“Tex-Mex,”a combination of Texas and Mexico is popularly known as Mexican American cuisine. The fusion of culture is what makes Tex-Mexso unique. When the people from Texas encountered the Mexican culture, they mixed their culture and added some twists to their dishes; as a result, a truly new American style of cuisine “Tex-Mex” was invented.
The significant difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican food can be seen in ingredients used to prepare the dish. The definite marks of Tex-Mex are the presence of beef and the use of yellow cheese. Mexican dishes only use white cheese; if you see some cheddar on your plate, you know it’s Tex-Mex!
Both Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes are a great hit in Australia, but it’s not easy to get a Mexican cheese to complete this dishes. And if you are a great fan of Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisines, here is the best solution for you. Pure Dairy’s Mexican Cheese Blend is made from four different cheese blends, including Natural Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Asadero, Queso Quesadilla. It will give you the authentic taste of Mexican cheese.
Cheese is the primary ingredient in Tex-Mex dishes,and if the dish doesn’t have cheese on it, it’s not Tex-Mex. Moreover, the yellow and gooey cheese is the standard and the ultimate mark of an authentic Tex-Mex dish.
Here are some of the most common cheeses used in Tex-Mex dishes
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese“Yellow cheese”is the most common cheese you’ll see in Tex-Mex recipes. It is similar to white cheddar, but due to its bright yellow color, it seems like utterly different cheese.
A massive amount of milk is required to produce cheese in large quantities. Since the color of milk from different cows can vary slightly so, to maintain the consistent color, cheese producers dye the cheese with annatto seeds, which gives it a distinct yellow color.
Queso, enchiladas, and fajitas are the most common dishes in Tex-Mex restaurants, and the ooey-gooey yellow cheese is what separates the dish from traditional Mexican dishes while ensuring that you have Tex-Mex dish.
Fact: cheddar cheese islow in lactose,so people with lactose intolerant can easily digest this cheese without having “tummy trouble” later on.
Monterey Jack Cheese
Apart from yellow cheese, Monterey jack cheese (a melted white cheese) is an American Mexican hybrid cheese, which can commonly be found in Tex-Mex dishes. After cheddar, Monterey jack is the second most famous cheese in Tex-Mex cuisine.
Monterey Jack is famous in Tex-Mex cuisine because it melts very quickly and also has a milder flavor compared to mild-cheddar cheese. The best thing about this cheese is it blends well with other cheeses and seasonings too. The most common variations include Cheddar-Jack, Colby-Jack, and Pepper-Jack.
This kind of cheese is mainly used to make cheese sauces andqueso dips.
Queso Cheese
In Spanish,Queso means “cheese,” but while talking about Tex-Mex, Quesomeans a specific kind of cheese (the yellow variety). It is used to make a famousQueso dip (cheese-based dips), melted drippy cheese served in a bowl with tortilla chips for dipping.
Quesodip isn’t something you can find on a traditional Mexican menu, and it’s entirely Tex-Mex in origin.
Shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Queso aren’t the only cheeses that can be seen on a Tex-Mex plate, but they’re the most common ones. Cheese is the core ingredient that helps to blend both American and Mexican cooking traditions in perfect harmony!
