el taco

Welcome back to the blog! Today we’re learning about the humble taco. The word ‘taco’ comes from the Nahuatl word tlahco meaning ‘half’ or ‘in the middle’, which tells us exactly how to fold and eat a taco!

Where do they come from?

The taco dates all the way back to Pre-Hispanic Mexico, where the tortilla was used to hold the filling, almost like a spoon. Wives would wrap a tortilla around their chosen filling and send it out to their husbands working in the fields. Later on, in the 18th century, tacos were a simple food for those working down in the mines: easy to transport and easy to eat. Today, they are still one of the most popular and integral parts of Mexican cuisine and remain readily available on every street corner in Mexico. Easy to find, cheap to buy and easy to eat. Not to mention delicious!

How do you make them and what goes inside?

There are many, many different ways to prepare tacos, but the key ingredients remain the same: tortilla, filling and salsa. There are many accompaniments too, such as onion, coriander and of course, lime. When we sat down to eat at Las Ranas, a very famous traditional restaurant in Puebla, Mexico, salsas and limes were already on the table before we had even ordered our food! The condiments of Mexican cuisine, if you will.

Here are just a few different ways to prepare tacos:

Tacos de canasta or ‘basket tacos’ - the tacos are packed tightly into a bicycle basket and hot oil poured on top to add flavour and enable steaming. The vendor cycles round the neighbourhood and sells tacos directly from his bicycle. (This was a very early idea for Casa Coco's pop-up restaurant!)

Barbacoa - lamb is wrapped in agave leaves (a plant native to Mexico with huge leaves) and slow-roasted in an underground oven lined with hot stones. Asada – beef is grilled, seasoned and chopped up to be served with onion and cotija cheese (the parmigiano of Mexico). Carnitas – pork shoulder is slow-cooked in its own fat and flavoured with orange and garlic until it’s tender, then chopped into chunks.

Guisados - tortillas are filled with stews, e.g. birria (made using goat meat), for a comforting, rich and filling meal.

Tacos al pastor / tacos árabes – pork marinated in chillies and slow-cooked on a kebab, rotisserie style. Served with roasted pineapple on top - you may have tasted this at Casa Coco recently; it's one of our favourites!

You just can't go wrong

Tacos are suitable for everyone - as they’re made of corn, they’re gluten-free and many fillings are vegan too, such as cactus (nopales), refried beans (frijoles) and courgette flower (flor de calabaza). No need for sweet potato tacos here! These variations have been authentic ingredients for many years and form an integral part of the history of Mexican food. It's clear the taco has hugely evolved and become a successful part of fusion food, but we stand by our traditional roots and bring you only the most authentic flavours.

How do you like yours? Our favourite is very simple and typically Mexican: A tortilla hot off the stove, sprinkled with salt and eaten immediately. Let us know in the comments below and we'll keep them in mind for our menu!

If you’d like to learn more about the fascinating variety of tacos available and taco culture in Mexico, check out The Taco Chronicles on Netflix. It’s a great insight into the history and each episode takes a different taco as its subject.

That's all for now - don't forget to reserve a table with us (click on our homepage) and get in on the action!

Sauces: https://saltandwind.com/stories/356-guide-classic-mexican-street-tacos

https://unocasa.com/blogs/tips/types-of-tacos

https://unocasa.com/blogs/tips/history-of-tacos