About Traditional Hispanic Food Essay

Hispanic American: â€Å"Heritage† is defined as the customs and traditions that are handed down from generation to generation of families and society. A person with Latino heritage is a descendant of a family from Mexico, Central America, or South America. Peeps who are Hispanic are from a country where Spanish is spoken. Let’s check out some of their traditions. Hispanic Food Hispanic foods have many different characteristics, but one of the main things that make it distinctive is that it tends to be spicy! Here are some traditional Hispanic dishes: * Moles: Pronounced Mo-lay, the name of this dish comes from the Aztec word for â€Å"mixture.† Mole Poblano de Guajolote, is a mixture of dried chiles, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices and chocolate. * Tortillas: This flat bread is made of wheat flour or masa and forms the base of tons of tasty Mexican dishes like enchiladas, burritos and fajitas. * Ceviche: A Mexican dish of raw fish marinated in limejuice, often in a chopped salad. * Poc Chuc: A Yucatecan specialty made with pork fillet cooked with tomatoes, onions and spices. About Traditional Hispanic Food Traditional Hispanic food is full of flavor and a variety of textures: crunchy; chewy; gooey; and stringy. The most popular Hispanic foods are derived from rice and vegetables and use a flavor base called sofrito to season their dishes and soups. Sofrito is a mild tomato base that is a staple in traditional Hispanic food cooking methods. Many restaurants carry some form of Hispanic food on their menus, such as rice-filled enchiladas, tacos, nachos or flan. History The word â€Å"Hispanic† describes someone who comes from Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America. The Spanish colonial period took place between 1492 and 1898, when Spaniards migrated from Spain and brought with them traditional Hispanic foods. Hispanic food stems from the traditional cooking methods of ancestors from the countries of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar; it is from here that Hispanic people draw their heritage and roots as well as their primary methods of cooking and developing recipes. The history of Hispanic food dates to when the Hispanic population began to learn how to cook off the land by growing rice, chilies, beans, tomatoes in the rich, moist climate of Spain. The population added meat and dairy into the recipes, providing meat for tacos and cheeses for garnishing. Hispanic food has transitioned over the years and taken on slight variations of the original corn tortilla that is now cooked in oil, as well as spicier forms of rice implemented with cheese and peppers to include foods that are found in many fast-food restaurants, chain restaurants and supermarkets. Types Tortillas are served plain, warm or fried and can be used as the base for many Hispanic food dishes. Corn tortillas can be made into tacos or corn chips that can be used as an accompaniment to salsa or bean dip. Flour tortillas are also popular and provide a substitution when necessary for tacos and other Hispanic food dishes. Rice and beans make up a huge part of traditional Hispanic food recipes. Rice and beans can be used as a side dish that goes well with tacos and enchiladas as well as a filler for burritos, tacos and chimichangas. Meats, such as shredded or crumbled beef, shredded chicken and pork, make up the majority of Hispanic food’s main dishes, some of the most popular being parrilladas, tampiquenas and fajitas. Variations of vegetables can found throughout traditional Hispanic food, such as varieties of chiles, potatoes, jicama, yucca, nopales, tomatillos and some types of squash. Significance Traditional Hispanic food is eaten every day in Hispanic households, with foods such as quesadillas, tacos, nachos, Mexican pizzas, taco salads and burritos being the most popular. The celebration of Hispanic holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo, brings out the full tradition of traditional Hispanic food across many areas around the world. Many traditional Hispanic drinks are also served for this celebration of Hispanic heritage and pride, such as tequila, margaritas and Mexican beer. Some of the most popular Hispanic dishes that are prepared during Cinco de Mayo are carnitas, barbocoa, moles and menudo. Identification Traditional Hispanic