Your one-stop shop for all things Latin/Hispanic/Mexican
As it turns out, these tricky islamist radicals are not only becoming experts in ‘acting Hispanic’ and copying our tacos and all. They are now confusing the hell out of mainstream, non-Latino, non-Muslim, non-radical Americans by making believe pitas and tacos are basically the same thing.
Hat tip: @Bathtubmedia
I love Hispanic research, don’t you? And that’s because you get to learn some amazing stuff. For instance, how my people (i.e. The Hispanics) approach grocery shopping.
Take the latest research, stating that Hispanics are as “eclectic” as non-Hispanics when they go shopping, meaning we don’t only go to the supermarket to buy stuff like tamales, pinole, piñatas, nopales and mole Doña María. In fact, according to a recent online survey conducted by Meredith Corporation:
“Latinas confirmed that they are not only shopping the Hispanic aisle – they have eclectic palettes and enjoy cooking a wide variety of foods”.
So don’t believe everything they tell you about my people. We (i.e. The Hispanics) are so eclectic that in fact have joined forces with the Chinese to come up with this:
Last time I reported on my favorite retro-acculturated Latina (aka La Prieta Faya,) she was busy peddling potato chip flavors among potato chip lovers.
Now, in her most recent commercial exposure, Eva Longoria is busy promoting Sheba, a brand of “responsibly-sourced seafood,” which apparently is less irresponsible than other Mars Inc. products, including Snickers, M&M’s, Uncle Ben’s and Orbit.
But, don’t take my word for it. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what this whole thing is about, since the only spot I found seems to be in German, Dutch or Cat-Language. (Definitely NOT in Mexican.)
Don’t you just love it when marketers go out of their way to cater to our fine Hispanic palate?
Here’s a video of a very cheerful person named Alison teaching us how to give a Latin twist to a regular, non-Latin-twisted Lasagna. The concoction contains frozen chopped spinach, tons of ricotta cheese, chorizo, Philadelphia, shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Yummy!
NOTE: Serve warm. Enjoy. Schedule a doctor’s appointment for a coronary artery disease exam. ASAP.
Taco Bell, the food chain that brought you the Dori-Taco and other inedible stuff, charmed millions -me included- with a hilarious TV spot that broke during last night’s Super Bowl. Created by Deutsch, Viva Young features a group of ‘viejitos’ having a wild night: Getting tattooed, making out in bars, breaking into other people’s swimming pools and driving around recklessly… all this to the tune of a heavy-accented Spanish-language version of Fun’s We Are Young.
Viva Young spot was, by far, this blogger’s favorite from last night’s commercial parade. If only Taco Bell’s food could be as good as their TV spots…
Have you had it with your regular French cologne? Do you ever wish you smelled like a rich, meaty tamal?
Worry no more! Puerto Rican expert perfumer Zorayda Ortiz has concocted a tamale [sic] fragrance, which, she says…
…Will make you smell exactly like the meaty tamales you grew up eating in abuelita’s kitchen.
Ortiz says that she came up with such a delicious fragrance by blending “notes of red chili pepper and ginger with drops of pineapple, Indian sandalwood and vanilla essential oils.” I don’t know about Puerto Ricans, but the tamales I grew up around [in my abuela’s kitchen, of course] smelled of chile poblano, mole oaxaqueño, beans and salsa morita, which by they way is something I’m not particularly looking forward to smell like.
In any case, perhaps Ms. Ortiz will tweak her recipe a bit to please this tamal-starved, stinky Mexican?
Based on my most recent trip to the island -where I spent a couple of weeks doing absolutely nothing language research- I realized Cubans are increasingly translating their restaurant menus, street signs and monument guides to cater to an ever-growing tourist industry.
One thing I couldn’t be 100% sure, though, is what the ‘Cuban’ word for appetizer was. While a paladar in Havana offered me a very limited variety of “incomings,” including 20 pieces of olives…
… Melaíto, a snack bar in Pinar del Río promised a more extended list of “entrances,” including “boilet greens” and “French Fried.”
Either way, I’m not happy to report that everything pretty much sucked. Cuba is gorgeous and its people are simply the best. Its food… well, that’s another story.
