Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Everyone appreciates a reason to celebrate, especially when the festivities involve great food. This is evident in the widespread celebration of Cinco de Mayo far outside the borders of Mexico. It’s likely that many people who celebrate this day may not fully comprehend the history behind it: it is not, as many people believe, Mexico’s Independence Day, which is September 16. Rather, it’s a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, commemorating a Mexican army victory over France at the battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

In the United States and beyond, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. And what better way to celebrate than with food and drink? Naturally, the EYB library contains many recipes to make your Cinco de Mayo celebration a success. The number of options grows every year, and there are now over 170 online recipes for pico de gallo and more than 640 recipes for guacamole. (For reference, when I started writing for EYB there were 250 guacamole recipes).

Along with your appetizers, whet your whistle with a dazzling array of nearly 600 recipes for margaritas, 220+ mojito recipes, and dozens of recipes for micheladas. The options for main dishes are likewise staggering, and this is one holiday that is especially kind to vegetarians. Even the dessert options are plentiful, including popular items like tres leche cake, paletas, and flan. The holidays become a lot easier to celebrate when you know you can always find the perfect recipe at your fingertips in the Library.