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History, recipes, and traditions come together to present these Authentic Cinco de Mayo Celebration ideas.

Cinco de Mayo is quickly approaching. It’s one of those days when everyone wants to go out and have a fun time with their friends, which is awesome, but we need to remember to respect and appreciate the other cultures from which we draw our celebrations. Cinco de Mayo ideas tend to be limited to what American pop culture has spoon-fed us: Mariachi bands and piñatas, sombreros and Margaritas, cactus and tacos. Last year, Lydia came home from first grade with a notification from school about how the students were going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in class, and the ideas truly opened my eyes up to how we teach children about other cultures. I decided I wanted to be better. To do better. So I began to research Cinco de Mayo, and I have put together this blog post with Authentic Cinco de Mayo Celebration ideas.

 

The History of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is often falsely recognized as Mexican Independence Day, but that is wholly incorrect. Cinco de Mayo marks the unlikely victory of the indigenous Mexican people over French colonizers during the Battle of Puebla in 1862. For many years thereafter, it was celebrated almost exclusively in Puebla and throughout California. During the 1950s and 1960s, Mexican-American youth raised awareness of the holiday as they embraced the history of their people and took pride in their culture. Today, Cinco de Mayo is only recognized as an official holiday in the area of Puebla and neighboring Veracruz, but in the U.S., it has become a day of partying, similar to St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Authentic Cinco de Mayo Food

While the first Mexican foods we think of may include tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, authentic Mexican cuisine varies greatly by region and hardly resembles what is widely available here. Recipes are grounded in traditions long held by the indigenous people of Mexico. My goal in creating this Authentic Cinco de May Celebration post is to share with you what I have learned about the recipes of the Puebla region of Mexico. I have chosen to focus on chalupas, handmade fried tortillas topped with either salsa verde {green sauce} or salsa roja {red sauce}. Learn how to make handmade tortillas here. Here are the individual recipes for salsa verde and salsa roja.

 

Salsa Verde Ingredients:

• 6 medium tomatillos
• 1 poblana
• 1/2 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Salsa Verde Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Peel the outer layer {it looks like paper leaves} off your tomatillos, and sliced them in half. Place the tomatillo halves, whole poblano, half an onion, and four peeled garlic cloves on a cookie sheet. Coat each in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the top off the stem from the poblano, and place it along with the onion, garlic, and tomatillos in a blender. Also add the juice of one lime and chopped cilantro. Blend until it is almost smooth {it’s okay to have some texture}.

Salsa Roja Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 2 chipotles in adobo
• 1/2 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Salsa Roja Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Cut tomatoes in half. Place the tomatoes, onion, and peeled garlic cloves on a cookie sheet. Coat each in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt ad pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and two chipotles in adobo sauce in a blender and blend until it is almost smooth {it’s okay to have some texture}. Your salsas are now ready!

Chalupa Ingredients:

• 12 corn tortillas
• salsa roja
• salsa verde
• oil for frying

Chalupa Directions:

Once both salsas are made, it’s time to prepare the chalupas. Begin with a homemade or store-bought tortilla. Check out my recipe for homemade corn tortillas. Add about 1/4″ inch of oil to the bottom of a frying pan. Turn to a medium-high heat {make sure it isn’t smoking}, and add your tortilla. Flip once, after about 2 minutes. As it is frying, add a layer of the salsa of your choice. When the edges are crisp, remove from the pan. Top your chalupa with a traditional Mexican cheese like queso blanco or queso fresco, fresh cilantro, chopped white onion, and a protein like shredded pork or chicken. This pork recipe would be perfect! It’s fun to set up a chalupa bar at your party so everyone can customize their own chalupas! For a modernized twist, add some spicy guacamole.

 

Authentic Cinco de Mayo Beverage

Now that your food is ready, it’s time to prepare a traditional Mexican cocktail: a spicy michelada. This drink combines Clamato® Tomato Cocktail, a light beer, and a few other ingredients you can find at Walmart to make an authentic Cinco de Mayo beverage. I’m going to make a list of ingredients below to prepare one michelada, so just multiply for a party crowd!

Spicy Michelada Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Clamato Tomato Cocktail
• 1/2 bottle of light Mexican beer
• 1/2 lime
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/2 t salt
• a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
• ice

Spicy Michelada Directions:

Begin by rubbing a piece of lime along the rim of your glass. Combine the chili powder and salt, and dip the cup in the mixture. This will create a fun and festive chili-salt rim for your michelada. Fill your glass with ice. Combine the 1/2 cup of Clamato, 1/2 cup of beer juice of 1/2 lime, 1 t Worcestershire sauce, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Mix and serve immediately!

And now, it’s time for an Authentic Cinco de Mayo Celebration! I hope you enjoy all of these Mexican recipes with your friends and family! To purchase all of the ingredients used above, head to Walmart. You can find the Clamato Tomato Cocktail down the juice aisle.

What Authentic Cinco de Mayo Celebration ideas do you have?

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