Many Mexicans who experience what is considered a “Mexican restaurant” in El Norte generally have the same criticism: es demasiado genérico (”it’s too generic”).

It is true that there are dishes common to the entire nation, such as frijoles and enchiladas rojas y verde. However, Mexican cuisine is strongly regional, and differences in the spices and method of preparation can vary considerably from one region of the county to another.

Why is this? Most of it has to do with geography. The Spaniards gave the indigenous Mexica Indians their language and many elements of their culture, but this influence was uniform. This can be seen today; while urban Mexico City could almost be taken for any European city, there are remote parts of the country where people continue to live in the same manner as ancient Mayan peasants of a thousand years ago. Additionally, Spaniards were not the only Europeans who have settled in Mexico since the 1500s. Like U.S. Americans and Canadians, many Mexicans can trace their ancestry to Germans, Greeks, Irish, Frenchmen and even Lebanese – whose contribution is the taco árabe. During the French occupation of Mexico at the time of Louis Napoleon, Mexican cuisine was heavily influenced by Parisian cooking; the enchilada is basically the French crêpe made with native Mexican food seasonings such as chiles and masa de maiz instead of wheat flour. There is even an Southeast Asian influence on Mexican cuisine dating from the time when the Spanish empire included the Philippines. Read the rest of this entry »

The European Observatory On Fair Trade Procurement defines “fair trade� as:

“…a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and
respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade…[contributing]
to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to,
and securing the rights of, marginalised producers and workers”
(www.eftafairtrade.org, 2006).

Such produce (not limited to loose teas) is purchased either directly from those who raise it or from community co-ops in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The result is an improved standard of living for those who would otherwise be forced to deal with a number of intermediaries, each of which would be taking a cut – and typically, leaving the actual producer with little or nothing. Fair trade teas are brought to you directly from the families who actually work the land and process the goods – your assurance of a healthier, higher quality product raised in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly fashion. Read the rest of this entry »