Celebrating Cinco de Mayo - Great Way to Honor the Underdog
Key Takeaways
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, a victory for Mexico against French forces in 1862. It's not Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th.
The holiday is more popular in the United States than in Mexico.
In the US, Cinco de Mayo celebrations often involve stereotypical Mexican food like tacos and burritos, along with beer and margaritas.
Authentic Cinco de Mayo food comes from the Puebla region of Mexico and features complex flavors that combine sweet and savory elements. Popular dishes include mole poblano, chiles en nogada, and horchata.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the The Battle of Puebla. While the United States was in the midst of the Civil War, Mexico's Civil War had just ended as of 1861.
The battles between conservative and liberal powers in Mexico were quite hostile, and the leaders of France chose to invade Mexico in an attempt to establish a French Colonial base in North America.
Napoleon's Gamble
On the 5th of May, 1862, Napoleon's general Charles Latrille Laurencez sent 6,000 troops against a much smaller and badly under-armed Mexican force led by General Ignacio Zaragoza.
After multiple charges up steep terrain, Zaragoza's forces repelled the French from Puebla. Cinco de Mayo celebrates their grit and determination.
Napoleon then chose to send 30,000 troops into Mexico to again attempt to capture the same territory. With the support of the defeated conservatives, they actually succeeded.
However, Napoleon's forces and coffers were badly over-extended and could not hold the ground. Eventually, French leader Maximilian and his generals were executed at the end of June of the same year.
Puebla's Historical Traditions Around Cinco de Mayo
Puebla is located to the south and east of Mexico City. This region celebrates Cinco de Mayo and engages in reenactments to remember the defeat of the more heavily armed French.
Cinco de Mayo is Not Mexican Independence Day
The entire country of Mexico doesn't necessarily celebrate Cinco de Mayo, though many outsiders believe that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day.
Mexico's Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th and is a commemoration of the start of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. Priest Miguel Hidalgo gave a rousing speech in Delores Hidalgo in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
His speech roused the passions of the citizenry to end the 300 year Spanish colonial occupation.
Current Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
Cinco de Mayo was established as a holiday in the United States in 2005. It's also celebrated in the Cayman Islands, Malta, Brisbane, and Australia.
Celebrations for this battle commemoration include chihuahua races, a chihuahua beauty pageant, and a lot of beer consumption.
Until the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo wasn't a terribly popular holiday in the United States. This is not for lack of trying; FDR actually promoted the celebration of Cinco de Mayo as part of his Good Neighbor Plan in the mid 1930s.
However, it was in the 1980s that beer producers began to target the Latino population and the American holiday market was born.
Tequila is also a popular beverage in the United States and especially on Cinco de Mayo. Citizens of the United States actually drink more tequila than any other nation on earth. Those who want to enjoy Cinco de Mayo also tend to consume a lot of avocadoes, chips and salsa.
If you're in the mood to enjoy a more authentic Cinco de Mayo beverage, skip the beer and go for a margarita.
Like the cuisine of Puebla, a true Mexican margarita is a sweet, savory combination of fruit, salt and liquor that will delight your tastebuds and allow you to enjoy a rich, cold beverage.
Skip the strawberry and try tamarind as a sweetener. You can also add a slice of jalapeno to brighten the intensity off the icy cold drink.
Incorporate the Food of Puebla in Your Celebrations!
One of the most popular dishes in Puebla is mole poblano over turkey with a side of rice and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Yes, it includes chilis, cocoa and sugar, along with many other flavorful additions. This rich, flavorful sauce traditionally takes three days to make, so you might want to start with a paste!
Pumpkin seeds and sauces made with them are also quite popular in Puebla. Chiles en nogada are also considered to be signature dishes.
Poblano chiles stuffed with meat of your choice and a collection of fruits, smothered with a nut salsa, offer a subtle combination of flavors that you can't get in a taco!
Don't forget to add the pomegranate seeds; they're worth the work. If you've been under the impression that tacos and burritos, generally salty or acidic, thanks to the tomato or salsa, are truly the flavors of Mexico, you're missing out.
Mexican cuisine, particularly that of inland areas near Mexico City, combines the spice of peppers with the sweetness of fruits. Traditional fruits used in true Mexican cuisine include apples, pomegranates and pears.
Adding the rich bitterness of cocoa brings out the natural sweetness of roasted savories, such as mild peppers. These flavors offer a great deal of variety and are highly complex.
True Mexican food needs to be savored; all of your taste buds will likely have something to say by the time you enjoy a meal from the central plains of Mexico!
If you have a taste for true Mexican food, don't forget to consider adding posole and tamales to your menu.
These dishes are commonly shared for the celebration of Mexican Independence Day, but you don't have to wait for September to fill out your celebratory table with these lush dishes.
Non-Alcoholic Options for Cinco de Mayo
Armed with your knowledge of the origins of this holiday, you may have members of your party who aren't interested in a beer or margarita.
Treat them to horchata, a a sweet and creamy rice drink. This can also take the edge off of food that's on the spicy side. Another option is to prepare cool, sweet aguas fresca from fresh, seasonal fruit.
If you're not keen on sugary things, you can make aguas frescas with cucumber as well.
Cinco de Mayo doesn't have to be all about chihuahuas and beer. It can be about the authentic cuisine of central Mexico and the striking flavor combination of fruit, chiles and protein.
Celebrate the determination of the Puebla fighters who didn't back down by joining with your community for food, authentic beverages, and fun.