When was tacos first made

Even just the difference between flour and corn is so important. Corn is obviously such a big part of Mexican culture and history, and the nixtamalization process in which corn is broken down to make masa is deeply rooted in tradition," he said.

The varieties are virtually endless. The first mention of tacos in the United States dates back to in a newspaper, which Pilcher told Smithsonian makes sense because it was around this time that Mexican migrants started to arrive in the states to work jobs in the mines or on the railroads.

This shift led to Mexican food being available as street food, with people turning to street vendors to get their fix. Once tacos made their way to the streets of the United States, it was only a matter of time until they were widespread and eventually became Americanized.

The first Taco Bell was opened by Glen Bell in , and made his version of tacos accessible to Americans who didn't want to go to Mexican neighborhoods to try them. The taco shell, which is typically made from a fried tortilla in a "U" shape, was a game-changer for popularizing tacos.

Fried tortillas keep longer than fresh ones, so the shells could be made ahead and make preparing the food a more efficient process. Still, taco shells that are common in grocery stores are more of the vehicle that made tacos more widespread in the States rather than a traditional aspect of Mexican cuisine.

Balance is really the key, you want it to be slightly acidic, have some heat, some creaminess, be herbaceous and of course have some delicious protein or vegetables to be the star. Some of the results of his investigations point to interesting chapters like some of the following.

While women used to send food to their men who worked long hours in the fields and could heat it and eat it half a day later, wrapped in tortillas. Pilcher , researcher and professor at the University of Minnesota, he recounts his findings in regards to the history of taco. It is said they were born Cuautla, Morelos, eventually finding their way to its capital Cuernavaca. In fact, this site became the capital of the basket cue; where dozens of taqueros taco makers with their bicycles are seen every morning reaching their points of sale in the nearest municipalities.

They leave their homes with a basket loaded with tacos, covered with a small tarp and with some bottles of red and green salsas to sell to the workers, students and employees, who find them on their way to school and work..

There are even those who take vans, carrying bicycles, basket, jars and coolers, to keep them warm, allowing them to reach more remote areas such as Mexico City, Puebla and Hidalgo, etc. Finally, in Puebla , tacos al pastor are born — the undisputed adaptation of the Arab shawarma to the Mexican palate. Who could have thought that one of the most prevalent dishes in Mexican culture had a common origin in the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire?

Women brought with them their regional cooking skills. Every state, every region, every town has slightly different foods, so Mexico City was a bubbling stew where all these foods were available. People were able to sample a cosmopolitan world of dining that was not for the rich. This Mexican popular cuisine was the origin of what we think about as Mexican food. When have Mexicans alternatively embraced European or Indigenous foods, and why?

The Spanish conquistadors looked down on Native foods and tried to bring European foods with them. One of the reasons for this was religion. Corn was associated with Native deities, and wheat was the grain used for the holy Eucharist. These foods also had social connotations. So the patriots, the Mexican nationals, wanted to claim that they were really Mexican. So mole poblano, which is a turkey in this chili pepper sauce—very spicy—was considered somewhere in between [upper and lower class].

It was not associated with the Natives who were still alive; it was associated with the glories of the Aztecs. When did the taco first make an appearance in the U. What groups were instrumental in making it popular here? The first mention that I have seen [in the U. In the United States, Mexican food was seen as street food, lower-class food. It was associated with a group of women called the Chili Queens and with tamale pushcarts in Los Angeles. The Chili Queens of San Antonio were street vendors who earned a little extra money by selling food during festivals.

When tourists started arriving in the s with the railroad, these occasional sales started to become a nightly event. Mexico was considered a dangerous place. The Chili Queens were a way of sampling that danger, but not at the risk of being robbed by bandits.

I think that image of [something] exotic, slightly dangerous, but still appealing has really persisted with Mexican food. The children of those migrants who came in or are starting to advance economically.