History of Cinco de Mayo: Battle of Puebla

Cinco de Mayo-or the fifth of May-commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This celebration is not Mexico’s independence day like it is widely thought. The Battle of Puebla took place when France was trying to invade Mexico and Napoleon’s 6500 men came against 4000 Mexican men in a bloody battle. Mexico won and that is why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today. A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

Simple guacamole recipe:

Ingredients:
• 4 avocado
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup onion, peeled and diced
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and diced (you can reduce this or eliminate it to adjust the heat level)
• 1/4 cup crema (or sour cream)
• 1/8 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoons lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Mash 2 of the avocados with the back of a fork or other mashing utensil. Add in the serrano, onion and cilantro. Fold in crema and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dice the remaining avocado into 1/4 – 1/2 inch cubes. Fold the diced avocado and tomato into the mashed avocado mixture. Serve immediately.