I am a proud young Mexican woman who came to New Zealand with the mission of finishing my high school. Coming here at such a young age represented a huge change to my cultural identity. I drifted apart from my Mexican roots and I felt in a limbo, I wasn't sure if I was meant to be proud of being Mexican or if I had to abandon that part of myself to fit in. The first time I went time La Mexicana I was transported back to my hometown's local taqueria. I was a little doubtful about the food just because there are a lot of Tex-Mex restaurants in New Zealand that claim to be authentic. However, when I saw the first plate of tacos come out of the kitchen I knew this was a 100% authentic. I know it is silly to say a plate of food changed you but those carnitas tacos really had an impact. I feel like this dish is a perfect representation of Mexico. I was proud to show it to my friends and share it with my partner. This was one of the milestones for my cultural identity journey, I felt like my culture was worth of being seen. That is why I also think it's so important for Auckland. Auckland is a multicultural city and I believe we sometimes forget about some cultural groups. At La Mexicana everyone is welcome and customers are able to go to Mexico for dinner. I nominated this dish because I think it's the juiciest and most beautiful pork taco. It can help you after a hangover, on a date, to share with friends, or in my case revisiting my roots and my hometown.