¿Does Mexican Authentic Food exist in Dublin?

By: El Michelín

Mama’s Revenge. Every morning, on my way to work, I pass by that restaurant that serves burritos, quesadillas, and salads. The quirky name of the place takes me to an imagined scene where the women working there cook hurriedly and furiously in large, well-worn pots, essential for preparing rice and beans. Their recipe is secret, a technique perfected over generations that allows them to achieve that "homemade" flavor that comforts the customer's heart. When I walk by again during lunchtime, I see a long queue of office workers, students, and tourists patiently waiting for their burrito.

One day, I decide to join that queue. I wait for about five minutes until it's finally my turn. At the counter, there’s rice, black beans, chorizo, mozzarella cheese, chicken, green salsa, and red salsa. A young woman attends to me. Is she Mexican? I choose not to ask and speak in English. The burrito is heated on an electric grill for two minutes. “To go or to eat here?” the other woman at the till asks me. To the right, there’s a staircase leading to the dining area. In the center of each table is a bottle of Valentina sauce, though most are half-empty. Resigned, I add Valentina to my burrito and start eating. By the fifteenth bite, I leave the edge of the flour tortilla aside, as it’s just that: flour. As I exit the restaurant, the queue is even longer, and people look at me as if expecting a verdict on the dining experience at Mama's Revenge. But above all, it seems that my skin, accent, and way of dressing give me away: "You're Mexican, so do they serve authentic Mexican food here?"

The first answer may be very obvious: No. I know friends from Dublin who believe that burritos aren't Mexican but Tex-Mex dishes. While there is some truth to this, given that burritos became popular worldwide through promotion in California and Texas establishments, they actually originated in Mexico. There are Sonoran-style burritos, machaca burritos from Chihuahua, prawn burritos, among others. This leads me to question Mexican food in Ireland: What makes a dish authentically Mexican? Who validates whether a place truly represents Mexican cuisine? Do restaurant owners need to be Mexican? And what happens when certain ingredients are unavailable and must be adapted to what's available on the island? Does it stop being Mexican food?

These questions may take years to be partially answered, and perhaps they are matters for academics, food critics, and even art critics to explore, as authenticity is a topic that challenges the meaning of the "authentic" within conceptualizations of art.

 Just a handful of opinion articles on "authentic Mexican restaurants" reveal generic opinions: "Inexpensive, authentic, and genuine quality Mexican food in a contemporary restaurant – that’s exactly what Masa brings to the table"; "El Grito Mexican Taqueria is worth visiting because of its authentic atmosphere and delicious Mexican Tex-Mex cuisine"; "Tacos Lupillo stands out first and foremost for its bare bones authenticity - this is a menu that knows there are no frills needed when the basics are this good." The word "authentic" inevitably becomes associated with Mexican food, perhaps as a warning that what you're about to try won’t be mere Taco Bell, but an experience closer to Mexico. But which Mexico are we talking about? Are they referring to the authentic food eaten in a market in Campeche, at a fonda in the Doctores neighborhood in Mexico City, or perhaps the food my Aunt Ara made when I visited her in Querétaro?

 

 

Image 1. Birria Tacos and Fish Tacos at Masa

 

The concept of "authentic Mexican food" isn't limited to the jargon of food critics and influencers. In recent years, restaurants have begun proclaiming themselves as purveyors of authentic Mexican cuisine: "777 authentic flavours, The only contemporary Mexican restaurant", "Salsa, authentic Mexican food", "Parrilla, Authentic Mexican Cuisine". In the book Gran Libro de la Cocina Mexicana, Alicia and Jorge DeÁngeli categorize Mexican cuisine into five major categories:

