What is a taco?
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish of a small corn or wheat tortilla folded around a filling, such as meat, fish, beans or vegetables, and topped with salsa, onion and cilantro.
Tacos have been eaten in Mexico for centuries, building on the Indigenous tradition of using corn tortillas to scoop up food. Some historians link the word taco to small explosive charges used by silver miners in the 1700s, wrapped in paper. Today, tacos are Mexico's most famous street food.
There are countless varieties. Tacos al pastor use pork marinated with chilies and pineapple, cooked on a vertical spit, an idea brought by Lebanese immigrants. Carnitas are slow-cooked pork, barbacoa is slow-cooked beef or lamb, and fish tacos come from Baja California. In Mexico, tacos are usually served on soft corn tortillas.
Tacos abroad
Hard-shell tacos, with crispy folded tortillas filled with ground beef, cheese and lettuce, became popular in the United States in the mid-1900s, spread by Tex-Mex restaurants and fast-food chains. Taco Tuesday is a popular tradition in many American restaurants.
Did You Know?
Mexico celebrates National Taco Day, Día del Taco, in late March, while the United States celebrates its own National Taco Day in October.