food can be identified by the appearance of the tortillas and the thick, rich enchilada sauces that can be green, brown or red and resemble a thick gravy. Rice and refried beans typically are served inside of the tortillas or on the side, and this dish can be referred to as an enchilada or as a chimichanga if it is deep fried on the outside. Melted cheese over the top of the dish is also a good indication of Hispanic food. Function The function of Hispanic food is to fulfill the traditional ways of growing, eating and serving Hispanic food. Hispanic food is high in carbohydrates, making it a filling meal because of the beans and cheese that are served along with it. The combination of the beans and cheese with the spicy seasonings and salsa give the food added flavor and traditional Hispanic flair. Hispanic food can be made into meals for large groups of people and large families quickly, cheaply and easily. Most Hispanic food keeps for a long time and does not spoil if stored in a cool, dry location. Reference: http://www.ehow.com/about_4578072_traditional-hispanic-food.html CUBA : Cuban Cuisine Cuban cuisine has been influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. Traditional Cuban cooking is primarily peasant cuisine that has little concern with measurements, order and timing. Most of the food is sauteed or slow-cooked over a low flame. Very little is deep-fried and there are no heavy or creamy sauces. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay laurel leaves. Many dishes use a sofrito as their basis. The sofrito consists of onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, and ground pepper quick-fried in olive oil. The sofrito is what gives the food its flavor. It is used when cooking black beans, stews, many meat dishes, and tomato-based sauces. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, such as lime or sour orange juices, and then roasted over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling off the bone. Another common staple to the Cuban diet are root vegetables such as yuca,malanga, and boniato, which are found in most Latin markets. These vegetables are flavored with a marinade, called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw onions, garlic, cumin, and little water. A typical Cuban breakfast consists of a tostada and cafe con leche. The tostada is a portion of Cuban bread which is buttered then toasted on an electric grill. The cafe con leche is a combination of strong, espresso coffee with warm milk. Cubans break the tostada into pieces, then dunk them into the cafe con leche, as Americans would dunk their doughnuts into their coffee. Additionally, some may eat ham croquetas, smoky creamed ham shaped in finger rolls, lightly breaded, and then fried. For those on the run, with no time or desire to eat, a shot of cafe cubano, Cuban coffee, will revive the dead. Lunch consists of empanadas, chicken or meat turnovers, or cuban sandwiches. The sandwich could be a media noche (midnight sandwich), consisting of a slice of pork, ham, and swiss cheese and then topped with pickles and mustard on sweetened egg bread. The pan con bistec is a thin slice of palomilla steak on Cuban bread garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, and fried potato sticks. One may also order a side ofmariquitas, thinly sliced plantain chips, to accompany their hearty sandwich. For snack time, Cuban bakeries are famous for their finger foods, such aspastelitos, croquetas, bocaditos, and empanadas. Pastelitos are small flaky turnovers in various shapes filled with either meat, cheese, guava, or a combination of guava and cream cheese. Bocaditos are small bi te size sandwiches layered with a ham spread. Dinner will usually consist of a meat, chicken, or fish dish as the entree accompanied by white rice, black beans, and maduros, sweet fried plantains. At times, a small salad of sliced tomatos and onions or avocados might be added to the meal. The meal is followed by dessert, such as the typical flan, a Cuban caramel-flavored custard, and another shot of cafe cubano. Other equally popular alternatives for dessert are bread or rice puddings. For holidays or special occasions, the one dish that typifies Cuban cuisine would be a small pig, marinated with salt, garlic, and sour orange juice, and then roasted over an open fire, and slowly cooked for several hours. The