Last updated: Thursday May 1, 2008, EDT 2:41 PM
Web special: More Cinco de Mayo recipes
Staff art, left, by Peter Monsees
We all know Cinco de Mayo. We know that “cinco” means five in Spanish, and “Mayo” is May. And we know that there will be more than a fair number of margaritas and nachos ordered in the coming days at bars and restaurants in the area.
Or do we only think we know Cinco de Mayo? Will anyone know what we are toasting as we hoist tequila-filled, salt-rimmed glasses? Like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo has become an occasion to consume alcohol and celebrate a particular flavor in America’s melting pot. Just substitute tequila for Guinness.
Although Mexican-Americans make up only 6 percent of the Latino population in Bergen County and 15 percent in Passaic County, restaurants and bars throughout North Jersey — even some that don’t serve Mexican cuisine — will be dishing up Cinco de Mayo specials and decorating with festive colors.
Tamara Morales’ 22-year-old son, Martin, probably will be partying with his friends, but he tells her that he also uses the day to spread the word about the day’s original meaning.
“He’ll have a couple of drinks with his Italian and American friends, but he’ll remind them, ‘Hey guys, this isn’t a holiday for drinking, you know,’ÿ” said Morales, spokeswoman for Casa Puebla in Passaic. Her organization works to preserve and promote Mexican culture in North Jersey.
“This is a day that helps you remember who you are and what it means to be Mexican,” said Morales.
For Mexican-Americans, Cinco de Mayo has come to signify the triumph of David over Goliath: the local campesinos, or farmers, rising up in arms to beat back the imperialist European power.
Although May 5, 1862, was not the day Mexico declared independence from Spain, it was the day of the Battle of Puebla, when 5,000 Mexican troops beat back the French army of Napoleon III. (With the United States occupied by the Civil War, France was looking to expand its colonial holdings.)
Morales, like many of the Mexican-Americans in the North Jersey and New York area, traces her family to the city and state of Puebla, near central Mexico. “Poblanos,” as they call themselves, are especially proud of Cinco de Mayo because it is a part of their local history.
“When you’re from Puebla, you feel more proud to be celebrating Cinco de Mayo,” said Juan Rojas Campos of Palisades Park. Campos owns Mama Mexico restaurant in Englewood Cliffs. “Yes, I’m Mexican, but I’m from Puebla.”
“If you’re Poblano, you’ll make sure to tell your children the story,” Morales said.
While most of mainstream America is out at bars and restaurants, traditional Poblano families will be having private parties with neighbors and paesanos, or countrymen, she added.
The dish of the day is “mole poblano,” which is turkey smothered in a rich sauce of chocolate, peanuts and raisins. It originated, according to one legend, at a convent where the nuns who needed to entertain an archbishop had nothing to serve. They put together the best ingredients they had, and the synergy of the materials created an instant success.
Campos has implemented another Poblano tradition at Mama Mexico: The manager makes rounds, tipping guests’ heads back and pouring in a mouthful of sweet tequila. The mild pineapple-flavored drink is brewed on the premises and is a way of creating a festive atmosphere, said Campos.
As for Morales, don’t look for her at a bar or restaurant.
“I’ll be home cooking up a storm,” she said.
E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
CINCO DE MAYO MYTH-BUSTERS
MYTH: Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day.
REALITY: Mexico declared independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates a battle won in 1862 against Emperor Napoleon III’s French army, which was attempting a takeover of the city of Puebla. On May 5, about 5,000 Mexican soldiers under Texas-born Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza held off nearly twice as many French soldiers in the “Batalla de Puebla” (Battle of Puebla).
MYTH: Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s biggest holiday.
REALITY: In Mexico, the day is celebrated locally in Puebla and Mexico City (the capital), but is not a big event in other parts of the country. When compared with American holidays, Cinco de Mayo is more like Flag Day, whereas Mexican Independence Day is more like the Fourth of July, said Tamara Morales, spokeswoman for Casa Puebla, a Passaic-based group that promotes Mexican heritage in North Jersey.
CINCO ON THE TOWN
Want to know where to go for your Cinco celebration? Here are a few local venues that will be spicing it up for the day.
- Mama Mexico,464 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, 201-871-0555. The house mariachi band plays live with the addition of traditional Mexican dancers and spotlights in the parking lot. Specials: guacamole Cinco de Mayo and flaming margaritas. Starting 7 p.m. Monday.
- Blue Moon Mexican Café,Old Tappan: 316 Old Tappan Road, 201-263-0244; Englewood: 21 E. Palisade Ave., 201-541-0600; Wyckoff: 327 Franklin Ave., 201-891-1039; Woodcliff Lake: 42 Kinderkamack Road, 201-782-9500. Happy hour, live music and open mike at Englewood, 5 p.m., Friday; Cinco family brunch with clown entertainment at Wyckoff and Englewood, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday; mariachis, giveaways and specials, all locations, Monday.
- Trumpets, 6 Depot Square, Montclair, 973-744-2600. World Culture Day: Mexico will be included through a performance by the Ballet Folklorico of Casa Puebla, traditional mariachi music and a presentation of food and history by Englewood author Nora Melendez. 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
- Fiesta Hut,227 Park Ave., East Rutherford, 973-316-4965. The restaurant will be serving perennial favorites, including soft-shell tacos and a mole poblano sauce. From 5 p.m. Monday. (Restaurant is closed Mondays except May 5.)
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