Well before there was actual Tex-Mex cuisine, people near what is now Austin ate a lot of the same foods with similar basic tools. They were hungry and couldn’t wait the 15,000-ish years for there to be a Texas or a Mexico to invent Tex-Mex eats.
A History of Peppers in the United States Pt 1
Peppers of the annuum species were transferred into what is now the American Southwest twice—first by birds and then by people.
Chile Pepper Myth and Legend
In astrology, the chile pepper falls under the dominion of Mars, ancient god of war, so that should be some indication of respect.
How Did Chile Peppers get to New Mexico?
According to many accounts, chile peppers were introduced into what is now the U.S. by Capitan General Juan de Oñate, the founder of Santa Fe, in 1598.
How Did Paprika Peppers Get to Hungary?
There is a minor debate over the arrival of the imported Capsicums from the Western Hemisphere into Hungary and surrounding areas. Some historians credit their spread to the invasion of the Ottoman Turks into Central Europe.
Chile Peppers and the Incas
The people of the Andean region of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia still eat basically Incan food that has been only slightly modified by the meats and vegetables introduced by the Spanish.
Birds and the Spread of Peppers
Scientists are not certain about the exact time frame or the method for the spread of both wild and domesticated species from the southern Brazil-Bolivia area, but they suspect that birds were primarily
responsible.
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