Page 36 - Exotic | May 2024

Tacos! Everyone loves them. That’s a straight fact. We can argue for days over what actually belongs in a taco, but no matter who you are, there’s one for you...vegan tacos, vegetarian tacos, gluten-free tacos (which would really just be a corn tortilla taco) and tacos for people who eat anything and ev- erything. The taco is a simple concept: a tortilla of some kind with things in- side it. We all know what it is, and it’s a staple of handy meals, from breakfast to lunch, dinner, and even dessert (Choco Taco!) There’s no wrong time to eat a taco—or six. However, where did they come from, and when? Well, since it’s May (which is officially taco month*) and this is the time wherein the most tacos are consumed**, we’re going to explore this. Let’s tac-go!
If you asked most people where tacos are from, they’d say Mexico. They would be right. It seems, according to my re- search, that they indeed originated in Mexico hundreds of years ago. The form factor, however, has changed a bit over time before becoming the familiar tasty food we know today.
The Background
In the 18th century, there were many silver mines in Mexico, along with many miners. These miners needed some- thing that was easy to eat and quick
to prepare, as they were working hard. Thus, the taco was born. Why is it called a taco, though? Well, there is much speculation and no direct way to link things to the past. They just made tacos and ate them. The prevailing theory is that the miners would use rounds of gunpowder to blast rock, and they were wrapped in little rolls called “taquitos,” which I understand means “dowel” or “cylinder” in Old Spanish. An alternate hypothesis suggests that it comes from the native Nahuatl people and their word “tlacoyo,” which allegedly de- scribes a flatbread with tasty junk on it. However, the tlacoyo is speculated to have been more like a pizza, and most Mexicans at the time did not speak Na- huatl, so it is difficult to say if that has any bearing on the name.
those days, they were called “taco de minero”—miner’s taco and most work- ing-class Mexicans enjoyed them be- cause they were cheap, easy to eat on the go, and tasty.
3
3
6
6
e
e
x
x
o
o
t
t
i
i
c
c
m
m
a
a
g
g
a
a
z
z
i
i
n
n
e
e
|
|
x
x
m
m
a
a
g
g
.
.
c
c
o
o
m
m
Back in the days of the Mexican work- ing class, the first tacos were rolled, not folded, like the tacos we know today. Rolled taquitos, of course, still exist and can be found everywhere. However, taquitos, and by extension, tacos, have their roots in blowing shit up. During
The more modern incarnation of the taco as a folded shell with filling came later, during the Industrial Revolution. Mexico City was the destination for all sorts of migrant workers from more pastoral regions, who were seeking work and money in the hustle and bus- tle of the big city.
Naturally, if you were moving your whole family, women came along, and they brought with them fancy cooking skills. Back in the day, the men labored in fields and mines, and the ladies cooked and maintained the household. So, what’s a lady to do to help the fam- ily? Well, set up a stand making tacos.
With every state and region in Mexico having different flavors and tastes, the marketplace for food was a diverse envi-
Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds • Classifieds