Cuban Food

Cuisine

Many of the foods enjoyed by the Aztecs of ancient Mexico were unheard of in Europe until the two cultures clashed in 1519. After the defeat of the Aztecs by the Spanish army of Cortes, exotic foods such as tomatoes, corn, squash, avocados and chocolate were sent across the Atlantic Ocean and gradually became part of the European diet.

To Aztec royalty, chocolate was a favorite drink, a sort of champagne of the well to do. It was considered an aphrodisiac and was thought to be beneficial to one’s health and well-being. In that respect, people’s views have not changed much over the centuries!

A staple in Aztec cooking was corn. The Aztecs ground corn into flour and made it into dough from which they formed tortillas. Corn is still at the heart of most meals in Mexico.

The foods that can be ordered in Portland’s Mexican restaurants – dishes such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas, chile con carne and burritos – have developed from an ancient heritage. Their ingredients, once considered so exotic, are now many people’s favorite foods.