In 2010 Mexican Cuisine was declared of such vital important that UNESCO added it to its list of “intangible cultural heritage.” But I was way ahead of them. I’d put Mexican cuisine at the top of my list of favorites many years ago…the first time I tasted fajitas and sipped on margaritas.

In 2011 I took my first trip to Mexico to taste the dishes I’d fallen in love with. I disembarked and rushed to the first restaurant I could find. I stared at the menu. For several minutes. I didn’t understand. Where was the chili con carne, the nachos, the burritos, the chimichangas or the sizzling skillet of fajitas in my choice of chicken, beef, or both? I turned the menu over, shook it out, expecting another page to fall loose. It didn’t. I spoke to the waiter. And that was when I discovered the truth.

I’d been besotted with Tex-Mex, a cuisine that derived not from Mexico, but a completely different country in the US-Mexican border state of Texas.

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