Photos: Laura Martínez, Cuba 2013
Well, it was just a matter of time. As America becomes more and more Latino, Latinos are becoming more and more… overweight.
An article in The Daily News the subject -bearing the seemingly playful headline of ‘Saying adiós to chips and sodas,” shows that our kids (well, yours actually, I don’t have any) are becoming obese.
[…] The numbers for Hispanics are troubling. Hispanic Americans are 1.2 times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. And in 2009 to 2010, Mexican American children were nearly twice as likely to be overweight as non-Hispanic white youth.
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Oh, and you can thank these guys for their tireless efforts to lure Hispanics with their proud heritage pitches.
The gringos have done it, my friends…
Introducing, the Cannabis-infused coconut oil tortilla chips from Cocco-Cana, on full display at the medibles case at a Seattle medicinal-cannabis collective.
Oh did I mention they also make Taco-spiced tortilla chips?
I am seriously considering moving this blog to Seattle. Will keep you posted.
Chomp-chomp!
Hat tip: @bathtubMedia
Hispanic marketers and agencies are heading this weekend to Miami for the ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Annual Conference.
And what better way to showcase diversity than immersing attendees to a genuine Hispanic experience? Organizers have partnered with AHAA, to take attendees to a Cultural Immersion Tour, which, according to the agenda:
[…] will start at Publix Super Market’s 61,000-sq. ft. SABOR store in Hialeah, where attendees will sample an assortment of Hispanic Publix Deli plates. Store management will guide small groups of attendees through the various departments and highlight products, such as Publix’ line of Hispanic brand products.”
For reasons I have yet to comprehend, this blogger has NOT been invited to such Cultural Feast, but perhaps things will change when they realize I actually go into full Mexican gear when cooking and stuff.
We’ll see.
In an effort to try to convince people that it can actually make non-bad food, Taco Bell has launched a healthy, Hispanic-looking menu, incomprehensibly appropriately dubbed Cantina Bell, featuring a series of ‘innovative’ meals including a cantina bowl (salad with chicken) a cantina burrito (a burrito) and chips & slides (totopos, guacamole, etc.)
Yeah, yeah… But before you go all judgemental and crappy like this blogger, let me tell you these recipes are the creation of a truly real Hispanic person of non-Mexican origin: Chef Lorena García, a proud Venezuelan whose cooking credentials hail from France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Thailand and China.
Watch Chef Lorena tell you why she totally clicked with Taco Bell and how Taco Bell represents her sazón and other entertaining facts like that. [All this in a wonderful Spanish accent that will make Sofía and Salma Hayek salad-green with envy.]
I do not know where I had been hiding, but I cannot believe I didn’t know anything about the Hispanic Food Network. Until now.
Watch Mike Gonzalez here tell you how “albondígas con chopote” [sic] are very close to our Mexican hearts and other culturally-relevant wonders.
The Mexican music in the background is PRICELESS. I hope you people would appreciate it as much as I did.
Yummy!
Hold your jokes about the whole ‘Bimbo’ name thing. The Mexican food giant has tapped fútbol cutie Lionel Messi to pitch its allegedly super enriched white bread.
I love Messi, but the clueless soccer mom is awesome, too.
Looks like Parisians have found a terrific way to cater to the waves of American tourists during the summer vacations: Extend the offer of American food (hamburgers, club sandwiches) to a more multiethnic fare that now includes bad Mexican food.
This joint in the heart of la Rue Mouffetard makes it a point to target the right audience, as it is not cuisine Mexicaine fraîche; but Fresh Mexican Cuisine.
Oh, and guess who was eating here….
Photo: Laura Martínez. Paris, 2012
This blogger was really hoping to take a break and enjoy some time off during this summer vacation. As it turns out, multicultural marketing knows no time off, nor borders and it doesn’t cease to amaze me, no matter where I am.
Greetings from La France, where gringos are making a killing pitching made-believe Mexican food (and inexistent Spanish words) to naïve Parisians.*
Photo: Laura Martínez, Paris, 2012
*Oh, and don’t get me started on the disgusting look of said “le guacamole.” I’m trying to eat here.
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