Mealtimes In Mexican Culture Essay

If Mexican culture were a quilt, then the many varied fabric patches that comprise its surface would be meals, the batting would be equal parts family and religion, and the thread used to sew the quilt together would be tradition. The people of Mexico consider mealtimes to be of utmost importance in their culture; however, much like an attractive quilt that lacks proper insulation—pretty, but useless—mealtimes lose much of their meaning without the substance that family and religion provide. Mealtimes in Mexico are a family affair, and immediate families in Mexico are typically multigenerational and tend to be quite large. Unlike most Americans, Mexican meals are almost exclusively had in the home—rather than in restaurants—where they are prepared,

Traditionally, Mexicans tend to take their meals much later than their American neighbors—the majority of families take their lunch between the hours of 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., and dinner between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.—though lately, mealtime trends appear to be shifting toward earlier times (Mexican Eating Habits,