Background
Definition/history:
• Fiesta is a Spanish word, and it means a festival, festive celebration or holiday.
• Mexico has several kinds of festivals, each celebrated for religious, national or local reasons.
• There is always some kind of party after the initial celebration, accompanied by traditional Mexican music and food.
Elements of a fiesta:
• Fiestas include parades, beauty pageants, various contests, competitive sports such as football, singing, dancing, music and traditional food.
• Mexicans celebrate all major national and religious holidays with elaborate fiestas. Colourful decorations are essential, including lanterns, lights and streamers.
• One of the biggest features of a Mexican fiesta is the piñata, which is made of paper mache and filled with candy & gifts, then hung up and hit repeatedly until the inside goods fall out.
• Traditional Mexican food includes tortillas, tacos, nachos, Menudo (classic soup) & burritos. Ingredients used in these dishes can include pork, beef, corn, potatoes, chilli and various other spices.
Food issues/Nutritional information:
Food allergies to consider when planning any function can include peanuts, tree nuts, legumes, seafood/shellfish, soy and egg.
• Dietary requirements can include catering for vegetarians, vegans, religious reasons and lactose or dairy intolerance.
• One of the main foods used in Mexican foods are avocados. These fruits are packed with monounsaturated fat, which helps lower cholesterol.
• Capsaicin is also the active ingredient in chilli peppers, and can relieve congestion & fight inflammation. Mexican food is beneficial to health and often contains many antioxidants.
References:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fiesta http://www.ehow.com/about_5403608_history-mexican-fiesta.html http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/resources/u/traditionaldishes.htm
References: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fiesta http://www.ehow.com/about_5403608_history-mexican-fiesta.html http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/resources/u/traditionaldishes.htm http://www.newzealandcafes.com/health-benefits-of-Mexican%20food.html