Question: What Makes Mexican Food Authentic?
Answer: Mexican food has a widely diverse history that started with the natives. Then the Spaniards introduced new spices and foods and finally there are the Americanized versions of Mexican dishes.
When a dish or recipe is referred to as "native" then it should only contain ingredients that were available to the native Mexicans. This includes corn, tomatoes, goat and fish. Calling a dish or recipe "authentic" usually means it is something that has been prepared traditionally in Mexico usually for 50 years or more. Claiming something has "authentic" tastes or flavors, just means that the spices used in flavoring the dish are authentic to Mexico.
The word "authentic" can be used in many different ways, so read the ingredients and you'll have a better idea. Refer to ingredients and flavors of Mexico for more details.
