Every Mexican restaurant offers refried beans as a side. Often served with rice or added to a burrito, refried beans are a staple Mexican food that enhances any meal or dish with its velvety texture and delicious flavor. They’re also a great source of protein, making them the perfect option for vegetarians who love Mexican food. Refried beans are simple and hearty, so it’s no surprise that they have been part of Mexican cuisine for thousands of years.
Do you always order a side of refried beans with your Mexican food? Then you’ll want to keep reading!
The Mesoamerican Triad
Have you heard of the Mesoamerican triad? This term refers to three crops native to North America that provide essential proteins and nutrients. Those crops are beans, corn, and squash, and they were the base of the Mesoamerican diet before the arrival of the Europeans and their culinary influences. However, even with European influences, the food that became refried beans hasn’t changed much. Initially, the beans were cooked by boiling or steaming. These cooking methods softened the beans so they could be mashed or pureed into a paste, making them easy to combine with other ingredients.
Spanish Influence
Attentive readers will notice that we haven’t mentioned frying anything yet. That step didn’t come into the cooking process until the Spanish arrived and introduced new ingredients and cooking methods, including oils, lard, and frying. In Spanish, refried beans are called frijoles refritos. The Spanish word refrito refers to a food that has been cooked and then fried, not fried twice, so the translation “refried” is a little misleading. After cooking and mashing the beans, frying them in oil or lard gives them the rich flavor and velvety texture we associate with the refried beans we eat today.
Frying the beans does more than just improve their flavor, though. The additional step of frying boiled or steamed beans can also extend their shelf life. This level of preservation was crucial in warm climates before the invention of refrigeration.
Enjoy Authentic Mexican Food at Los Reyes
If reading about refried beans has made you hungry for some delicious Mexican food, we can’t blame you. Luckily, you can satisfy your hunger at Los Reyes! We serve tasty and authentic Mexican dishes made with our traditional family recipes.
