In ever-greater numbers, America's food associations and manufacturers are taking notice of the promotional possibilities in Cinco de Mayo. But given where we live, that's not a bad thing. The huge population of people with roots in Mexico makes the central San Joaquin Valley one great place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The early efforts to take promotional advantage of the event were wrapped up in the mistaken notion that tortillas and incendiary spicing were the twin keys to authenticity. Both principles are huge and mistaken simplifications.
Mexican food is as varied as any other nation's.
In the United States, Mexican food usually means a choice of beef or chicken for meat, although shrimp and fish are gaining in popularity. There's wide variety in ocean and fresh-water fish. While some Mexican food is fiery, a lot is not. And adding a bunch of hot sauce or chile peppers or salsa to a dish that's subtly spiced or sauced doesn't make it Mexican, just inedible for most people. That comes when there are more and more Mexican food products in stores, including an ever-greater range of cheeses with Hispanic origin.