Learn 5 myths about Cinco de Mayo.
Cinco de Mayo is an exciting festival. But there are plenty of myths around it as well. Here are 5 of those:
Number 5. Cinco de Mayo is not the celebration of Mexico’s independence from Spain – that anniversary happens in September. May 5th, 1862 is when Mexico defeated French colonizers in the battle at Puebla and told them to hit the road.
Number 4. The May holiday is not considered a national one in Mexico. In fact, in that country it’s really only celebrated in a few regions, mostly in the area near the site of the decisive Puebla battle. The United States holds the title as having the most fiestas in its honor.
Number 3. The Cinco de Mayo party as we know it got started in California, not Mexico. In the troubled times surrounding the Civil War, Mexican residents of the state began to hold elaborate parades and festivals as a means of celebrating and solidifying their cultural identity.
Number 2. While many malign the dish as being inauthentic, nachos were indeed first served in Mexico. In Piedra Negras, a small town just over the Texas border, chef Ignacio Anaya served the dish in 1943 to a table of women from Eagle Pass, Texas and called it Nacho Especiales.
Number 1. Tequila doesn’t have a worm in the bottle. The drink that sometimes does is it’s close relative, Mezcal. The two are made in the same region of similar ingredients, but Mexican law prohibits the inclusion of larvae in bottles of Tequila.