GLOBAL CITY: THE MEXICAN TRADITIONS OF KENNETT SQUARE 

In the heart of the Brandywine River Valley, 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia, you’ll discover the Mushroom Capital of the World. Also known as Kennett Square, this suburban town has been home to the nation’s largest commercial mushroom industry for the last century. But there’s another side to Kennett Square: not only is this southern Chester County community overflowing with mushrooms—it produces one million pounds per week—it’s also one of the best places in southeastern Pennsylvania to discover authentic Mexican food.

Back in the 1960s, Kennett Square became a magnet for men from Guanajuato, Mexico. They came in large numbers to work on the mushroom farms. By the 1990s, it wasn’t just working men coming to the region for jobs. Many Mexican families immigrated to this one-square-mile town. Today almost half of Kennett Square’s residents (more than 6,000 people) are of Mexican descent. The next time you find yourself in mushroom country, check out these five restaurants—plus one specialty grocery and an ice cream shop—that honor Kennett Square’s rich Mexican heritage.

Continue reading on Edible Philly. Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography.