Foods with an International Flavor A 4-H Food-Nutrition Project Member Guide How much do you Contents know about the 2 Mexico DATE. lands that have 4 Queso (Cheese Dip) 4 Guacamole (Avocado Dip) given us so 4 ChampurradoOF (Mexican Hot Chocolate) many of our 5 Carne Molida (Beef Filling for Tacos) 5 Tortillas favorite foods 5 Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans) and customs? 6 Tamale loaf On the following 6 Share a Custom pages you’ll be OUT8 Germany taking a fascinating 10 Warme Kopsalat (Wilted Lettuce Salad) 10 Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast) tour of four coun-IS 11 Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings) tries—Mexico, Germany, 11 Apfeltorte (Apple net) Italy, and Japan—and 12 Share a Custom 12 Pfefferneusse (Pepper Nut Cookies) Scandinavia, sampling their 12 Lebkuchen (Christmas Honey Cookies) foods and sharing their 13 Berliner Kränze (Berlin Wreaths) traditions. 14 Scandinavia With the helpinformation: of neigh- 16 Smorrebrod (Danish Open-faced bors, friends, and relatives of different nationalities, you Sandwiches) 17 Fisk Med Citronsauce (Fish with Lemon can bring each of these lands right into your meeting Sauce) room. Even if people from a specific country are not avail- 18 Share a Custom able, you can learn a great deal from foreign restaurants, 19 Appelsinfromage (Orange Sponge Pudding) books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, Internet, 19 Brunede Kartofler (Brown Potatoes) travel folders, and films or slides from airlines or your local 19 Rodkal (Pickled Red Cabbage) schools. Authentic music andcurrent decorations are often easy 19 Gronnebonner i Selleri Salat (Green Bean to come by, if youPUBLICATION ask around. Many supermarkets carry a and Celery Salad) wide choice of foreign foods. Most embassies, consulates, 21 Italy and travel bureaus will send information free or for a small 22 Minestrone (Thick Vegetable Soup) 24 Antipasto (Appetizer) charge. most 24 Pollo alla Cacciatore (Chicken Hunter- THISPlan to have at least two meetings for each country. style) You’ll find them so interesting you may want several more! 24 Broccoli alla Romana (Broccoli Roman- style) For 25 Share a Custom 26 Japan 4-H 9316 28 Sukiyaki (Beef with Vegetables) http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog29 Gohan (Fluffy Boiled Rice) Reprinted April 2008 29 Goma Zu (Pickled Vegetables) $3.50 29 Ocha (Green Tea) 30 Share a Custom 31 Choose a Country 32 International Farewell Mexico vast plateau, the northern part of which is semi- arid highland and desert. To the south, coastal lowlands are steaming jungle. Most people live in the central plateau, which is a mile or more above sea level and comfortably cool the year around. The capital, Mexico City, is located here. Agriculture and FoodDATE. Production Wide differences in altitude, tempera- ture, rainfall, and fertility make it possible to Welcome… Bienvenidos! (byen ben-EE- grow both temperate-zoneOF and tropical crops dohs!) in Mexico—wheat, beans, tomatoes, peppers, Welcome to Mexico—our exciting neigh- cacao, coffee, sugar-cane, bananas, citrus fruit, bor south of the border. When Cortez invaded cotton, and tobacco. The principal crop is corn. Mexico in 1519, the Aztec emperor, Montezuma, Yet for many Mexicans, getting a nutrition- welcomed him, believing him to be a god. Two ally OUTadequate diet is a problem. The mountain- years later, the emperor’s proud Indian nation ous terrain hampers transportation and this, had become a Spanish province. From this inter- ISalong with land that may be too dry or infertile mingling of two distinct cultures has emerged for successful farming, limits the food available, a colorful people, vibrant art… and a unique especially in remote areas. City families have a cuisine. wide choice of fresh, frozen, canned, and pack- The taste of Mexican foods, always strong aged foods. But in the villages, families may along the border, is spreading across the United have to depend on food produced locally. One States. On the pages that follow, you have a information:of Mexico’s most important ongoing efforts chance to experience why. has been to make the land more productive— through irrigation, fertilization, use of improved seed, research, land reform, and education. The Land and Its People Modern Mexico is a dynamiccurrent blend of the The Mexican Way with Food very old and new.PUBLICATION Before Cortez, Mexico was a land of many Indian nations, some of them prim- Mexican foods are rich in tradition; some itive, others, like the Aztecs, highly advanced. date back to antiquity. Tortillas (tor-TEE-yahs), Today, ancient ruins and rustic Indian villages for example, which Mexicans use as bread, are are as much a partmost of Mexico as modern sky- prepared much the same as they were by the scrapersTHIS and luxury resorts. ancient Indians. The people of Mexico speak Spanish and During the reign of Montezuma, the Aztecs are mainly of mixed Spanish and Indian descent. gave Europe its first turkey, corn, sweet pota- About one-fourthFor are pure Indian. But whatever toes, tomatoes, chocolate, and vanilla. Cortez, their ethnic origin, all consider themselves intrigued by these new foods, brought them cien por cientohttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog (see-EN por see-EN-toh)—one- back to Spain. Their popularity spread across hundred-percent—Mexican. Europe and finally throughout the world. The land offers dazzling contrasts. Much of The Spaniards in turn brought to Mexico Mexico is mountainous. Mountain ranges march some of their favorite foods, such as rice, olives, down both coasts, coming together in a mass and wine. From this mixed Indian-Spanish of snow-capped peaks. Between the ranges is a Foods with an International Flavor 2 heritage has developed innumerable tasty customs—for example, rolls and eggs for break- dishes, distinctively Mexican. fast, tortillas and beans for a later meal. Except Many people believe that all Mexican foods for fiestas and holidays, meals tend to be simple are hot and spicy. The fact is that foods and for most families. meals in Mexico vary as much as they do in our country. Typically, Mexican dishes range from local native specialties to sophisticated gourmet The Daily Four— dishes, internationally renowned. Mexican Style Favorite Foods Everyone, everywhere needs the same Corn, dried beans, and chile peppers are nutrients to live, grow, and stay healthy. But traditional and basic in the Mexican diet. Corn is people in countries other than the United States ground into masa (MAH-sah) for tortillas, which may obtain these nutrientsDATE. from very different are then used in a variety of ways: as tostadas foods. Consider the Mexicans: (toh-sTAH-dahs)—toasted crisps, as tacos (TAH- cohs)—fried sandwiches, or as enchiladas Milk GroupOF (en-chee-LAH-dahs)—tortillas baked in a sauce. 1 Tamales (tah-MAH-lays), another Mexican Mexicans obtain calcium from cheese and specialty, feature corn in a different way. In this from the limewater in which corn is soaked dish, the husks are soaked and drained, spread before being ground for tortillas. Milk is not with masa and filling, then tied, steamed, and as commonOUT a beverage in Mexico as it is in served with a sauce. our country. Milk is used mainly in coffee or Beans or frijoles (free-HOLE-ays) may be ISchocolate or desserts like the delicious caramel- served at one or more meals a day, including topped Mexican custard called flan (flahn). breakfast. Because the traditional soaking, cook- Some milk may be given to children. ing, mashing, and frying of beans takes time, the modern Mexican homemaker may buy canned Meat Group beans, which she mashes and fries to suit her 2 family’s taste. information:Since meat is relatively expensive, Mexican Chiles (CHI-lays) are varieties of pep- homemakers have learned to make a little go a pers, ranging from mild to extremely hot. Chili long way by combining it with other ingredients. powder is made from chili peppers which are The protein quality of a traditional meal of tor- dried and ground, then mixed with other sea- tillas and beans is considerably improved when sonings. Chili powder can be substituted for small amounts of meat or cheese are added. fresh chiles in most Mexican recipes. However, Many varieties of fish available along the Mexican cooks prefer fresh chilicurrent peppers for coast as well as cheese help fill the need for their flavor. PUBLICATION protein. Mexican Meals 3 Vegetable-Fruit Group Many factorsmost influence a Mexican family’s Tomatoes, chiles, and greens provide meals. In rural areas, where people do a great THIS important sources of vitamin C. A large fresh deal of physical labor, more of the hearty tra- chile may provide as much of this vitamin as ditional dishes are served. Urban families with For an orange. (However, vitamin C is lost when more sedentary lives eat less starchy foods and the chile is dried.) Many tropical fruits, rich in take a greater advantage of canned, frozen, and vitamins A and C, are also available. Vegetables packaged products.http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Low-income families eat such as corn, potatoes, green beans, peas, zuc- foods high in carbohydrates and fat. chini, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, and Increasingly, American-style breakfasts are carrots, used in main-dish soups and stews, are replacing the traditional tortillas and beans. additional important sources of these vitamins, Many families combine old and new eating especially vitamin A. Foods with an International Flavor 3 Bread-Cereal Group Guacamole 4 Avocado Dip Although tortillas may be served at every (Makes about 1 cup) meal, breads and rolls are also favored, espe- 1 ripe avocado cially for certain festivals and holidays. The 1½ teaspoons finely grated onion popularity of dried beans and other legumes in 1½ tablespoons lime or lemon juice the Mexican diet makes these foods significant ¼ teaspoon salt sources of the B vitamins and other nutrients.