What's the Difference? Tex-Mex vs. Mexican

Tex-Mex food has been a topic of conversation around my office quite a bit lately. What's the difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican foods?

This question could produce heated debate in some areas of the country, but it seems that most sources agree on a few key points. The term "Tex-Mex" has been around for a while, but it really gained popularity in the 1970s, when Diana Kennedy published The Cuisines of Mexico (now available in a reprint combining two of her earlier books) and tried to show tortilla-chip-loving Americans a more full range of Mexican dishes. Tex-Mex was used to refer to the many Mexican restaurants all over Texas serving Americanized versions of Mexican food.

So what does distinguish Tex-Mex from Mexican food? This is a more difficult question, and it's usually answered by looking at ingredients used in Tex-Mex that are less common in more authentic Mexican food. Cumin, for instance, is not used nearly so widely in Mexico as in Tex-Mex. Meat is more common in Tex-Mex too. Maybe the largest factor is starch - the abundance of nachos, tacos, and tortilla wraps are simply not as common in Mexican cuisine as Tex-Mex may lead you to believe.

Both styles have their advocates, of course - although it's worth noting that even Tex-Mex fans disavow Taco Bell.

• Mexican and Tex-Mex food at the Food Timeline

Comments (8)

I always figured the big difference was Cheese. Tex-Mex food is all about gobs and gobs of greasy cheddar cheese. I suppose it's not in everything (i.e. tamales for the most part), but the ingredient can be found in a lot of the common dishes.

I have always considered the quintessential Tex-Mex dish to be cheese enchiladas with chili gravy.

I think Mexican food is a lot like Italian food in that it varies so much from region to region. My grandmother was born in Chihuahua and later relocated to Eagle Pass, TX, and I'm sure her cooking contains elements from both the region she grew up in as well as from Tex-Mex cooking. When she makes beans, they're pintos; her tamales are pork in a red chile sauce wrapped in corn husks; her tacos are corn tortillas softened in a little bit of melted lard and rolled around savory shredded chicken.

I was a little surprised the first time I went to a Mexican restaurant as a kid and was served black beans, because that wasn't what I was familiar with, but that probably inspired me to learn more about the foods of the various regions of Mexico. It really is a rich and diverse cuisine, and I think what a lot of people don't realize is that there are some really complex and elegant dishes there.

absolutely, the cheese

Yes, it's all about the cheese! After I moved to LA, I guiltily admitted to my Texan family that I actually preferred Cal-Mex to heavy Tex-Mex. I do sometimes get a mean craving for a San Antonio-style puffy taco, though!

I think the biggest difference is sheer quantity! you should not be comfortable after eating tex-mex; and, it's not a real tex-mex meal unless it is a platter.

Well, I'm pretty opinionated about this since I love both Mexican and Tex-Max and I live in Texas. To me the biggest difference is that Tex-Mex is very focused on meat, while most Mexican restuarants have a lot more seafood items on their menus. And I've never seen refried beans on a Mexican menu, either. Only bad Tex-Mex restuarants disguise their food with tons of cheese. Tex-Mex can be a wonderful cuisine that rivals any other when done right. It takes the best of both worlds (I could be a little biased, though).

Oh yeah, Taco Bell really, really sucks.

I agree with Jenblossom. There are a wide range of Mexican foods depending on the region. The coasts have a lot of seafood that you are not going to find in the interior. You will also find the same to be true of Mexican restaurants in Texas - you can find whatever type of food or region you are looking for your meal. Not all serve Tex-Mex.
I consider Tex-Mex to be the old truckstop enchiladas of my youth. Brown gravy and orange cheese.

And who would ever eat at Taco-Bell?? At the very least go to Taco Cabana.

And then there is NEW MEXICAN food which is different that Tex-Mex, Cali-Mex and all other Mexican Foods. Except the lady with the grandmother from Chihuahua sounds like New Mexican. I never had black beans growing up in New Mexico, only Pintos. And sour cream? Nope, not until the 1980s. And that was from a chain restaurant thing. New Mexico chiles rock harder and hotter than others. We don't make 'chile gravy' which always seem to have beef stock in it when they make it in Texas. Chile is chile. pure and simple. I make posole every Christmas Eve (and other times) and use Bueno Chile if I can get it. There are still some frozen red chile sauce and green chiles in my Freezer. But I wish I had a soapapilla from Santa Fe or Albuquerque right now.