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DID YOU KNOW…
- The term “TexMex” (no hy-
phen) originated in 1875 in
reference to the Texas Mexi-
can Railroad, which ran from
Corpus Christi to Laredo. In
the 1920s, people began us-
ing “Tex-Mex” (with hyphen)
to describe Tejanos living near
the railroad line. Eventually,
the label was also applied to
the Tejano style of cooking.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS LIBRARIES - Texas leads
the nation in
Chili Queens of San Antonio the production of
cattle, horses, sheep,
Continued from the previous page a market in San Antonio began setting goats, wool, mohair, cot-
up chili stands operated by women who ton and hay. The state also
THE HISTORY OF BARBECUE were called “chili queens.” An assortment boasts the highest percent-
of meats along with peppers and wild age of farm acreage and the
Barbecue may have started 10,000 years onions were made into a hash and stewed greatest number of farms.
ago with the Texas Caddo Indians. They together. A bowl o’red, as it was referred to - Texas has two Official State
cooked venison and other wild game then, was served with bread and a glass of Pastries - the sopapilla and
over wood fires. Then, in the 1600s, the water for 10 cents. This dish soon became a the strudel – representing the
Spanish shepherds arrived and spit- major tourist attraction and was featured state’s diverse cultural heritage.
roasted kid goat and lamb on the plains in the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 at the - Houstonians dine out more
of South Texas. San Antonio Chili Stand. In 1977, chili con frequently than residents of
carne became Texas’ official dish. any other city in the country.
The Southern version of pit barbecue arrived - In 1942, former vaudevillians
in Texas in various stages beginning in the Alison Cook wrote in Texas Monthly Neil and Carl Fletcher began
1800s. Before the Civil War, black slaves Magazine, “No other state has such a putting hot dogs on sticks,
cooked barbecue to celebrate Texas cotton vibrant cuisine collision of the antebellum dipping them in sweetened
harvests. Eventually, this style of barbecue South, Mexico, Central Europeans, batter and plunging them
gained civic popularity where hundreds Louisianas and Midwesterns to create a into deep fryers at the Tex-
and sometimes thousands of people would mishmash of food that resulted in a unique as State Fair. Their creation,
show up. Whole goats, pigs, steers and combination that is all ours – Texan, not which they called “the corny
sheep were butchered into pieces and Southwestern.” dog,” was an instant success
slowly cooked over oak or hickory coals. and remains a fair favorite to
Beef became the most common meat in No matter what your choice of Texas- this day.
Texas after the Civil War. style cuisine is, whether you enjoy great
barbecue, chili con carne, Tex-Mex or any ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
Texas barbecue became highly popular assortment of the many other foods Texas
and was unparalleled in taste anywhere has to offer, you are benefiting from the
else as cooks began experimenting with diversity of the many cultures and cooks
various rubs made of cumin, salt, pepper, who traveled from afar and ended up in
chili powder, garlic, chocolate, coffee Texas. It is their innovations and working
grinds, etc. with limited resources that created a Texas
food culture that has become one of the
CHILI CON CARNE AND most recognized and talked about in the
THE CHILI QUEENS United States and perhaps in other parts
of the world as well.
Chili con carne might be considered an
American dish with Mexican influences;
however, Mexicans strongly deny any
association with this dish. In the 1880s,
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