FIRST OF ALL BURRITOS AREN'T REALLY MEXICAN. MEXICAN FOOD HAS BECOME AN AMERICAN STAPLE
BUT ARE WE DOING IT ALL WRONG I'M HAVING MEXICAN FOOD IN THE U.S AND IN MEXICO TO COMPARE THE
DIFFERENCE SO THE MENU HAS ALL OF THIS JUST ASKED FOR ENCHILADAS AND HE SAID YEAH NO WE DON'T HAVE
THAT BUT I'M SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THINGS HAVE GOTTEN REALLY REALLY LOST IN TRANSLATION I
ASKED FOR TACOS AND HE SAID YEAH NO WE DON'T HAVE THAT BUT THEY HAVE ALL OF THIS SO WHAT
EXACTLY IS TRULY MEXICAN FOOD AND HOW DID AMERICA MANAGE TO MESS IT UP? WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW? SO WE
ARE IN TACO BELL AND WE'RE GONNA TRY SOME MEXICAN FOOD AMERICAN INNOVATION MEETS MEXICAN STYLING SO
IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE MENU IN COMPARISON TO AN AUTHENTIC AUTHENTIC MEXICAN PLACE THAT YOU'LL
NEVER SEE THESE COMBINATIONS OF THE TORTILLA AND CHEDDAR CHEESE AND THEN THIS HARD SHELL NO LIKE NO
NO NO KIND OF NO NO NO NO NO DEFINITELY NOT KIND OF BUT NOT REALLY NO NO IS IT DISAPPOINTING
IT IS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT REAL MEXICAN FOOD ALL RIGHT SO I GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS
LET'S START WITH THIS AND TACO IS MEXICAN THIS IS NOTHING LIKE A TACO THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY FIND
IN A REAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT FIRST OF ALL THE CHEDDAR CHEESE THE TORTILLA WAIT CHEDDAR CHEESE
IS NOT MEXICAN NO NOT AT ALL YOU'LL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER SEE CHEDDAR CHEESE IN MEXICO
WHAT ABOUT CHEESE THAT'S THIS COLOR THAT'S CALLED MEXICAN BLEND AT THE GROCERY STORE
FAKE REALLY FAKE CHEESE ANOTHER PART IS THAT IT HAS THE YOU KNOW THICK UH FLOUR TORTILLA THAT'S
NOT TRADITIONALLY MEXICAN AND OF COURSE THIS IS AN ABERRATION TO MEXICAN CUISINE GROUND BEEF YOU'LL
NEVER SEE GROUND BEEF IN AN ACTUAL MEXICAN TACO REALLY SO EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A TACO IS SO
NOT ACTUALLY MEXICAN YES NEXT THING WHICH IS A UH FIRST OF ALL I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS IS CALLED
ALL RIGHT SO HOW ABOUT HOW DID THEY DO ON THEIR BURRITO WELL FIRST OF ALL BURRITOS AREN'T REALLY
MEXICAN IT'S MORE OF A MEXICAN-AMERICAN TEX-MEX THING YOU KNOW THE FLOUR TORTILLA IS NOT REALLY
ALL THE STUFF GOING IN HERE IS NOT SOMETHING LIKE THE GROUND BEEF UM USUALLY A BURRITO YEAH SO
THAT'S YOUR BURRITO IT'S LIKE KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK IN AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE OKAY
NACHOS I MEAN NACHOS HOW HOW CAN THEY MESS UP NACHOS WELL NACHOS ARE NOT REALLY A
THING IN MEXICO NACHOS EVEN NACHOS THEY'RE NOT REALLY I WANT YOU TO TRY THIS THE DIABLO SAUCE
IT'S NOT THAT SPICY WOW AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE HOT DOG ONE RIGHT WELL THIS COMPLETELY
BLEW MY MIND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SAID BURRITOS AREN'T MEXICAN BUT LET'S GO
TO MEXICO AND ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THE FOOD IS LIKE THERE AND HOW IT DIFFERS LET'S GO
UH YEAH I THINK WE COULD READY SO NOW WE'VE COME TO MEXICO CITY AND WE'RE AT A PRETTY POPULAR CHAIN
RESTAURANT HERE IN MEXICO THIS ACTUALLY THIS RESTAURANT ACTUALLY STARTED AT ONE OF THOSE
LIKE STREET STANDS IT GOT SO POPULAR THAT THEY BEGAN TO OPEN UH RESTAURANTS YOU WILL FIND ALL
THE TYPICAL MEXICAN FOODS HERE TACOS ENCHILADAS IT LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE SOME OF THEIR STAPLE DISHES
AND EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I KNEW MEXICAN FOOD I DON'T EVEN THINK I COULD TELL YOU
