Vin T.
Yelp
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK (CHEESE)
As we learned in 4th grade, San Diego was annexed to New Spain (aka Mexico) in the 1800s, and our region became the first Mexican settlement in what is now California. So there is no place more rich in Latinx history, influence, and culture than right here, where it all began.
This month is Hispanic Heritage Month, so today we pay tribute to Kennedy's Meat Company. Here you'll find authentic tacos and burritos; or the ingredients to make them at home. But there are things you didn't learn about our Mexican food heritage that go beyond tacos and burritos!
For instance if you thought Julius Caesar created Caesar's Salad with day-old produce Brutus got from Traitor Joe's, you'd be wrong. Caesar's Salad came into existence 20 miles south, in Tijuana. In 1924, restaurateur Caesar Cardini ran low on supplies, so he combined ingredients he had on hand: romaine, eggs, croutons, and cheese... a new salad was born.
The first time you had Nachos, it was likely at Taco Bell... clearly a TB invention, right? Wrong again Captain Oblivious! Back in the 1940s, Ignacio Anaya Garcia improvised a snack for his restaurant in the border town of Piedras Negras. He fried up some tortillas and topped it with jack cheese and jalapeños to make: Nacho's.
And I'm gonna nope the fu*k out of your belief that chocolate originated in Switzerland or somewhere in Hershey, PA. The word chocolate is a derivative of the Aztec word "Xocolatl". In the 1600s the Aztecs produced a bitter liquid from native cacao plant seeds. We now call it chocolate, invented in Mexico.
Finally, if a Mexican refers to you as "pay de eloté", which translates to: "corn pie"... it's an endearing term (unless you're in a mexican prison- then avoid dudes named "Smexie Sanchez", "Jesús Lovezu." or "Tickle-me Emilio"). Made by filling a corn crust with jack cheese and sweet custard, pay de eloté is also the world's first cheesecake.
So now you know Jack.
Pro tip: since 2007, owner Mark Soto Mendoza of Kennedy's Meat Company has proudly represented Hispanic culinary heritage. Sourcing only the best Angus and Prime beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables... they create unforgettable dishes for locals and visiting corn-pies.
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#LatinxHeritageMonth
#SoNowYouKnowJack