Tex-Mex cuisine

Tex-Mex is a highly spiced and vibrant style of cooking that was created as
an extension and adaptation of Mexican cuisine to suit United States
(specifically, Texan) tastes. The name is derived from Texas and Mexico,
whose joint culinary heritage it is. Diana Kennedy, an influential food
authority, first delineated the differences between Mexican cuisine and
Americanized Mexican food in her 1972 book The Cuisines of Mexico. The first
known recorded use of Tex-Mex in reference to food occurred in the Mexico
City News in 1973.

The ingredients used are common in Mexican cuisine, although ingredients
unknown in Mexico are often added. Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its
heavy use of meat (particularly beef), beans, and spices. Nachos, crispy
tacos, crispy chalupas, chili con queso, chili con carne, flour tortillas,
chili gravy, fajitas and pecan pralines are all Tex-Mex inventions. Serving
tortilla chips and a hot sauce or salsa as an appetizer is also an original
Tex-Mex combination.