During Hispanic Heritage Month, which starts on September 15 and ends on October 15, people nationwide come together to celebrate the heritage and culture in various ways. The importance behind this national holiday is to recognize the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
What’s great about this month-long festivity, though, is that everyone celebrates it, not just the Latinos. So, here’s some food, drinks and more to recognize the Hispanic heritage:
Five Dishes to Dive Into
There’s nothing quite like Hispanic food. If you’ve never had it before, you’ve been missing out your whole life and if you have had before, then you’ve most likely had one of these dishes below:
1. Arroz con Pollo — a chicken and rice dish. Here is a recipe courtesy of the Food Network.
2. Empanadas — can be made in various ways, with beef, chicken, vegetables, etc. Here is a recipe for chicken empanadas courtesy of Food.
3. Picadillo — a ground beef stew. Here is a recipe courtesy of the New York Times.
4. Sancocho — a meat and vegetable stew. Here is a recipe courtesy of Goya.
5. Pastelon — a plantain lasagna. Here is a recipe courtesy of Delish D’Lites.
Five Drinks to Get Loopy With
If you can’t get your hands on the classic Clara de Limon, Cava or a spiked Horchata, try ones of these Spanish-American drinks:
1. Mojito — from classic to pineapple, grape strawberry or mango.
2. Sangria — red, white, pink or peach, a glass of sangria never disappoints.
3. Margarita — go traditional or opt for citrus, cucumber or cherry flavoring.
4. Sol — beer.
5. Cognac — 103 white label.
Five Places to Visit
Touring the country or fortunate to live nearby, these places are worth the visit, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month.
1. The Hispanic Society of America in Washington Heights, New York.
2. National César Chávez at La Paz in Keene, California.
3. The Palace of the Governors in New Mexico.
4. The Forts of Old San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
5. El Centro Español de Tampa in the Latin Quarter, Tampa, Florida.
Five Songs to Jam out To
From throwbacks to newbies, get in the Latino vibe by jamming out to these songs:
1. Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz, “La Tortura.”
2. Prince Royce, Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez, “Back it Up.”
3. Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdon.”
4. Marc Anthony, “Vivir Mi Vida.”
5. Daddy Yankee, “Gasolina.”
Five Celebs You Didn’t Know Were Hispanic
Sometimes it’s clear to see which celebs are of Hispanic descent and sometimes it’s not. Here are five celebs you probably had no idea were Latinos:
1. Bruno Mars — Puerto Rican, Jewish and Filipino.
2. Bella Thorne — Cuban, Italian and Irish.
3. Demi Lovato — of Mexican descent.
4. Zoe Saldana — of Dominican descent, first generation American.
5. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi — of Chilean descent.
[Image via rencentermarin.org]
