Carmen and Ray, our wonderful catering team, treated the whole school to a themed menu this week to mark ‘ Dia de la Bander’ or ‘Flag Day’, which is celebrated on the 24th February. The modern-day Mexican flag depicts an eagle atop a cactus, eating a snake. This fascinating emblem stems from an Aztec legend where this sight was witnessed by the Aztecs and taken to be a sign from the gods. As a result, they built their empire on that spot, and today that spot is Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. As a result this day is a celebration of national pride for Mexicans the world over.
The themed menu included:
- Chilli Con Carne/Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne & Tacos
- Mexican Rice
- Guacamole
- Salsa Dip
- Nachos
- Fiesta Cupcakes
The canteen was decorated with an array of decorations from ponchos to mariachis and Carmen and Ray dressed up to look the part.
The much loved ‘Chilli Con Carne’ was first introduced to the United Kingdom in the 1970s, when the first migrants arrived from Latin America. However, you maybe surprised to know that chilli in fact originates from San Antonio in Texas. It was initially just a simple stew with chilli peppers sold by Chilli Queens who cooked huge quantities of chilli at home, before going to the public market to sell individual portions at a lower cost.
Others speculate that sixteen families from the Spanish Canary islands, who were sent to San Antonio in the early-to-mid 1700s, concocted the earliest version of Chilli Con Carne in the form of a spicy, Spanish stew. Under pressure from French invaders, King Philip V of Spain allegedly shipped out the families to settle in the area where they established a meal from beef, hot pepper, garlic and oregano.
Everyone enjoyed the meal and there was plenty of full tummies! Thank you Carmen and Ray!
