Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, is a time to spread,honor, and celebrate the contributions of culture and tradition by America’s Hispanics. This year, my cousin Bella Herrera, and I, Angelina Liguori, decided to celebrate. We tried a variety of foods from different Hispanic cultures, sharing our thoughts on each dish’s unique flavors and giving them a rating.
ANGELINA’S REVIEW
To begin, my parents made some empanadas “de carne de res” ( of beef ), a staple dish in Argentina. These unique pastries are stuffed with a flavorful mix of ground beef, onions, and tomatoes. I rated the empanadas a 9 out of 10; The beef and onions were incredibly flavorful. While I’m not a big fan of tomatoes, I can understand why they are an important ingredient in several Hispanic dishes. I also discovered there are many different varieties of empanadas to try, such as chicken, vegetarian, and seafood so people with different tastes can still enjoy them.
The next meal I had was birria tacos.The ones I ate were from a Mexican food truck called Taqueria Los 2 Carnales on Kuykendahl Rd in Spring, Texas. Birria tacos consist of stewed meat, cheese, onions, and chili sauce; all in a fried corn tortilla. They are served with a side of the flavorful soup made to stew the meat, called consommé, for dipping. I rated them a 10 out of 10. I love how flavorful the meat with the onions is, and the crunchy texture of the tortilla. I would definitely recommend the dish, and especially this food truck to anyone wanting to try them for the first time.
BELLA’S REVIEW
I started off with a popular Cuban dish called Mojo Pork. This meal consists of pork that was marinated in Mojo- a sauce which has a citrus and garlic flavor. It was slow cooked in a crock pot with potatoes and onions, and took multiple days to prep and cook. The meal, although it takes time to cook, is perfect for celebrations and other special occasions. My family loves making this dish during Christmas time, usually pairing it with plantains, fried yuca and beans.
I rated the Mojo Pork a 10 out of 10. I quite enjoyed this meal, and I feel if I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would eat this. You can never really get bored of this meal! It was so flavorful and juicy, and the mojo added so much flavor to the pork and the potatoes. I paired the pork with rice and the potatoes; everything put together just melts in your mouth!
The next meal I had was Arroz con Carne, which is a classic Hispanic meal. Every Hispanic country has Arroz con Carne, each with their own versions. It’s exactly what you’d expect- steak and rice. You can marinate the steak however you like, with common flavors being sesame oil, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. The beauty of this dish, though, is that you can dress it however you like! This is a meal that I have pretty often, since it is delicious and easy to prepare. I rated this meal a 8 out of 10. It is a classic and easy meal, but for that reason it’s kind of an over-made meal in my household. I liked the steak, and paired it with some A2 sauce which added some flavor and moistened the steak. The steak and the rice together tasted okay. I like it that way, but some people don’t like to mix the two textures together.
