Opinion: From the taco stereotype to the price of meat, the history of ranchos and everything else that matters

“By the eye the food gets eaten,” used to say my grandma right before placing on the table a dish of Peruvian beans and pork with a mountain of white rice and a splash of red onions. I knew it was delicious without even trying it. Today, I apply that same concept to “by the food the culture is known,” and this can be a problem, especially if you don’t know the cook. My grandma could be trusted any day in the kitchen, but could I trust a white American reporter writing about Cinco de Mayo or any outsider’s celebration? Well, the real question is, do people want to know anything else than nachos, pinata and tequila on Cinco de Mayo? And who knows better about drinking Coronas and eating at Taco Bell than...pretty much any American? Nothing wrong with the cold beers but the image of Mexico as a big cantina expands, penetrates and stays. So, every time it’s the same story--one with jalapenos, one with corn tortilla, one with tacos al pastor-- and the image of a culture gets printed in salsa and cheese. And what about Montezuma and Pancho Villa? Who are those guys? Just get me a quesadilla. Puebla? Where is that? This is Cinco de Mayo and what were the French doing in Mexico anyway? President Calderon? Yeah, I heard of him, but I prefer the chicken burritos. And here is where the problem is: it is easier, faster and maybe more accessible to write about enchiladas than Mexican politics or history. However, the food is great to get us at the table, then should come the talk. I know the guacamole is very good, but why don’t you tell me if Mexico produces a lot of avocados, if the corruption has declined in the last year, or if the education system benefits from the drug cartel’s money? Well, my grandma used to say “after good food, good conversation is the desert.”