Authenticity's Myth

10,000 TACOS®

Authenticity used to be a word with significant meaning, but I think it has now become subjective and often exploited as a marketing tool. I once tweeted, "The closer you come to making it from scratch, the more authintic it will be." And that tweet reflected my beliefs at that time. The belief in the value of effort and craftmanship. Howeveer, a friend's perpective, based on the "abuelita principle," has challenged my assertion. Or at least that's how it felt when he replied, "Authenticity is a myth!" His point was valid. He argues that what we consider authentic is deeply personal and tied to our earliest experiences, such as the food cooked by one's grandmother. Since everyone's experiences and memories differ, defining authenticity universally becomes impossible. This, he says, makes authenticity more of a personal opinion than objective truth.

The idea of authentic Mexican cuisine illustrates the subjective nature of authenticity. If you believe your grandmother's cooking is the best, no other dish will measure up. Moreover, not every grandmother's cooking is exceptionally good or unique, adding to the complexity. This subjectivity has, in my view, turned authenticity into a marketing buzzword, reducing it to a myth. Marketers use it to attract attention but often deceive consumers. Despite this, I still believe that making something from scratch brings it closer to being authentic. While others may see this as just my opinion, it retains some of its original significance for me.

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TAQUOTE: “Flipping tortillas with your bare hands is authenticity!”

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