Ever since I was about three years old I have had an obsession with one type of food: Mexican food. This obsession goes back to before I can even remember anything. According to parents, whenever we drove by a Taco bell when I was about three, I would yell the words “Taco Bell” after seeing the sign with the big bell on it. And that is where it all started for me and my favorite type of food. Taco Bell, in particular, has had a large influence on my growing up. I am also, however, very passionate about authentic Mexican food. Most kids were passionate about pizza, hot dogs, doughnuts, or cake; but I was never interested in those types of food. There has always been something that is completely irresistible to me about a good Mexican (or Mexican-American in the case of Taco Bell) meal. I am not sure if it is the way the melted cheese mixes with the ground beef or shredded chicken, the taste of the guacamole and sour cream, or the spiciness of the salsa and peppers. Whatever it is, I have been hooked from what seems like birth.
When I was younger my reward for doing something good in my parents’ eyes was a trip to Taco Bell. I find this funny looking back since I went all the time anyway, either on weekends or with my mom after school for a snack that usually turned into a full meal. It is a wonder I never blew up and gained about 50 pounds with the amount of Taco Bell and other Mexican I ate. On the other hand, however, if I did something bad at school or talked back to them, they would ground me from trips to Taco Bell for a week or so. This was absolute torture to me since I basically ran on this stuff like a car runs on gas. This was probably the most effective form of punishment that I ever received, more effective than any whipping or television ban.
As you can imagine, I have many fond memories of eating Mexican food. My first memory is of getting the Pintos and Cheese from Taco Bell. This would be more commonly known as refried beans. My mom used to through the drive thru and get these for me when I was about three or four. They were one of my favorite things to get and were easier for me to chew than anything else. I spent many meals eating these sacred refried beans being watched by my nanny, Geneva. We had a special bond from then and still do which goes back to the Pintos and Cheese from Taco Bell. Many of the other early memories I have are the birthday dinners I had at Mexican restaurants. I remembering having my five-year-old birthday party at Cuco’s and my six-year-old birthday party the Iron Horse Grill. I also remember being completely devastated when those two restaurants shut down not too long after that.
Most of my memories involving my favorite kind of food have to do with Taco Bell. I remember trying to eat as many Taco Bell tacos as I could and being frustrated when I could only eat five or six. I also remember getting a beef burrito in the drive thru with my mom many times after school and always going to Taco Bell when we out of town for swim meets. Looking back, a beef burrito or Mexican Pizza was probably not the best thing to eat right before swimming the 100-yard freestyle or the 50-yard breaststroke. One thing that sticks out the most was fighting with one of my sisters, Elicia, about whether to go to Taco Bell or McDonald’s. Elicia never liked Taco Bell much and had grown tired of the repeated trips there. She preferred Micky D’s and we often arguments in the car over which one to go to. Thankfully my other sister, Lindsay, also preferred Taco Bell and usually helped me win those arguments. There were also times when we compromised and went to both.
Recently, I looked at two Polaroid pictures. One of them was from a birthday party at another Mexican restaurant Las Margarita’s at the age of seven. The other was from celebrating my birthday at the same restaurant at the age of 17. In both of them I am getting whip cream put in my face from a Mexican dessert called a sopaipilla. It was then that it hit me how much of a role Mexican food has played in my life over the years. For me I it is not simply a food but much more than that.
Mexican food represents who I am. The fact that I love it so much is a reflection of my personality and character. I love pretty much any topping on my Mexican food. This shows my willingness and openness to try new things as well as the fact that I have a varied and unique personality. I also tend to change it up and order something different every time I eat Mexican which also shows my variety and willingness to try new things and meet new people as well as the fact that my personality can be different at different times. I absolutely love spicy Mexican food and I think this relates to the eccentric and sometimes crazy nature of my character. The general characteristics of Mexican food reflect my creativity, my sense of humor, and my colorful personality.
This is one reason why I find it awesome and interesting that Mexican food is becoming so popular in the United States. In my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, the number of Mexican restaurants has probably quadrupled in the last ten years. I feel like many other people can identify with my love for this unique food from south of the border. Whereas the popularity of Mexican food has exploded, I do not make trips to Taco Bell or other Mexican restaurants quite as often as I once did. Although, I can assure you I still eat my fair share. If I still ate it as much as I used to I would probably weigh around 225 pounds, but from time to time I just cannot help myself. There have been many times when I have been driving home from school, and I cannot resist the temptation to swing through the Taco Bell drive thru and order a snack. I feel like my life just would not be the same without those trips to Taco Bell, El Charro, or Las Margaritas. Mexican food is too much a part of me to take for granted the good times I have had at my favorite eating locales.
1 comment:
It's funny that your parents grounded you from Taco Bell. But I related to your story, Mexican happens to be one of my favorite foods also. I juss feel that Taco Casa is so much better than Taco Bell and seeing as that you mentioned you're from MS, you should try it.I guarentee you'll be hooked.
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