Actually, that's quite deliberate, as I understand it. It symbolizes the change from the old covenant of the Old Testament to the new covenant of the New Testament.
I think the Spansih Inquisition had a bit to do with it as well. They were really good at finding a way to prove somebody wasn't Christian. One of those ways was diet.
If you look at Spanish (not Mexican) cuisine shellfish and especially ham are used a lot. Eating these ingrediants would prove you were not Jewish (shellfish/ham not kosher) and definitely not Muslim.
In fact, ham is like a national treasure to the Spanish. In the day they would hang a hock in the window to "prove they were Christian." Now adays they still have it everywhere. It's breakfast lunch and dinner.
When I was in Madrid I took a picture of a chain deli there which specialized in ham (from $1-$50/lb). It was called "Museo de Hamon" or, in English "The Museum of Ham."
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If you look at Spanish (not Mexican) cuisine shellfish and especially ham are used a lot. Eating these ingrediants would prove you were not Jewish (shellfish/ham not kosher) and definitely not Muslim.
In fact, ham is like a national treasure to the Spanish. In the day they would hang a hock in the window to "prove they were Christian." Now adays they still have it everywhere. It's breakfast lunch and dinner.
When I was in Madrid I took a picture of a chain deli there which specialized in ham (from $1-$50/lb). It was called "Museo de Hamon" or, in English "The Museum of Ham."
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