The 411

The origin of the word "Hispanic" is "Hispania," the Roman word for the Iberian Peninsula.

In a narrow sense, one can consider Hispanics to be the peoples of Latin America, Central America and some Caribbean nations where a Spanish colonial presence once existed, and those people who have emigrated to the United States from such nations, as well as their descendants. Generally, in the eastern part of the United States, this term is favored, whereas in the West, the term Latino is preferred. Outside of America, people will just tell you their national origin. In America, we like labels. And that's fine. Whether you call yourself Hispanic or Latino, people know what you mean and they know that you value the culture of your ancestors or country of origin. There are a lot of us and the number keeps growing: There are about 47 million Hispanics in the U.S., more than the entire population of Spain (40 million).

A tipping point came when salsa surpassed ketchup as the favorite condiment of Americans. There was some debate following that, as this article points out. No matter, the change is significant.

Hispanics of Mexican origin are the largest group, with more than 60% of the Hispanic population, followed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Hispanic Kitchen, though, wishes to embrace the totality of the Hispanic experience. We think it's more interesting, more diverse and certainly more delicious.

The following edited excerpt is from "Hispanic American Influence on the U.S. Food Industry." It's interesting and for those of us still learning, instructive.

Hispanic cuisine varies from region to region, from town to town, and from family to family. Although there are foods that are enjoyed by many Hispanic families, regional variations in heat, spiciness, pungency, and sweetness make it difficult to define what "authentic" Hispanic cuisine is. For example, sofrito, the cooking sauce used to flavor beans, rice, fish, and stews, can vary in flavor depending on the region responsible. The Spanish sofrito is sweet and made with tomatoes, while the Puerto Rican sofrito is pungent and made with cilantro (Erynguim foetidum), and the Cuban version is mild and made with parsley.

A VARIETY OF INGREDIENTS

Certain Hispanic groups prefer certain types of foods. Mexicans favor corn and amaranth. South Americans favor wheat, quinoa, and potatoes. Rice is preferred by Hispanics from the Caribbean and coastal regions of Latin America.

According to figures derived from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, U.S. consumers of Mexican descent eat the greatest amount of dry beans (almost 34 pounds per capita) compared to non-Hispanic whites who consume only six pounds per capita.

Different Hispanic cultures prefer different beans. Cubans, Southern Mexicans, Central Americans, and Venezuelans use black beans in their cooking. Northern Mexicans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans use pinto or pinta beans. Cubans, Central South Americans, and Hispanic Caribbeans use red kidney beans. Puerto Ricans and Dominicans also use pigeon peas. Chick peas or garbanzo beans are popular with Venezuelans and Brazilians.

Not all Hispanic foods are spicy. Cooks from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic use more oregano, tomato, garlic and black pepper than chilies to flavor dishes. If chilies are used, they tend to be the mild varieties.

Yuca, also called manioc or cassava, is preferred in Hispanic cooking like the potato is in North American cooking. There are other tubers used in Hispanic cooking such as boniato, malanga (similar to taro), and batata (sweet potato).

Food preparation techniques of the Hispanic regions vary as well. Tortillas are prepared differently in different Hispanic-American cultures. Some Mexican cooks put the corn through a lime bath to prepare masa harina. Venezuelans pre-cook the corn through a special process to yield harina pan, giving the tortilla a different texture. In areas of Mexico where more wheat than corn is cultivated, cooks prepare flour tortillas.

REGIONAL TASTES

Some Hispanic foods have a European influence. In Spain, the cuisine is as varied as the country. Regional influences include Moorish (using spices, herbs and oranges), the north of Spain (hearty dishes, sausages, beans), east coast of Spain (pastas, risoto, paella), the interior of Spain (roasts, lamb, suckling pig), and Madrid (seafood and shell fish).

There are regional influences in "Mexican-American" foods. For instance, in Texas you find more beef, cumin-infused beef gravy, and anchos and jalapenos. In Arizona, you see burritos and chimichangas made with dried, shredded beef, and seasoned with chilies. In New Mexico, the preferred meat is pork, and they use both fresh (green) and dried (red) chilies. "Tex-Mex" restaurants are more likely to grind their meat than shred it. Many restaurants serve their dishes in casseroles rather than in tortillas.

Mexican food (often confused by Americans with "Tex-Mex" food) is one of the most popular ethnic foods in this country. Most of what we see in Mexican-American restaurants is derived from Mexican recipes that have been adapted using cooking techniques and ingredients common to U.S. Southwestern style cooking that combines Mexican, Native American, Asian and European influences.

"Nuevo Latino," also called Nuevo York, New California, or Floribbean, encompasses foods from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. It is characterized by a mixture of several nationalities, and is often referred to as traditional Latin American cooking with an American twist. This style of cooking typically uses finer cuts of meat and modern American cooking methods. "Pan Latin" cooking, a combination of several Latin regional cooking styles, is also gaining in popularity in the United States.

As you can see from this short introduction to Hispanic cuisine, it involves more than the tortilla-based specialties like enchiladas, tacos, and tamales we see at fast-food chains all over America. Hispanic Americans have made their foods mainstream food service menu items. From salsa to plantains to fruit-based beverages and flan, Hispanic American foods have become very popular among all Americans. Restaurant chefs play an important role in popularizing Spanish-American food choices.