All About Cinco de Mayo

Many people know very little about Cinco de Mayo, yet it’s the most widely celebrated Mexican holiday in the United States. Sure, most people know that it falls on the fifth of May (as the name suggests) and that it’s a time for fiestas. But understanding the historical significance behind Cinco de Mayo and why it’s celebrated here in the states is important. By having a true understanding of this holiday, you can better appreciate it when it approaches.

Historical Significance

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo signifies the Mexican army’s victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. This battle took place on the fifth of May. In a lot of cases, this date is confused for Mexico’s Independence Day, but that didn’t take place until September 16.

What was perhaps most significant about this battle and Mexico’s subsequent victory was the fact that the Mexican army was outnumbered nearly 8,000 to 4,000, yet they still emerged victorious. Not to mention, since the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla, European forces have not invaded any country in the Americas.

Why Does the US Celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Since Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, you may understandably be wondering why it’s being celebrated so widely in the United States. Well, one of the main reasons for that is, as previously mentioned, the fact that no European forces have attempted to occupy any country in the Americas since the Battle of Puebla.

Had the French been victorious in the battle and subsequently took over Mexico, there’s a good chance that they would have then attempted to occupy the American south. At the time, the Civil War was already going on in the United States, so it would have been a great deal of strain on the United States military to protect itself from the French at the same time civil unrest was occurring within the country.

As such, Cinco de Mayo is just as much a celebration in Mexico as it is in the United States, in many ways.

How is Cinco de Mayo Celebrated?

There are many different ways in which Cinco de Mayo in Arizona is commonly celebrated. For starters, parades are quite a common form of celebration, as are fiestas. During these fiestas and festivals, it’s tradition to serve up signature Mexican foods and beverages as well as playing signature Mexican tunes. There’s also a ton of dancing and celebrations!

There’s really no right or wrong way to celebrate the holiday! From hosting a simple Cinco de Mayo party with a taco and margarita bar to attending a full-fledged city-wide parade, what’s most important is that you’re celebrating the significance of the day.

Now that you’re more aware of the significance and reasoning around Cinco de Mayo, both in the United States and Mexico, you can have even more fun when it comes time to celebrate when May 5th rolls around this year.

Come join your local Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen as we celebrate Cinco throughout the entire month of April!

Make (And Share!) Your Very Own Homemade Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo is a wonderful condiment to serve up with your favorite Mexican and Spanish dishes. Whether scooped onto a tortilla chip or piled onto a taco, pico de gallo has a bold, fresh flavor that you simply can’t get with basic salsa alone.

Think you don’t have the time? Believe it or not, it’s easier and quicker than you think. All you need is 20 minutes to prep and an additional 20 minutes to let the flavors of the salsa fresca develop.

Making Delicious Macayo’s Pico de Gallo

You only need six basic ingredients to create salsa fresca at home. These ingredients are:

  • 2 lbs roma tomatoes, diced
  • ¾ lbs white onions, diced
  • 1 ¼ oz. jalapeno, diced
  • ½ oz. cucumber, diced
  • 2 oz. cilantro, chopped
  • ¾ oz. salt

This recipe will make six servings of pico de gallo, which should be enough for your typical meal for four and then some. If you want to have leftovers (to give to friends, to keep for yourself, or both), you can easily double your recipe as well.

Once you’ve chopped up all of your ingredients by hand, start by mixing the red onion, jalepeño, and lime juice into a bowl. Let it sit for about five or ten minutes, which will give a chance for the flavors to develop. Then, mix in your remaining ingredients and let the flavors develop for an additional 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Gifting Your Homemade Pico de Gallo

Rather than keeping all your delicious pico de gallo to yourself, however, why not gift it to some of your friends and loved ones? After all, nothing makes a better gift than homemade food with fresh ingredients. 

A fun and creative way to gift your pico s to put it into mason jars, which you can buy for a dollar or less at most grocery stores. Not only are mason jars cute and easy to decorate, but they hold the perfect amount of pico and will help to keep it fresh as well. Consider wrapping a fun bow around the jar to add a little decoration as well. Your friends will love it!

