For people who enjoy Hispanic food, like tamales, going to a Hispanic restaurant that serves authentic ethnic Hispanic cuisine can be the ultimate experience of pleasure and pain. When those with an elementary knowledge of Hispanic food enter a restaurant that serves Hispanic food, they usually have some concept of enchiladas, tamales, or maybe even flan. But they may have no clue about arroz con pollo or the difference between recetas de camerones, recetas de cocina, recetas de postres, or any recetas de comida. Hispanic food neophytes may take one look at the menu expecting to see tacos, burritos, nachos, or for the highly cultured, quesadillas, only to find a bunch of jibberish that is less comprehensible to them than Egyptian hieroglyphics. However, for those who find tamales, cerviche, and empanadas pure heaven, but cannot read or understand Spanish beyond the names of its most popular foods, a Spanish food dictionary, or The Guía de Restaurantes Españoles por Tontos Monolingües, can be life savers.
Unfortunately, too many people take to heart the classic witticism ingnorance is bliss. For those who consider it commendable to take the ironic adage at face value will encounter several problems when they are compelled to venture into the unchartered territories that exist beyond their front porches. As such, if one wants to take full advantage of what fine restaurants that serve Hispanic food have to offer, it is recommended that they strive to obtain as much knowledge as possible about Hispanic food well before they attempt to visit and dine at one. While it may be difficult to skip the NASCAR race of the week to learn some Espanol, the benefits of enjoying tamales rather than gasoline fumes and wads of chew will be worth it. Even for the most stubborn ignoramuses, they will eventually be won over by the most delicious and juicy arroz con pollo, spicy tamales, and an infinite number of other recetas de comida and recipes for tamales.
Although people often become too comfortable in their own ignorance, the pleasures of learning and expanding their horizons can lead to rewards that they never thought possible. Instead of the typical fastfood franchises and cheap pizza chains, those who can read and understand at least basic Spanish can enter a new realm of cuisine that will give them a sense of worldliness that a quarter pounder just will not give to them.