accompaniments for such a dish could consist of congri, a white rice and black bean mixture also known as Moors and Christians, boniato in a garlic dressing, and maduros. For refreshments, the most typical drinks are the daiquiri and the mojito. Both are made with lime juice and pure cane rum. Reference: http://www.education.miami.edu/ep/littlehavana/Cuban_Food/Cuban_Cuisine/cuban_cuisine.html Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Europe (Spain), Africa and the Amerindian Taà ­nos. In the latter part of the 19th century, the cuisine of Puerto Ricowas greatly influenced by the United States in the ingredients used in its preparation. Puerto Rican cuisine has transcended the boundaries of the island, and can be found in several countries outside the archipelago. The cuisines of Spain, Taà ­no and Arawaks Amerindians, and parts of the African continent have had an impact on how food is prepared in Puerto Rico. Although Puerto Rican cooking is somewhat similar to both Spanish and Latin American cuisine, it is a unique tasty blend of influences, using indigenous seasonings and ingredients. Locals call their cuisine cocina criolla. The traditional Puerto Rican cuisine was well established by the end of the nineteenth century. By 1848 the first restaurant, La Mallorquina, opened in Old San Juan. El Cocinero Puertorriqueà ±o, the island’s first cookbook was published in 1849. Puerto Rican dishes are well seasoned with combinations of flavorful spices. The base of many Puerto Rican main dishes involves sofrito, similar to the mirepoix of French cooking, or the â€Å"trinity† ofCreole cooking. A proper sofrito is a sautà © of freshly ground garlic, tomatoes, onions, recao/culantro, cilantro, red peppers, cachucha and cubanelle peppers. Sofrito is traditionally cooked with olive oil or annatto oil, tocino (bacon), salted pork and cured ham. A mix of stuffed olives and capers called alcaparrado are usually added with spices such as bay leaf, cumin, sazà ³n and adobo. List There are plenty of recipes. Here are just a few: * Albondigà ³n – Puerto Rican meatloaf. * Alcapurrias – made from a mixture of mainly yautà ­a and may contain ground squash, plantains, green banana and other starchy tropical tubers filled with ground meat or seafood and deep fried in oil. * Almojà ¡banas – cheese-flavored rice fritters. * Araà ±itas – a combination of fried ripe and unripe shredded plantain, seasoned with salt, garlic and spices. Squash and other tubers can also be added. * Arepas / Domplines – Puerto Rican dumplings; fried rounds of flour-based dough. Sometimes they can contain coconut (known as arepas de coco). They are sometimes stuffed with seafood. This dish is particular to the Eastern and Southern parts of Puerto Rico. * Arroz con habichuelas – Rice and beans, a staple. Pink and red beans are the most common. The beans are cooked together with recaito base, stock, chunks of ham, potatoes and/or calabaza(tropical pumpkin), alcaparrado, tomato sauce to thicken stew, and flavored with spices. When done, the beans are then ladled over a mound of rice. Sticky medium-grained rice is more popular in Puerto Rico than long grain rice. * Arroz con pollo – Chicken and rice cooked in the same pot. Traditionally, chicken is seasoned with adobo, then placed in a pot with rice, annatto oil, sofrito, stock, beer, olives, and capers. * Bacalaà ­tos – These are fritters made from a pancake-like batter containing codfish, flour, and seasoning. * Buà ±uelos – Yam fritters. * Tortilla – Puerto Rican style omelette. * Tostones – twice-fried plantains. * Trifongo – similar to mofongo, but made with fried cassava, green plantains, and ripe plantains. * Tripleta – A sandwich made with a combination of three meats, such as beef, roast pork, chicken, and ham * Quesitos – cheese pastries Holiday dishes Pasteles / similar to the Mexican â€Å"tamales† * Arroz con dulce – Puerto Rican rice pudding, made with coconut milk and coconut cream, as opposed to only bovine milk or cream used elsewhere. Other flavors added into Arroz con Dulce include cloves, ginger, raisins soaked in rum, vanilla, cinnamon, brown or white sugar, heavy cream or milk and sometimes lemon zest. * Arroz con gandules – a yellow-rice-and-pigeon-pea dish with alcaparrado (capers and olives stuffed with red peppers), and pieces of meat (bacon, smoked ham, smocked turkey