Hispanic and Latin American Foods

In a literal sense, Hispanic refers to people who speak Spanish and/or who are descended from Spanish speaking lineage. This English word evolved from the Latin word Hispanicus, which is reported to have been used to refer to people living in Hispania - the Iberian Peninsula in today's Spain - during the Roman Empire. Since Hispanic refers to what language people speak or that their ancestors spoke, it refers to an element of culture.

Unlike Hispanic, which refers to language, Latino is a term that refers to geography. It is used to signify that a person is from or descended from people from Latin America. It is, in fact, a shortened form of the Spanish phrase latinoamericano - Latin American, in English. Like Hispanic, Latino does not technically speaking, refer to race. Anybody from Central or South America and the Caribbean can be described as Latino. Within that group, like within Hispanic, there are varieties of races. Latinos can be white, Black, indigenous American, Mestizo, mixed, and even of Asian descent.

Source: The Difference Between Hispanic And Latino  from Hispanic Network Magazine

Latin Food: The 50 Best Latin Dishes

Amigo Foods is a food website that lists authentic, traditional dishes from several countries like the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America to name a few. There are so many recipes and foods to learn about from so many cultures, so we HIGHLY recommend exploring while learning. Here is the top 7 to get you started.

1. Empanadas

An empanada is a latin pastry or turnover that's filled with savory ingredients and served hot. The name comes from the verb "empanar" meaning "to wrap or coat in bread or dough." The basic ingredients combine three things: a dough, a filling, and a cooking method. Empanadas come baked or fried and shaped like triangles or half-moons. Popular fillings include ground or minced beef, chicken, or even a ham-and-cheese combo. You can also buy them filled with vegetables or fruit.

2. Tacos

Taco is a popular Mexican dish consisting of a wheat or corn tortilla stuffed with fillings, primarily containing meat. The bread is folded when eaten, a tacos trademark. Make sure the tortilla is malleable to be folded. Besides being fun to eat, you can get quite creative with the fillings.

The following are some of the popular fillings:

• Al Pastor Tacos - Loosely translating to "shepherd-style" pork, tacos al pastor consists of pork meat marinated in a smooth paste of spices and chiles. The meat is typically topped with pineapples. (In this article, you'll learn how to make tacos al pastor.)
• Tacos Arabes - As the name indicates, this tacos variety denotes a connection between Mexico and the Middle East. The taco employs flavor-rich pork slices from a trompo, which is quite a departure as Muslims consider pork as "haram" (forbidden). 
• Barbacoa Tacos - If tacos Arabes has the Middle East connection, barbacoa references the Caribbean cooking style, particularly the Taino cooking method. Beef cheeks or head (cachete) or goat is utilized for this preparation.

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