Food of the Month: Tacos

Posted on 06/05/2022 by FTB

Simply the stereotypical Mexican dish, tacos are composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and cheese. Thus, many variations are possible. Tacos can be bought from almost any street food vendor in Mexico. Luckily, nowadays, many Food Trucks in the US also serve this delicious dish. What is the origin of America's favorite comfort food? Here's the backstory and some fun facts on one of the world's most delicious dishes.

HISTORY OF THE TACO

Tacos are supposed to have originated in Mexico long before the arrival of the Spaniards. Freshly produced, soft, flat maize tortillas with contents like fish and roasted organs were used by ancient Mexicans. It was a staple meal that gave people who ate it critical nutrients and vitality. The cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and tomato that we associate with tacos today were not present in these tacos. In truth, the taco as we know it dates back less than a century.It was created in the 18th century by Mexican silver miners. Before detonation, gunpowder was wrapped in paper and put into rocks like a "taquito." Tacos had become the cuisine of the working class, which included miners, by this time. As a result, their portable street cuisine became known as "tacos de minero," or "miner's tacos."

In 1905, the Taco was first presented in the United States. Mexican migrants began to arrive in the United States, bringing their delectable cuisine with them. By 1920, the dish brought in by Mexican immigrants had begun to blend with American components.While many people think of hard shell tacos popularized by chain restaurants in the United States, the traditional taco has a soft tortilla shell. In Mexico, however, there are various variations of the traditional taco that are both delicious and popular.

In other words, the taco was evolving into a Mexican-American hybrid. Things got even more intriguing when Taco Bell went mainstream, ushering in a new kind of "Mexican" food that wasn't even really authentic.
DELICIOUS FACTS
- There is a National Taco Day. October 4th is National Taco Day so celebrate this amazing day with a buying a taco at one of our Food Trucks
- Tacos our out of this world. This is not a joke,because astronauts frequently eat tacos while on missions, and because tacos are purportedly less messy to eat in a zero-gravity setting
- The Nahuatl word 'Tlahco' is the source of the word taco. In Mexico, "taco" is a general phrase for a tortilla with filling. However, it is thought that the Spanish word 'tlahco' comes from the Nahuatl word 'tlahco,' which means "in the middle." The Nahuatl language belongs to the Uto-Aztecan family of languages.
- Insect fillings were once used in tacos. The Aztec version of the taco often included insects as a filling. We sure want to try that version!
- In 1974, the first Taco Food Truck appeared. Raul Martinez is credited with starting the taco truck craze by converting an old ice cream van into a taco truck and parking it in front of a renowned Los Angeles bar in 1974.Following his popularity, other taco Food Trucks popped up.