Cinco de Mayo isn’t actually fake. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that celebrates Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. It is, however, not a popular holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo in America, on the other hand, has become a huge deal.
While some Mexican-American families use the day to celebrate their heritage (which is awesome), other people have turned the day into a chance to drink margaritas and wear sombreros (a thing you should not be doing).
If you want to buy food for Cinco de Mayo and actually honor Mexican culture and heritage, buy products from these five Mexican-owned brands. But don’t just buy them for Cinco de Mayo. Buy them year round! They’ll make your kitchen much more delicious.
Tia Lupita Foods
Tia Lupita Foods is founder Hector Saldivar’s love letter to his mom (the Tia Lupita of Tia Lupita Foods). He started the company in hopes of bringing his family’s recipes to others and we are so glad he did! I have loved every single product I’ve tried from Tia Lupita Foods. My favorite thing they sell is their cactus tortilla chips. 10/10, would definitely recommend. You can buy their products at specialty stores, Whole Foods, and on Amazon!
Siete Family Foods
You’ve probably seen their gluten-free items at your local grocery store, but did you know that Siete Family Foods is actually a Mexican-American-owned company? When co-founder and president Veronica Garza was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions in her teens, she and her family began eating a gluten-free diet. The gluten-free lifestyle helped her immensely in her personal health journey and led to the creation of an incredible line of gluten-free Mexican products. Gluten-free or not, you should give their stuff a try!
Guelagetza
Guelagetza is a Mexican-American-owned Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles. Don’t worry, though! You can buy their delicious moles no matter where you live. And when I say delicious, I mean delicious. These moles are incredible. They have three different kinds (coloradito, negro, and rojo) that come together in just minutes and taste restaurant quality. I’m absolutely obsessed with these.
Juanita’s Foods
Juanita’s started out as a canning company in California and has since become the world’s largest producer of menudo (a traditional Mexican soup made with tripe). They also sell one of my favorite products of all time, canned hominy. If you’re looking for traditional ingredients to make traditional Mexican dishes, look for Juanita’s at your local grocery store. Thank you, De La Torre family, for sharing your culture with us!
SOMOS
Friends Miguel, Rodrigo, and Daniel grew up together in Mexico and eventually moved to America and started SOMOS to share their love of their cultural cuisine with the world. I love their vegan “main dishes.” I regularly use the smoky chipotle mushrooms as a taco filling for a quick and easy dinner.
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