WHAT THESE ARE CALLED SO THIS IS THE CHICKEN TACO WHERE'S THE CHICKEN TOSTADA OH YEAH OF COURSE I'M
USED TO LIKE THIS COMING WITH LIKE A BIG PORTION OF RICE BEANS SOUR CREAM HERE IN MEXICO IN MOST
RESTAURANTS IF YOU JUST ORDER ONE THING THAT'S ALL YOU GET THERE'S NO SIDE DISHES OR WHATEVER THE U.S
WE'RE SO USED TO LIKE BIG PORTIONS OF THOSE SIDE PORTIONS OF LIKE HUGE YOU KNOW RICE PILE AND THEN
THEIR BEANS AND CHEDDAR CHEESE WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE GROSS ACTUALLY SO HERE IS JUST YOU ORDER ONE
PIECE AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT YOU GET AWESOME THEY HAVE THEY BRING THESE SALSAS OUT FOR YOU TO HAVE
WITH THE TOSTADAS OR WITH YOU KNOW WHATEVER DISH YOU ORDERED THESE ARE MADE HERE AT THIS PLACE SO
IT'S MORE THEY'RE MORE FRESH WOW THEY'RE ACTUALLY MADE IN THIS SAME RESTAURANT YEAH AND IT'S A CHAIN
RESTAURANT THAT'S CRAZY WHAT EXACTLY WOULD THIS BE SO IT'S KIND OF THE SAME THING IT'S JUST A
DIFFERENT PRESENTATION BECAUSE THESE ARE ACTUAL TOSTADAS AND THESE TOSTADAS YOU CAN USE THEM
WITH THE SALSAS YOU CAN PUT A LITTLE BIT ON TOP OF IT SO BASICALLY YOU JUST TAKE
A PIECE OFF HAVE IT WITH SOME SALT YEAH YOU CAN PUT A LITTLE BIT OF SALT LIKE THIS
WAIT THIS IS QUESADILLA OH WOW SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'M USED TO
SO THIS IS WHAT AN ENCHILADA IS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE AND THIS IS WHAT ENTRICOLADA
INSTEAD OF A SAUCE OKAY SO LET'S REVIEW WHAT WE'VE LEARNED BURRITOS FAJITAS AND
CHEDDAR CHEESE ARE NOT EVEN MEXICAN IN GENERAL MEXICAN FOOD IN AMERICA HAS WAY MORE CHEESE ON IT
MEXICAN FOOD IS ACTUALLY MUCH HEALTHIER THAN AMERICA'S VERSION OF IT IT'S SOMETIMES CALLED
TEX-MEX WHICH IS THE VERSION OF FOOD INVENTED BY TEXANS WHO TOOK MEXICAN FOOD AND MADE IT THEIR
OWN AND THIS IS WHERE THE BURRITO CAME FROM AND FAJITAS TOO MEAT LIKE BEEF IS ACTUALLY RARELY USED
IN MEXICAN MEALS THE MAIN INGREDIENTS ARE REALLY BEANS CORN AND RICE BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY THANK
TEXANS FOR THE INFLUENCE OF BEEF AND MEXICAN FOOD THANK YOU MAMA GO TO A MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN THE
U.S ORDER TACOS AND YOU'LL GET A FULL PLATTER SERVED WITH A LARGE QUANTITY OF RICE BEANS
SOUR CREAM AND OF COURSE CHIPS AND SALSA BUT I CAN HONESTLY SAY NOT A SINGLE RESTAURANT IN MEXICO
ACTUALLY OFFERED THAT SO NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT MEXICAN FOOD IS NOT LET ME ASK THIS WHAT IS IT
WELL THE FIRST THING TO LEARN ABOUT TRUE REAL AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD IS THAT EVERYTHING COMES
DOWN TO THE CORN SO I'M WALKING THROUGH MEXICO CITY AND I JUST STUMBLED ACROSS THIS LITTLE PLACE
THAT MAKES FRESH CORN TORTILLAS AND IT WAS SO COOL TO SEE HOW IT'S DONE AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY DO IS
THE CORN IS MADE INTO THE SPACE THE BASE IS THEN CONVERTED INTO THIS MACHINE WHICH PUTS THEM INTO
ROUND CIRCLES AND THEN THEY ARE BAKED AND THEN CONVERTED INTO TORTILLAS SO EVEN IF A RESTAURANT
ISN'T MAKING ITS OWN CORN TORTILLA THEY'RE PROBABLY AT LEAST GETTING THEM FRESH MADE THAT DAY
CORN IS ICONIC HERE I LITERALLY SEE PAINTINGS AND MURALS WITH CORN ALL OVER MEXICO IT'S ALIVE WITH
HISTORY AND MEANING AND HERE MEXICANS BELIEVE THAT CORN IS THE FOOD WITH WHICH THE GODS CHOSE
TO FEED MANKIND IN FACT TODAY IT'S BELIEVED TO BE MEXICO'S MOST IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY SEE
TORTILLAS IN MEXICO ARE ALMOST ALWAYS CORN BASED CORN TORTILLAS WITH BEAN PASTE HAVE BEEN COMMON
FOR AGES HERE TORTILLAS ARE COMMON IN THE DIET OF MEXICAN FAMILIES WHO EAT THEM OFTEN WITH CHICKEN
