Mupepe, does real Mexican food use sour cream?

[Rman]

I've always wondered about this since sour cream is a very common taco topping in many Mexican chain restaurants.  However, when I go to Jackson Heights in Queens, NY, which has a sizable Mexican community with amazing, authentic Mexican restaurants, they never have sour cream.  Edumacate me, Moops.

[MrAngryFace]

I hate sour cream in my mexican food ahhhhh

[Mupepe]

yes.  but it's not really like the kind here.  and it varies from country to country actually.

un torta sin crema por favor

cilantro is totally overused here though.

[Mupepe]

I hate sour cream in my mexican food ahhhhh

same here.  it's grossssssssss. 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

i also hate avocado

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[Rman]

It's more runny than the caked American variety?

[Mupepe]

i wouldn't call it runny, but it's more fluffy and soft.  let me try to find a pic

[Laramie]

I've heard of Sonoran food and I think that's more like Tex Mex but is other Mexican food (I guess from the southier parts of Mexico) more like other South American food?

[Mupepe]

It's more runny than the caked American variety?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/217708371_417b3bbe96.jpg?v=0

wel, i guess it is runny, but i think that's because it's warm in this pic.  but there ya go.  usually it's fluffy as fuck on torta and in burritos.  and not quite as thick as american.

I've heard of Sonoran food and I think that's more like Tex Mex but is other Mexican food (I guess from the southier parts of Mexico) more like other South American food?

yeah, the food depends on the state or region it's from.  also if it's country mexican or city mexican.  like barbacoa can be made from beef or from sheep, depending on what region it's from. 

also tortas from northern mexico usually are made of carne asade while southern mexican tortas are with ham or with a piece of milanesa

[Laramie]

I thought Torta meant cake.    Unless you guys eat terrible meat cakes like the English.

Which national chain do you think has the most authentic Mexican food, city or country?

[Mupepe]

torta is a sandwich.  http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=torta&gbv=2

usually has something like carne asade, beans, cheese, avocado and sour cream.  it can also have ham or milanesa.  it's delicious. 

to be honest, i haven't touched any chains.  they don't really survive in houston (outside of taco bell) because of the large hispanic community.  i went to little mexico once and they put brown gravy on their enchiladas and argued with my mom that it was authentic.  fucking gross.

Too many good authentic choices around here to choose a chain.

what area do you live in?

[Mupepe]

edit:

actually, i have been to one chain, i don't know how big it is.  Ruchi's wasn't TOO bad.  their burritos were pretty decent. 

[Laramie]

Damn, my Spanish is really starting to va.

Colorado.  Chipotle and a couple of its knock offs started in this area.  There is a huge Hispanic influence in Denver and Boulder which gives us restaurants like Raliberto's, the 24 drive through Mexican restaurant that cooks a whole chicken and then throws the pieces into a burrito.  There are some pretty good restaurants by my school but they're mostly Tex Mex.  I was asking because I was curious what someone with a better education on actual Mexican food thought of the franchised stuff.   

[Mupepe]

that drive through sounds awesome

chipotle is complete crap though.  i made a thread about it a while back.  come to texas and go to a taqueria

[Laramie]

It's best to eat in the complete dark of a car at three in the morning whilst piss drunk.  You might not want to see or care about what you're shoving in your gob.

How does a taqueria work?  Are the tacos really big and you pick the stuff you want on it?

The word taqueria also reminds me why I love the Spanish language.  Want a taco?  Go to a taqueria.  Want some shoes?  Go to a Zapateria.  Want some meat?  Carniceria.  So simple.

[Tauntaun]

I've got some sour cream for anybody who wants it.  YOU FEELIN ME?

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Would you like to be feeling me?  Literally? 

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[Mupepe]

Well usually they serve stuff like tacos, tortas, burritos, tostadas, etc.

basically just like a restaurant, you order what you want.  it's just usually small and looks slightly questionable.  cool thing is that so many of them are attached to carnicerias so the meat just comes right out of the back.  so awesome.

[Laramie]

Tauntaun, I've said this before but you have the libido of an entire Turkish prison.  I'm really craving some good Mexican food now.  Oh well, guess I'll swing through Taco Bell and pick up some gorditas.  Just like the had in the old country... 

[Laramie]

Por que?

[Laramie]

Vas al parque con Himuro?

[crimsondynamics]

A ver, ¿cuántos aquí son hispanohablantes y quíenes son latinos, mestizos, criollos, o "me cago en la hostia, joder tío" españoles?

[Mupepe]

i speak spanish and i'm half mexican.  but i'm oh so whitewashed.

[Laramie]

Soy blanco, pero rico.

[Mupepe]

like milk?  let me taste you.

[Rman]

i speak spanish and i'm half mexican.  but i'm oh so whitewashed.

What's your other half?

[Laramie]

i speak spanish and i'm half mexican.  but i'm oh so whitewashed.

What's your other half?

Mexican

[Mupepe]

i speak spanish and i'm half mexican.  but i'm oh so whitewashed.

What's your other half?

white and native american (cherokee)

[jiji]

cilantro is totally overused here though.

That's okay, because it's DELICIOUS

There's actually a Chipotle-wannabe called Cilantro's here (Utah). Yes, as if cilantro was a name.

It seems like there's two sets of Mexican restaurants here:

- those for white people (Chipotle, Barbacoa, all those trendy places where you take your lunch tray and order at the counter)
- those for Mexicans (i.e. all the 24-hour joints).

Oh, and there's the occasional taco stand. Are those risky?

I tried a torta once. The pork that was in it had mysterious non-meat pig parts in it. 

[Laramie]

What's with the 24 hour Mexican joints?  Maybe Taco Bell was onto something when they created fourth-meal.

[Mupepe]

cilantro is totally overused here though.

That's okay, because it's DELICIOUS

There's actually a Chipotle-wannabe called Cilantro's here (Utah). Yes, as if cilantro was a name.

It seems like there's two sets of Mexican restaurants here:

- those for white people (Chipotle, Barbacoa, all those trendy places where you take your lunch tray and order at the counter)
- those for Mexicans (i.e. all the 24-hour joints).

Oh, and there's the occasional taco stand. Are those risky?

I tried a torta once. The pork that was in it had mysterious non-meat pig parts in it. 

ew cilantro is gross

the 24 hour joints are the best.  go at 2 or 3am to some of them and there's actually dancing and shit.  so awesome.

taco stands/trucks are risky, but if you find a good one, they can be so awesome.

[Rman]

I love cilantro.  It can be overpowering at times.  You definitely need too watch yourself when you use it.  Many people complain that it has soapy taste.

[Mupepe]

the only time i find cilantro tolerable is when it's mixed in some salsa.  and even then i can taste it and i don't like it.  but it's tolerable.

if you guys ever go to a mexican restaurant, ya know, with real mexicans working, i have something funny you can do.

act like one of those hyper white guys trying to be more cultural and throw in spanish phrases every once in a while like "con queso por favor".  And at the end of the night when you're leaving tell your waitress "Ok, thank you!  buenas nachas!"

buenas nachas sounds so close to buenas noches but it's most excellently different.

buenas noches - good night
buenas nachas - nice ass

she'll think you just said it incorrectly and watch the expression on her face.  awesome.