This pico de gallo recipe is perfect for your next Mexican food night, so be sure to give it a try! For more fun, easy and creative recipes, visit our recipe page and follow our blog! 

How to Make Your Own Fresh, Delicious Salsa at Home

Sure, you can always buy pre-made salsa in a jar at your local grocery store, but if you’ve ever tasted fresh, homemade salsa, then you know just how delicious it can be. Have you ever thought about trying to make your own salsa with fresh ingredients at home? It’s easier than you think, and you probably have a lot (or even all) of the ingredients you need on-hand.

Ingredients

For a delicious restaurant-style salsa, you’ll just need some simple ingredients and spices. Specifically, to create a large batch of homemade salsa (enough for 8-10 people), you’re going to need:

  • 5 large roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 large roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 clove fresh garlic, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, cut into quarters
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • juice from one lime

Directions

Once you’ve got all your ingredients measured out, put them all into a food processor. Then, pulse the ingredients in the food processor until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Feel free to sneak a taste test with a tortilla chip to ensure the flavor is just right. You can always add more seasonings as needed.

If you like extra hot and spicy salsa, then you might want to use more than one jalepeño as well. And make sure, whenever possible, you use fresh ingredients. While dried cilantro and bottled lime juice might make your life a little easier, fresh ingredients really do make all the difference in this recipe.

Before serving up your salsa, you’ll want to refrigerate it for at least an hour. This will help give all the flavors a chance to fully develop.

What About Storage?

This homemade salsa recipe makes a very large batch of salsa, so unless you’re serving this up at a huge party, you’re probably going to have a decent amount of leftovers. The key to keeping your salsa tasting fresh for a long time to come is to store it properly.

For best results, you should store your salsa in an air-tight container, such as a mason jar, and keep it in the refrigerator. Your salsa should stay fresh for at least a week this way.

As you can see, making homemade salsa is quite simple and doesn’t take more than a few minutes of your time, some basic ingredients, and a food processor. By keeping these homemade salsa tips in mind, you’ll be sure to wow your guests at your next gathering!

Set Up a Margarita Bar at Your Next Gathering

You can’t have a fiesta without margaritas. At the same time, however, hosting a fiesta and being responsible for “tending the bar” can be time consuming and can keep you from having a good time and socializing with your guests. As such, you might want to consider freeing yourself from the burden of making drinks for your guests by setting up a self-service margarita bar at your next gathering!

Stock Up on Tequilas and Liqueuers

Of course, a wide variety of tequilas and liqueurs is a must for any margarita bar. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got plenty of different types of tequila to choose from, including tequila that’s great for making cocktails (such as a blanco tequila) and tequila that can be enjoyed on-the-rocks, as well.

Furthermore, different fruits and liqueurs can help to add sweetness and depth of flavor to your guests’ margaritas. Some specific flavors to have on-hand include strawberry, mango and citrus. To really spice things up, you might even want to consider infusing some of your tequilas with fruits or chiles.

Don’t Forget the Mixers

In addition to liquor, you’ll want to have some non-alcoholic mixers that guests can mix into their beverages. Fresh lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice are all staples of many tequila-based cocktails, such as margaritas. Sweet and sour mix is a must have. You can buy at your local liquor store or even make on your own, a great low calorie option, with the following ingredients:

  • fresh lemon juice
  • fresh lime juice
  • simple syrup
  • orange juice
  • water

Offer Spices and Garnishes

Margaritas are all about the spices and garnishes, so make sure to provide plenty of options guests can use to spruce up their cocktails. For starters, you’ll want to set up a tray lined with salt that people can dip their rims in. And since some people prefer sugar to salt, you’ll want to make sure to provide different sugars and other spices (such as dried ginger) for your guests. If you have a spice grinder, you can make these yourself, or you can save yourself some time and buy them fresh at your local market.