On this trip, I felt like it was time to give another Mexican food franchise a try. So I got the steak Stack which is something that’s special to this joint. I got mine with steak, followed by queso, guac, brown rice, pinto beans, and pico de gallo all between two crunchy corn tortillas inside a wrapped and grilled flour tortilla. I think this meal is what makes Moe’s so good for a fast food place. A few years ago, there was a Harris Poll EquiTrend survey that showed Moe’s was the “Fast Casual Mexican Restaurant of the Year” which made them surpass Chipotle! I’d have to say I agree, Moe’s is close to the top!

But if you want me to compare this to homemade Mexican food, well I just simply cannot do that. While Mo’s is at the top of my list for commercial Mexican food, nothing, and I mean nothing, we’ll compare to either homemade tortillas, or tacos that you can find at a taqueria!

After making my Tostitos post the other time about the chips, I completely forgot about the one thing it can’t live without, salsa! I assume that just like the chips, everyone knows the taste of Tostitos salsa. The question is, would you be able to tell the difference between Tostitos salsa and authentic Mexican salsa? Keep in mind the taste, the texture, the spicy aftertaste, and so on. It may give insight to how close totino’s is to selling real Mexican products. That is definitely something I’m going to experiment on in the future. Now that I think of it, there is probably a large amount of corporations that work hard to achieve the greatest taste of their product. In this case, we see Tostitos trying their hardest to replicate what a bowl of salsa with taste like in an authentic Mexican setting. Do they do a good job at this?

What you are looking at right here is not a figment of your imagination. It is not a prop, it is not a joke. This is a real Taco children’s toy set. This caught my eye while I was browsing Barnes & Noble the other day. I am not sure how this makes me feel to be quite honest. On one hand, it is good to teach kids about making tacos without the hassle and dangers of preparing real food. On the other hand, I don’t know, I just never thought I would see something like this! All the ingredients and parts look accurate too. If I have kids, I know what I am getting them for their birthday!imagine the looks on all the children’s faces as they see this toy. Honestly, when I was a kid, I was obsessed with toys that replicated real life adult things, like kitchens, banks, and other things. So this may be a good idea!

I am certain almost everyone has tried Tostitos at least once in their life. whether it be during the super bowl, a birthday party, or just a snack while binge watching family Guy, Tostitos are one of the top snacks I can think of. They’re always the first things you see in the snack section of the supermarket. They are easily one of the most popular snacks out there. By the name of the product, you can most likely tell if it has a Mexican origin, that is, only the name. The company is owned by the Frito-Lay corporation, which is located in Texas. They claim that Tostitos has quote Mexican” flavor that is authentic. whether that is true is up to the consumer to decide, but at the end of the day they are still molded after Mexican tortilla chips. Think of this next time you see them at an event!

On the same day I had the homemade quesadillas, I also got around to trying Coca-Cola energy. They say that it tastes better than regular Coca-Cola, but I thought it was just as good, nothing special. The real kicker was the added Guarana to the drink. Although the guarana plant originated in Brazil, its popularity spread to many places including Mexico, so I had to do my due diligence and do some coke literacy. Like the Coca-Cola energy, the Fanta guarana soft drink was very popular in Mexico according to Reddit. It’s no surprise they use guarana in the energy drink, as the ingredient is naturally caffeinated. I made the mistake of drinking it in the evening so it kept me up all night! To be honest, I probably will not try this again. The reason is because it tastes as good as regular Coke, but even then, I would rather just drink regular Coke anyway. Also, if I need the caffeine boost, I will just have a regular coffee in the morning. I feel like drinking Coke in the morning would not sit right with me.

If you want to get real authentic, look no further than a simple but great tasting snack made from home. The other day, I was blessed with the scrumptious cheese quesadillas at my friend’s humble abode, made by his mother. The quesadillas were oh so filled with montakia which added to the joyride of flavors. there are a wide array of possibilities when it comes to eating Mexican food. It can be at home, like I just mentioned, or it can be from take out. There are two kinds of takeout in my book. The first kind, is from fast food such as Taco Bell. The other kind is from local restaurants, where the food is more realistic.

It’s really up to you, whichever place or fashion in which you decide to eat is okay. I am just saying that out of all, a home-cooked Mexican meal is second to none!

What if Taco Bell’s food actually looked like how they advertised it? To be fair, it’s not just them, it goes with every fast food chain out there. If you want food that looks as good as they say it is, look no further than any authentic food joint. Go on Google and search authentic Mexican and everything will be answered! Thank me later. I gotta be honest, while the food from Taco Bell isn’t top notch, sometimes it hits the spot. Usually it’s when you’re hungry late at night and there are no better options, or when you binge watch chowder. Nothing compares to real Mexican food though. The history and culture behind it makes its existence worthwhile and necessary. But even places like Taco Bell has its history from its creation by Glen Bell in San Bernardino. Something valuable I learned in class was from the video we watched with Gustavo Arellano about how if it wasn’t for the Mitla cafe, Taco Bell may not exist today.

Here we have a hodgepodge of delicious Mexican food. On the left side of the plate, you can see some turkey and chorizo tinga. The spicy chorizo mixed with the flavorful turkey makes a great pair. Tinga is a Mexican dish that has shredded meat with tomato and chipotle sauce. There is also some Mexican corn mixed with peppers and onions on the front side of the plate. But my favorite dish is the black bean spinach enchilada verde on the back of the plate. With a dollop of sour cream, the enchilada sent my taste buds on a journey of mild spiciness and serious flavor. Surprisingly, I have not heard of Tinga before. But after having this, I feel like if I go to a real authentic taqueria, I will be blown away by the magnitude of how amazing it would taste! I have to go try that soon!

Enchiladas are another staple of Mexican cuisine! The ones here are filled with cheese and beans, and were quite filling. Many of the foods I have encountered were of Aztec origin, but this food dates back to the time of the Mayans. People wonder if enchiladas made today are authentic Mexican. Some say no, as real enchiladas are not baked in an oven and instead rolled up tortillas of meat covered in a spicy sauce. Either way, enchiladas will always be a top dish, even SpongeBob thinks so!

Enchiladas will always be a high point on my list of my favorite Mexican food ever. There is just something about them that makes them so darn good! Maybe it is because of the toppings you can put on it, or maybe it is the shape of the food that fits perfectly in your mouth and is consumed in such a fashion that you always want more. Either way, anyone who says they like Mexican food should no doubt try enchiladas. 

Chicharrones de pollo was a simple looking yet interesting meal served at Monty’s. Chicharron means ‘pork rind’ and in this sense the de Polo part means they are bite-size pieces of crispy fried chicken. This preparation originated in Spain, and the dish has found its way into the hearts and stomachs of many people in Latin America, the southern United States, and of course, Mexico. The taste is much like fried chicken, and can be served with rice or just by itself. The chicken is savory and the texture was more soft than crispy, but it depends on how you cook it.

While it may just look like some fast food fried chicken, once you take that first bite, you will realize that it is anything but! A world of fresh crispy-ness awaits you with Chicharrones de pollo. So next time you see that on a sign at a food place, go for it!