1. Cocina de la sencillez (Cuisine of Simplicity): Dishes from northern Mexico and the southern United States, characterized by the quality of their ingredients and the cultural exchange between both countries.
2. Cocina de las sorpresas (Cuisine of Surprises): Includes states like Aguascalientes, Jalisco, and San Luis Potosí, where Tarascan and Purépecha traditions stand out, along with the use of corn and nopal, and French influence.
3. Cocina de la imaginación (Cuisine of Imagination): State of Mexico, Mexico City, and Morelos. Here, the local market becomes the space where the cook uses what’s available to imagine and recreate dishes, known as the "cuisine of the poor," although it is more accurately identified with the reinterpretation of traditional dishes.
4. Cocina barroca (Baroque Cuisine): Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. The geographical position of these states allowed, during the colonial period, the exchange of ingredients from Seville and Cádiz, such as wheat, which was used in convent kitchens, as well as cinnamon and ginger.
5. Cocina de las especias y los aromas (Cuisine of Spices and Aromas): Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. This cuisine is distinguished by its refinement, coming from families whose wealth allowed them to import ingredients from Europe while preserving local ones.

 

 

Image 2. Tacos from Merida, cuisine from spices and aromas.

 

Which of these states wouldn’t consider their cuisine the most authentic? Is the cuisine of spices and aromas superior to the cuisine of simplicity? Fortunately, in recent years, this debate has lost relevance, with recognition that each cuisine possesses valuable knowledge that can be passed on to new generations. However, the issue becomes even more complicated when the same dish can be prepared in different styles. One example is carnitas: pork cooked for hours, which can be enhanced with orange juice, milk, and even Coca-Cola. There are Michoacán-style carnitas, Jalisco-style carnitas, Hidalgo-style carnitas, and each claims its authenticity. For those who don’t get caught up in comparisons, this becomes an advantage as they enjoy a variety of delights. Why, then, do debates about what is authentic still persist?

While this is a topic still debated in Mexico, what motivates a restaurant outside of Mexico, specifically in Dublin, to differentiate itself with the mantra of "authentic Mexican food"? Initially, it could be a marketing strategy. Both Mexican and non-Mexican audiences will focus on the novelty of a place that promises fresh ingredients, traditional recipes, and the presence of chefs with extensive knowledge of Mexican gastronomy. However, beyond the expectations, these points are not always met.

On the other hand, without undermining the criteria of the owners of these establishments, I am sure that before creating the menu, they must have researched the ingredients available on the island, the products they need to import, the production costs, and the tools that facilitate the creation of dishes. They would have also considered the rituals surrounding the dishes they wish to reproduce and the use of imagery that represents "Mexicanness," contributing to the opening of more restaurants that respect and innovate these dishes in the context of the island. Nevertheless, I have encountered establishments that, under the banner of “authentic Mexican food,” create improvised menus and dishes that seem to have been made with little seriousness. One example was a restaurant that offered a promotion of two "carnitas" tacos and a michelada for 15 euros. The tortilla was store-bought (from Tesco), cold, and without any accompanying salsa. They served us guacamole without salt to complement the taco. Hungry, we ordered freshly baked cheese and meat empanadas, which, fortunately, were delicious. Another case is a restaurant that self-described as offering “authentic Mexican gastronomy,” but its menu included starters like jalapeño focaccia, padrón peppers, and "gambas"(representative dish from Spain), which, while possibly tasty, hardly fit into the category of Mexican food. Perhaps the problem lies in the restaurant's own identity crisis, unsure whether it’s an "authentic Mexican food" place or a "fusion food restaurant."

 

 

Image 3. Imported products and local products that need to be adapted to the conditions of the island.

 

Finally, what I have observed over the years on the island is that customers have preconceived notions about what Mexican food is, influenced by images they see on social media. Nowadays, a simple photo shared by a popular influencer can convince people that a new Mexican restaurant is worth visiting, based more on appearance than actual experience. As Mexican restaurants multiply, the word "authentic" becomes a magnet for customers seeking reassurance and validation, especially if it comes from someone who has been to Mexico or is Mexican.

However, a place's authenticity goes beyond an opinion, the decor, or the music. It lies in the ability to question, investigate, and understand the origin and process behind the dishes served. Calling oneself 'authentic Mexican food' loses meaning if the place decides in advance that it is authentic just because it has fresh tortillas and birria tacos, just to mention some parameters or trends . Authenticity should be an experience to be discovered, not a label to be assumed.