Mexican food in Europe

Spain
March 24, 2008 10:21am CST
Has anyone else travelled extensively in Europe (including the UK) and noticed that any Mexican food available is super-expensive and of mediocre to bad quality? I've been living in Spain for three years now, and have travelled all over Spain, and a lot in Europe, and while I always try to sample all the local cuisines in a place, if I'm there for any length of time, I also try to find a quality Mexican restaurant. I don't know if the lack of the restaurants is because there aren't many Mexicans here, or what. The expense is somewhat understandable as a lot of the ingredients aren't as widely available here, and are more expensive here when you can find them in the groceries as well, but the terrible quality and high cost are an impossible combination. While I like to cook Mexican food at home, and cook in general, sometimes I would like to be able to eat it out. If anyone else has had a similar experience, or knows a good Mexican place in the area of Barcelona, please respond to this discussion.
1 response
Wendy
@jerzgirl (9327)
• United States
1 May 08
To be honest, I don't remember seeing ANY Mexican restaurants in Paris, Ireland, the UK or Germany. I did see SCADS of Persian, Indian and Asian restaurants. I loved the first two over there, but I wasn't as fond of the Asian as I am here. The cost was HUGELY greater than here and the food didn't taste as good. That's probably because they have different styles based on the surrounding populations just like ours in the US do - plus, even between restaurants there are differences in how a particular item is made. And, over in Europe, the dishes are called by different names, so we might not recognize it. But, I can see there being a lesser quality in Mexican food since most of Mexico is poor and that would make it difficult to migrate to Europe. As for cost, I don't know - maybe pinto beans and jalapeno peppers and that kind of ingredient, but tomatoes are now grown in Europe as is corn and potatoes, so I can't see them having increased costs. I've yet to go to Spain. I have a friend from childhood who lives somewhere in Barcelona. I'd love to reconnect with him.