Latin America & the Caribbean Mexican Cooking Look south of our borders and you will discover a whole world of coking which, through the centuries, has developed the idea that even the simplest foods can be stimulating and satisfying as well as basically nutritious and economical. Here, the Indians of the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations perfected a. Sophisticated cuisine thousands of years before the arrival of the first Europeans on their shores. The natural plenty of the land was skillfully enhanced and cultivated to provide a rich, spicy, sound diet for the people who lived in the vast areas extending from Mexico through Central America, and many thousands of miles to the southernmost tip of the southernmost tip of the peninsula of South America. Corn, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, peppers, chocolate, bananas and avocados, as well as exotic fish and fruits, were the basis of the great Indian cuisines, and their intensive cultivation helped develop new and better strains of all the native vegetables. In certain areas wild game was plentiful. And in the mountainous countries a process of …show more content…
Thus, we find the French touch in Haiti and parts of the French touch in Haiti and parts of the West Indies. The Dutch did much to develop the Spice Islands; even the British, not generally known for their interest in cooking, added a bit. In later history, the Germans brought beer; the Italians pasta; vineyards were planted for the development of wines. Each country has made its contribution until today, Latin American boasts an amazing amalgam of the cuisines of the world, and offers the North American homemaker a rich source of ideas for brightening her own daily fare. In these times of soaring food costs, it is well to look south of the border for interesting and economical ways to extend the family food