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Chef Adán Medrano
Do you serve fajitas in your restaurant? As you probably know, that’s a “Tex-Mex” dish – not really Mexican, but delicious and popular nontheless. But do you serve fideo? Or carne guisada? Those dishes are more correctly identified as “Texas Mexican,” and that’s a different cuisine. In a nutshell, Texas Mexican is what Texans of Mexican descent eat in their own kitchens, and Tex-Mex was developed for customers who preferred something a little smoother, a little cheesier.
Now the distinction has been made official. On July 23, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted a registered trademark for the title "Truly Texas Mexican" to chef Adán Medrano, who has worked to publicize the difference in the cuisines. Medrano says the trademark will help ensure that "Texas Mexican" will no longer be confused with Tex-Mex, but rather recognized as the authentic, indigenous cuisine of Mexican American families.
Medrano produced the 2021 documentary feature film, "Truly Texas Mexican," which won Best Documentary at the New York Independent Cinema Awards and was an official selection at the Sonoma International Film Festival. He has written several cookbooks, including "Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage In Recipes" and "Don't Count The Tortillas: The Art of Texas Mexican Cooking."
Medrano says he has nothing against Tex-Mex cuisine; he just wants people to recognize that Tex-Mex and Texas-Mexican are different.
"This trademark is not just about protecting my work, but also about honoring the legacy of my ancestors and the contributions of Mexican American families to the culinary landscape of Texas,” Medrano said in a press release. “I am grateful to see Texas Mexican cuisine finally getting the recognition it deserves."
For more information on Adán Medrano and his work, visit his website at www.adanmedrano.com.
Click here to read an el Restaurante interview with Medrano about Texas Mexican cuisine.
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