When you search the web for Mexican food, many results might appear. Questions such as what makes Mexican food authentic or where can you find authentic Mexican food are often asked alongside inquirers wondering if Taco Bell is real Mexican food and healthy, at that…but both of those latter questions can be answered on another day. Today, the Redlands Ranch Market team will be answering where you can find authentic Mexican food.
Mexican food is arguably one of the most popular non-American cuisines in America—chicken fajitas have even made the top 3 in the top 15 foods on the rise in America for 2020 (we’ll get into Tex-Mex another time). Whether a dish is inspired or not, there’s no doubt that people throughout America are becoming more interested in trying foods outside of their cultural norm. And there’s no wonder many are searching for authentic Mexican food near them. But, here’s a secret: you don’t need to take a trip to Mexico to get authentic Mexican food into your belly…shhh!
If you’re living in the Inland Empire and surrounding areas, the authenticity is closer than you think. Believe the Redlands Ranch team when we say that you can find delicious and authentic Mexican food near you…after all, we’d like to think our tortilleria and cocina say a little somethin’ about our knowledge of authentic Mexican food. And our slogan “autenticamente fresco con amabilidad” isn’t just our slogan because it sounds cool.
If you don’t know what it means to be authentic when it comes to food, specifically Mexican food, and you want a credible suggestion, keep reading. By the end of this, you’ll know exactly where to go for the most authentic and flavorful Mexican food in the Inland Empire. But, before we get into where you can find authentic Mexican food in the Inland Empire, we first need to consider just what it is that makes authentic Mexican food authentic.
“Traditional Mexican cuisine embraces an entire heritage of culture dedicated to maintaining Mexico’s indigenous customs and cultural traditions.”
Every culture’s cuisine has a process of cooking that gives their dishes a unique authenticity. Often times, this authenticity is associated with hard-to-find or fresh-from-the-source ingredients, long hours of preparation, and even longer hours of cooking.
It’s important that when it comes to food, we emphasize that authenticity is much more than the ingredients that go into the dish, and this applies to authentic Mexican food as well. It isn’t just about the chiles, beans, herbs, and other ingredients that we commonly associate with Mexican cuisine. “Traditional Mexican cuisine is so much more than authentic dishes and spices,” comments a Texcoco article on Mexican food. “Traditional Mexican cuisine embraces an entire heritage of culture dedicated to maintaining Mexico’s indigenous customs and cultural traditions.” Keeping this in mind, Mexico Cooks food blogger Cristina Potters corresponds when it comes to the seemingly never-ending quest for authentic Mexican food in America: “There are specific recipes to follow, specific flavors and textures to expect, and specific results to attain.”
Now that we understand what makes authentic Mexican food authentic, let’s consider this list by Texcoco that highlights some signature items used in traditional Mexican cuisine. This list can help us recognize whether a Mexican dish is authentic or not:
🌶Fresh and healthy ingredients like chiles. If it comes from a jar (such as store-bought salsa) it simply isn’t authentic.
🧂Traditional spices such as coriander and epazote. While cumin and dry oregano are flavorful, they’re not authentic to the traditional dishes.
🌽Maize-based tortillas. We know that people love their wheat tortillas if they’re trying to be healthier; however, authentic Mexican tortillas aren’t a result of maseca or pre-made corn or flour mix. The tortillas are made from maize and are soaked, cooked, ground, and mixed before baking.
🌮Soft tacos, not crisp taco shells.
🧀White cheese (like cotija or fresh cheese). Yellow (cheddar) cheese is not traditionally Mexican so if it’s being used on top of your tacos, it isn’t authentic.
🌽Cooked corn grains and complete corn cobs rather than salsas and dishes with sweet corn as an ingredient.
🌱Frijoles prepared from scratch, not Americanized refried beans. This from-scratch recipe requires the beans to be soaked, heated, seasoned and drained. If it’s straight from the can, it isn’t straight from the tradition.
Every decision the Redlands Ranch Market makes circles back to this principle: Autenticamente fresco con amabilidad. This means that everything we do at Redlands Ranch Market is authentically fresh and friendly.
Now you know what to look for when it comes to searching and finding authentic Mexican food. So, where you can find authentic Mexican food in the Inland Empire? Redlands Ranch Market is proud of our Mexican heritage and we showcase this with our authentic, flavorful dishes and traditional Mexican departments. We offer the freshest Mexican food items not only Redlands but the entire Inland Empire.
Our Cocina Mexicana boasts an assorted salsa bar, refreshing aguas frescas, and daily specials that will leave your mouth watering and your belly craving more! And, of course, no Mexican bakery is complete without pan dulce.
Similar to our tortilleria, we’re baking all day. Aside from pan dulce, our bakery is filled with many desserts, pan dulces, and bread loaves that are made from scratch, with time-tested recipes that maintain authenticity. We always have fresh conchas, polvorónes, and orejas on hand–and that’s just to name a few from the list of what we offer.
Our catering menu consists of an assortment of platters that will satisfy your cravings when it comes to authentically fresh and flavorful Mexican food. Whether you’re hosting a small family get-together or a larger company event for 300 guests, or you just want to eat the whole platter by yourself, our marketplace can help you with large order requests.
We could tell you Redlands Ranch Market has the best Mexican food in the Inland Empire (we already did) but it’s probably best if you taste it for yourself…after all, the proof is in the pan dulce. And don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a question or request and visit us if you’re craving Mexican food that’s autenticamente fresco con amabilidad!