orchorizo). The spices and seasoning usually include cumin, bay leaf, annatto oil, sofrito, banana leaf, dry oregano, thyme, and stock. It is part of Puerto Rico’s national dish, along with pig roast. * Coquito – A popular Christmastime drink is coquito, an eggnog-like rum and coconut milk-based homemade beverage. The holiday season is also a time that many pià ±as coladas are prepared, underscoring the combination of pineapples and coconuts seen in Puerto Rican cuisine. [7] * Ensalada de pulpo – Octopus salad * Pasteles – For many Puerto Rican families, the quintessential holiday season dish is pasteles (â€Å"pies†), usually not a sweet pastry or cake, but a soft dough-like mass wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf and boiled, and in the center chopped meat, shellfish, chicken, raisins, spices, capers, olives, sofrito, and often garbanzo beans. Puerto Rican pasteles are similar in shape, size, and cooking technique to Latin American tamales. The dough in a tamal is made from cornmeal; while in a Puerto Rican pastel it is made from either green bananas and/or starchy tropical roots. The wrapper in atamal is a corn shuck or a banana leaf; the wrapper in a Puerto Rican pastel is a banana leaf. * Pig roast – Pork is central to Puerto Rican holiday cooking, especially the lechà ³n (spit-roasted piglet). Holiday feasts might include several pork dishes, such as pernil (a baked fresh pork shoulder seasoned in adobo mojado), morcilla (a black blood sausage), tripa (tripe), jamà ³n con pià ±a (ham and pineapple), gandinga (stewed pork innards) and chuletas ahumadas (smoked cutlets). * Stuffed turkey – Popular from November to January. The Thanksgiving turkey is often seasoned with adobo mojado and stuffed with mofongo or ground beef or pork mixture containing almonds,raisins, olives, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, and garlic. Instead of the thin slices seen in the North, a baked turkey in Puerto Rico is often cut into large blocks or chunks to be served on a plate. Riceis a mandatory course in dishes such as Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Arroz con Tocino (rice with bacon), Arroz Mampostea’o, and the sweet dessert Arroz con Dulce (rice pudding). * Sweets – Sweets are common in Puerto Rican cuisine. During the holidays, the most popular are desserts such as Arroz con Dulce (sweet rice pudding), Budà ­n de Pan (bread pudding),Bienmesabe (little yellow cakes soaked in coconut cream), Brazo Gitano – Puerto Rican style sponge cake with cream and / or fruit filling), Buà ±uelos de viento – Puerto Rican wind puffs soaked in a vanilla, lemon and sugar syrup), Barriguitas de Vieja (deep-fried sweet pumpkin fritters), Natilla, Tembleque (coconut pudding), Flan (egg custard), Bizcocho de Ron (rum cake), Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican shortbread cookies), Polvorones (a crunchy cookie with a dusty sweet cinnamon exterior), Turrà ³n de Ajà ³njolà ­ (a toasted sesame seed bar, bound together by caramelized brown sugar),Mampostiales (a very thick, gooey candy bar of caramelized brown sugar and coconut chips, challenging to chew and with a strong, almost molasses-like flavor), Dulce de Leche (milk and key lime peelingsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ caramel pudding), pastelillos de guayaba (guava pastries), Besitos de Coco (coconut kisses), Tarta de Guayaba (guava tarts), and Tortitas de Calabaza (pumpkin tarts). Haiti: Haitian cuisine originates from several culinary styles from the various historical ethnic groups that populated the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, namely the French, African, and the Taà ­no Amerindians. Haiti is similar to the rest of the Latin-Caribbean (the French and the Spanish-speaking countries of the Antilles), however it differs in several ways from its regional counterparts. Its primary influence derives from French and African cuisine, with notable derivatives from native Taà ­no and Spanish culinary techniques. Though similar to other cooking styles in the region, it carries a uniqueness native only to the country and an appeal to many visitors to the island. Haitians use vegetables and meats extensively and peppers and similar herbs are often used for strengthening flavor. Dishes tend to be seasoned liberally and consequently. Haitian cuisine tends to be moderately spicy, not mild and not too hot. In the country, however, many businesses of foreign origin have been established introducing several foreign cuisines into the mainstream culture. Years of adaptation have led to these cuisines (e.g.: Levantine from Arab Migration to Haiti) merging with Haitian cuisine.  "Manje Kreyà ²l† (Haitian food) is the equivalent of criollo cooking (criollo meaning â€Å"creole†) in other countries. This encompasses most of what is regularly cooked in Haiti, involving the extensive use of herbs, and somewhat unlike Cubancooking, the liberal use of peppers. A typical dish would probably be a plate of diri kole ak pwa (rice and beans), which is brown rice with red kidney or pinto beans glazed with a marinade as a sauce and topped off with red snapper, tomatoes and onions. The dish can be accompanied by bouillon (bouyon), known as sancocho in some neighboring countries. Bouillon is a hearty stew consisting of various spices, potatoes, tomatoes, and meats such as goat or beef. Rice is occasionally eaten with beans alone, but more often than not, some sort of meat completes the dish. Chicken (poul) is frequently eaten, the same goes for goat meat (kabrit) and beef (bà ¨f). Chicken is often boiled in a marinade consisting of lemon juice, sour orange, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and other seasonings and subsequently fried until crispy. Legim is a thick vegetable stew consisting of a mashed mixture of eggplant, cabbage, chayote, spinach, watercress and other vegetables depending on availability and the cook’s preference. It is flavore d with epis, onions, garlic, and tomato paste, and generally cooked with beef and/or crab. Legim is most often served with rice, but may also be served with other starches, including mayi moulen (a savory cornmeal porridge similar to polenta or grits), pitimi (cookedmillet), or ble (wheat groats). Other starches commonly eaten include yam, patat (neither of which should be confused with the North American sweet potato), potato, and breadfruit. These are frequently eaten with a thin sauce consisting of tomato paste, onions, spices, and dried fish. Tchaka is a hearty stew consisting of hominy, beans, joumou (pumpkin), and meat (often pork). Tchaka is eaten by people and also used as an offering to the lwa in Vodou. Spaghetti is most often served in Haiti as a breakfast dish and is cooked with hot dog, dried herring, and spices, served with ketchup and sometimes raw watercress. One of the country’s best known appetizers are Pate, which are meat or salted cod patties surrounded by a crispy or flaky crust. Other snacks include akra (crispy, spicy fried malanga fritters), banann pese, and marinad (fried savory dough balls). For a complete meal, they may be served with griyo (fried pork) or other fried meat. These foods are served with a spicy slaw called pikliz which consists of cabbage, carrot, vinegar, scotch bonnet pepper, and spices. Fried foods, collectively known as fritay, are sold widely on the streets. Regional dishes also exist throughout Haiti. In the area around Jà ©rà ©mie, on Haiti’s southwest tip, people eat a dish called tonmtonm, which is steamed breadfruit (lam veritab) mashed in a pilon, and is very similar to West African Fufu. Tonmtonm is swallowed without chewing, using a slippery sauce made of okra (kalalou in Haitian Creole), cooked with meat, fish, crab, and savory spices. Another regional dish is poul ak nwa (chicken with cashew nuts), which is from the north of the country, in the area around Cap-Haà ¯tien. Waves of migration have also influenced Haitian cuisine. For example, immigrants from Lebanon and Syria brought kibbeh, which has been adopted into Haitian cuisine. The flavor base of much Haitian cooking is epis, a combination sauce made from cooked peppers, garlic, and herbs, particularly green onions, thyme, and parsley. It is used as a basic condiment for rice and beans and is also used in stews and soups. Increasingly, imported Maggi bouillon cubes are used by Haitian cooks. This is indicative of the growing availability of imported, often artificial and inexpensive, foods, such as Tampico beverages. Beer Beer is one of several common alcoholic beverages consumed in Haiti, often drank at festivals, parties, and occasionally downed with a meal. The most widely drank brand of beer in Haiti is Prestige, a nationally popular mild