What is the difference between Mexican and Texmex food?

Tex mex usually involves flour tortillas, chili (the american meat stew), lots of cheese all over the place.

The great thing about tex mex, is that it involves lots of barbecued meats, and great salsas.

Mexican food is much more complex.

Depending on where you go, it could be fish wrapped in banana leaves, OR it could be white rice and black beans, OR it could be stewed goat in broth with corn tortillas and salsa.

Mexican food is so many things, but it is in a league of its own.

Tex Mex doesn't even come close...but I don't think it tries to either.

Tex mex is a piece of americana...(mexican-americana!)

Neither CalMex or TexMex is that much like actual interior Mexican food but both have their good aspects. New Mexico's restaurants often feature a nice blend of CalMex and TexMex - with a lot more kick and spice. Lots of pablanos instead of bells (Cal) and less cheese to cut the spice.

With CalMex you get a lot of brown rice - fish tacos - veggie or fish burritos - mostly made with black beans. Cabbage slaw is common.Chili powder is used more prevalently than comino. Pico De Gallo and salsa will likely have fruits in it. They use common pepper sauces (i.e. tabasco type sauces) as a source of spice. A lot of use of red and yellow (sweet) bell peppers.

With TexMex you get refried beans mashed with bacon and bacon grease, yellow cheese enchiladas with varied sauces.Comino is a common flavor with all dishes. Salsas won't have fruit but will have habanero or at a minimum serrano peppers with lots of cilantro. Tomatillos are prevalent as a salsa or sauce with sour cream. Pablanos, serranos, and habaneros are used more frequently.

If you are on a diet - TexMex isn't going to be your friend. Cal Mex is very diet conscious.

I think the main differences are based on regional availability and lifestyle plays a big role as well. Most Mexican food in Texas has a lot of beef and cheese. We have a large ranching/dairy industry. Southen Cal has a ton of fruit and veggie farms. (I know that Texas has a ton of fruit and veggie farmers, and there are a lot of cattle in Cali).

texmex is basically "Americanized" mexican foods

usually that means covered in cheeses and sauces, which many of the authentic mexican dishes don't do

similar things are done to most foods in the US... you can't get stuff like Sesame chicken and General Tso's chicken in an authentic Chinese restaurant or in China.

mexican is mexican, and tex-mex is s a fusion between mexican and texan cooking.