Cinco de Mayo

The Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 is the reason behind this big celebration. Most confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence day, which is actually celebrated on September 16th.

In fact, the largest celebration is located in Los Angeles, California.

That’s A LOT of avocado! Does this fact add to the reason avocados are often pricey? The avocado tree is native to Mexico and is commonly found; however, the tree can take anywhere from 5 to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit, according to California Avocado Commission.

There are multiple ways to tell if you’re truly eating authentic Mexican. Cosmopolitan magazine lists ways to tell whether the word “authentic” in restaurant windows is the truth:

• If there’s a low-fat option, it’s not authentic. Mexican is cooked with lard.
• Your tamale is NOT served in a corn husk; thus, it’s NOT authentic.
• There is no corn tortillas available, it can’t be authentic.
• Authentic tacos come with a little onion, cilantro, and lime--not tomato and lettuce.
• Mass amounts of cheese is a big sign, authentic dishes are not covered in queso.

If you ask for salsa, and you get Tabasco, you’re most likely not in Mexico.