, are very authentic."

[Bluenomi]

You can get 'Mexican' in Australia but I suspect it's closer to Tex Mex. We have a new chain here locally that seems to do things closer to proper Mexican which is quite yummy.

[Katana_Geldar]

DH loves Mexican food and I don't mind it either, just not as into hot chillies as he is. There's a fantastic Mexican place not far from us. A bit rough, but clean and I usually see it lacked in the evenings.

The food is great, PM if you want to know where it is. Is on the North Shore of Sydney.

[Danika]

And I'm sure there are various types of Mexican food within Mexico. It's a fairly large country. My DH's parents lived in Mexico City for a few years. He said the food there tasted different from the food in Acapulco when his family went there. He said both places had food that was blander than he expected. He thought it would be very spicy, because a lot of the Mexican food where we live (Colorado) is spicy.

[Katana_Geldar]

And I'm sure there are various types of Mexican food within Mexico. It's a fairly large country. My DH's parents lived in Mexico City for a few years. He said the food there tasted different from the food in Acapulco when his family went there. He said both places had food that was blander than he expected. He thought it would be very spicy, because a lot of the Mexican food where we live (Colorado) is spicy.

Just as I thought, it's like Chinese. I do feel rather reassured now about Australia's supposed lack of authenticity.

[lowspark]

TexMex involves a lot of spice and chili peppers. Real Mexican food in Mexico does not. That's why your husband found it to be bland.

There are places in Houston where you can get authentic Mexican food. Most people who love TexMex (including me) don't much care for authentic Mexican because it does use similar ingredients but without the spice which, for my money, is what makes TexMex so good.

I would guess that there are very few places in the world outside of Mexico which serve authentic Mexican cuisine, and many which serve some localized version of it. Which is why there is TexMex, CalMex, NewMexico-Mex, and who knows how many other variations.

[Sharnita]

And I'm sure there are various types of Mexican food within Mexico. It's a fairly large country. My DH's parents lived in Mexico City for a few years. He said the food there tasted different from the food in Acapulco when his family went there. He said both places had food that was blander than he expected. He thought it would be very spicy, because a lot of the Mexican food where we live (Colorado) is spicy.

Just as I thought, it's like Chinese. I do feel rather reassured now about Australia's supposed lack of authenticity.

Well, there is also "Mexican" food that is just blatantly altered from anything served anywhere in Mexico.  I mean you might go to a restaurant and eat something that is enjoyed in one part of Mexico but not in others and that is authentic.  But then there are just some places where there is no way it would be found like that anywhere in the country.  I have no idea how the restaurants in Australia fall into that scale (probably different places rate differently).