lager with a taste similar to many commercialized beers such as Budweiser and Miller Light. The beer has a light and crisp yet mildly sweet taste with a vague yet strong flavor reminiscent of several American-style beers. Prestige is brewed byBrasserie Nationale d’Haiti (owned by Heineken). Rum Haiti’s rum is extremely popular among its inhabitants , in addition to those in other societies. The most known company in the country is the world-renowned Rhum Barbancourt; one of the nation’s most famous exports and by international standards, the country’s most popular alcoholic beverage. It is unique in that the distilleries use sugarcane juice directly instead of molasses like other types of rum. The rum is marketed in approximately 20 countries and uses a process of distillation similar to the process used to produce cognac. The liquory creamed drink called crà ©mas is also drunk in Haiti. It is a popular beverage usually consumed as part of dessert or simply by itself. It has a sweet like flavor that you can taste. Clairin Clairin or kleren is another popular drink; it is equivalent to moonshine and is distilled from molasses, it is distilled twice sometimes to have a higher proof of alcohol. It is widely popular and small distilleries can be found throughout the countryside. Clairin is at least 100 to 120 proof. Double distilled, it can easily be 150 to 190 proof. Clairin may be more popular than rum, because it is much cheaper and less labour intensive to make. Cremas Cremas, also spelled Cremasse (Kremas in Haitian Creole), is a sweet and creamy alcoholic beverage native to Haiti. The beverage is made primarily from creamed coconut, sweetened condensed and/or evaporated milk, and rum. The rum used is usually dark; however, white rum is used frequently as well. Various other spices are added for additional flavoring such as cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, as well as miscellaneous ingredients such as the widely used vanilla extract or raisins. Recipes vary from person to person with a few differences in ingredients here and there. However the overall look and taste is the same. The beverage possesses a creamy consistency similar to a thick milkshake and varies from off-white to beige in color. The drink is popular in Haiti and is served regularly at social events and during the holidays. It is usually consumed along with a sweet pastry of some sort. The drink is often served cold however it can be served at room temperature. The beverage has become recent ly marketed in Haiti as well as the United States. One of the popular brands is Dorobe. It is similar to Puerto Rican Coquito. Non-alcoholic Due to its tropical climate, juice is a mainstay in Haiti. Juices from many fruits are commonly made and can be found everywhere. Guava juice, grapefruit juice, mango juice, along with the juices of many citrus fruits (orange, granadilla,passion fruit, etc.) are popular. Juice is the de facto beverage because of its variety of flavors, easy production, and widespread accessibility. Malta is also a popular non-alcoholic drink consisting of unfermented barley with molassesadded for flavor. In more urban areas of the nation, the people enjoy Americanized drinks such as an array of soft drinks, in which Coca-Cola dominates all other local soft drinks. Milkshakes are also drunk regularly. Desserts Many types of desserts are eaten in Haiti ranging from the mild to sweet. Sugarcane is used frequently in the making of these desserts however granulated sugar is also used often. One very popular dessert is fresco which can be whipped up quickly. Fresco is similar to an Italian Ice, however it consists primarily of fruit syrup. The syrup is moderately thick and very sweet. It is frequently sold by street vendors. The sweet smell of this candy-like snack often attracts honeybees and a common sight on the streets is a hurried vendor handing out frescos surrounded by swirls of bees. Pen Patat is a soft sweet bread made using cinnamon, evaporated milk, and sweet potato. It is usually served cold from the refrigerator but it can also be eaten at room temperature. Akasan is a thick corn milkshake with a consistency similar to that of labouille (in Creole, â€Å"labouyi†) (a popular porridge made from corn). It is made using many of the same ingredients as Pen patat consisting of ev aporated milk, sugar, and corn flour.