Sometimes things right under our noses are all but invisible. I have to avoid diary products to keep my sinuses clear, and eating out is often a challenge. Cheese and milk turn up in lots of foods here. That doesn't necessarily make it only an American characteristic, however.

It's always safe to eat in Chinese restaurants, because dairy is rarely if ever used. Restaurants in the states that serve "Mexican" (or "Tex-Mex" down here in Texas) food often have tons of tomato sauce and cheese, something that I didn't find when I ate in Mexico. The places where I ate in Sonoyta were more likely to give you guacamole on top of your food than give you a cheese sauce. And instead of the sour cream we see in the states they used a "crema media," or a medium-weight cream product, runny compared to sour cream but thicker than regular cream. (It is more the consistency of a cultured dairy product my Dad used to make called "villi" and a search should bring up information on that because we've discussed it before).

SRS