AND BEEF IN AMERICA WE MOSTLY HAVE FLOUR TORTILLAS WHEREAS IN MEXICO IT'S ALL ABOUT CORN TORTILLAS
SEE MEXICO TAKES CORN SO SERIOUSLY THERE EVEN IS CONSIDERED TO BE A GOD OF CORN HERE AND THESE ARE
CORN BASED THESE WOULD BE CORN BASED OH THAT'S THE CORN RIGHT THERE TOO SO HERE YOU CAN SEE CORN UH
WHICH IS A STAPLE OF MEXICAN CUISINE IN FACT THEY CALL US THE CHILDREN OF CORN FAST FORWARD TO TODAY
IT'S CAUSING HUGE CONTROVERSY SEE MORE THAN 90 OF THE CORN GROWN IN THE US IS GENETICALLY MODIFIED
FARMERS CHANGE THESE CROPS'S DNA TO AVOID INSECTS AND VIRUSES BUT MEXICO HATES GENETICALLY MODIFIED
CORN FOR ONE THEY CAN INCREASE THE CHANCE OF HUMANS DEVELOPING ALLERGIES AND THERE
ARE STUDIES ABOUT TOXINS GOING INTO OUR ORGANS WHICH IS WHY MEXICO IS NOW SAYING THAT BY 2024
NO FARMERS IN MEXICO CAN ACTUALLY GROW GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN ANYMORE MEXICANS ACTUALLY RELY ON
AMERICAN FARMERS FOR MUCH OF THEIR CORN BUT IF YOU ASK MANY PEOPLE IN MEXICO THEY WILL SAY THAT NOT
ONLY SHOULD GMO CORN BE BANNED BUT THEY COULD EVEN TAKE OFFENSE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS BEING MODIFIED
REMEMBER CORN IS AN ICONIC PART OF ITS CUISINE AND CULTURE HERE AND CORN IS JUST THE BASE OF WHAT I
FIND TO BE SO MANY DISHES HERE IN MEXICO SO THIS IS CALLED A MERCADO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A BAZAAR
YOU'VE GOT FOOD YOU'VE GOT TOYS YOU GOT EVERYTHING ONE WOULD NEED HERE UNDER THIS ROOF AND IT'S
REALLY COOL IT REMINDS ME TOTALLY OF A BAZAAR AND IT PRETTY MUCH IS BUT IT'S CALLED A MERCADO SO
THIS IS QUITE INTERESTING THIS IS QUITE UNIQUE IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE IN THE U.S YOU
FIND IT BUT IT'S BOTTLED SO IT'S NOT AS AUTHENTIC AND AS TASTY AND AS FRESH AS IT IS HERE ORANGES IN
THE U.S WE'RE SO USED TO UNIFORM SAME COLOR SAME SHAPE BUT HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT SHADES
UM AND SIZES IT'S NOT AS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AS THEY ARE IN THE US BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY FRESHER
AND MORE ORGANIC SO IN MEXICAN CUISINE WE HAVE A VARIETY OF FOODS AND FRESH INGREDIENTS SO WE CAN
SEE SOME OF THEM HERE THESE ARE THE THE TOMATOES OF COURSE AVOCADOS CACTUS IS ALSO SOMETHING VERY
IMPORTANT IN THE DIET AND EVEN REFLECTED IN THE IN THE FLAG AS A NATIONAL SYMBOL THEN WE
HAVE THE TOMATILLOS WHICH ARE THESE GREEN TYPE OF TOMATOES BUT WE USE THEM A LOT FOR SAUCES SO THESE
ARE EMPANADAS AND THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE A PASTRY BUT THEY ARE STUFFED AND YOU CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER
TOPPINGS YOU WANT SO FOR EXAMPLE I'M HAVING A MUSHROOM WITH AVOCADO AND THEN IT COMES WITH
THE CREMA AND THE CHEESE AND YOU CAN ADD THE SALSA TO YOUR LIKING AND THEY'RE REALLY YUMMY
WELL AMERICA IS THE LAND OF MASS PRODUCTION PRODUCE MORE MAKE IT LAST LONGER AT ALL COSTS
AND SELL MORE WHICH BRINGS US TO THE FINAL PART OF HOW AMERICA RUINED MEXICAN FOOD SO WHETHER THAT'S
INVENTING ENTIRELY NEW CONCEPTS LIKE CHIPOTLE OR ADDING EXCESSIVE CHEDDAR CHEESE TO A PLATE TO
MAKE IT TASTIER AND PRICIER REST ASSURED AMERICA WILL DO IT NOW DON'T GET ME WRONG OF COURSE FOR
MANY MEXICANS TRANSLATING THEIR RECIPES INTO RESTAURANTS AND SUPERMARKET PRODUCTS HAS BEEN
A SOURCE OF PRIDE AND ECONOMIC SUCCESS TOO BUT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED MEXICAN FOOD BUT NOW
I REALIZE THAT I'VE ACTUALLY LOVED AMERICAN MEXICAN FOOD AND NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT FOOD IS
ACTUALLY LIKE IN MEXICO PERSONALLY I HAVE A MUCH GREATER APPRECIATION FOR
THE AUTHENTICITY AND STORY OF THE FOOD THAT IS TRULY AUTHENTICALLY AND UNIQUELY MEXICAN