Tacos | Educational Sleep Podcast

Tacos started as practical handheld food and somehow became a topic people argue about with surprising intensity. In this episode, we go through the history of tacos, how they spread beyond Mexico, the regional styles that people defend like sports teams, and why a tortilla filled with meat turned into an entire personality category. There’s history, migration, street food culture, fast food adaptations, and at least a few moments where melted cheese complicated everything more than necessary. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast, Where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster, And today's episode is about tacos. A taco is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, Including beef, Pork, Chicken, Seafood, Beans, Vegetables, And cheese. And garnished with various condiments, Such as salsa, Guacamole, Or sour cream. And vegetables such as lettuce, Coriander, Onion, Tomatoes, And chilies. Tacos are a common form of entojitos, Or Mexican street food, Which have spread around the world. Tacos can be contrasted with similar foods, Such as burritos, Which are often much larger and rolled rather than folded. Taquitos, Which are rolled and fried, Or chalupas tostadas, In which the tortilla is fried before filling. There is significant debate about the origins of the taco in Mexico, With some arguing that the taco predates the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, Since there is anthropological evidence that the indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate tacos filled with small fish. Writing at the time of the Spanish conquistadors, Bernal Díaz del Castillo documented the first taco feast enjoyed by Europeans, A meal which Hernán Cortés arranged for his captains in Coyoacán. Others argue that the advent of the taco is much more recent, With one of the more popular theories being that the taco was invented by silver miners in the 18th century. One of the oldest mentions of the term taco comes from an 1836 cookbook, Nuevo y Sencillo Arte de la Cocina, Reposteria y Refrescos, By Antonio Carrillo, In a recipe for a rolled pork loin, Lomo de cerdo enrollado. She instructs readers to roll the loin like they would a taco de tortilla, Or tortilla taco. An early mention of the word taco comes from the novel El Hombre de la Situación, 1861, By Mexican writer Manuel Pino. They surrounded the father's bed, And he, Putting a pillow on his legs, Which served as a table, Began to give the example, And a pleasant gathering was formed, Which was completed by the mother, Who always entered last, Waving the one hand from right to left, A large cup of white atole, While with the other she carried right to her mouth a tortilla taco, Filled with a spread of red chile. These instances disprove the claim that the first mention of the word taco in Mexico was in the same author's 1891 novel, Los Bandidos de Río Frío. It should also be noted that the term taco was regional, Specifically from Mexico City and surrounding areas, And that other regional names existed. In Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, And San Luis Potosí, The terms used were burrito and burro. While in Yucatan, In Quintana Roo, The term used was Quetzito. Due to the cultural influence of Mexico City, The term taco became the default, And terms like burrito and cocito either became forgotten or evolved to mean something different in modern times. In 2024, El Califa de León in Mexico City became the first taco stand to win a Michelin star. Traditional Variations Tacos al pastor, Shepherd style, Tacos de adobada, Or tacos árabes, Arab tacos, Are made of thin pork steaks, Seasoned with adobo seasoning, Then skewered and overlapped on one another on a vertical rotisserie, Cooked and flame broiled as it spins like shawarma. This variation has roots in Mexico's Lebanese immigrant population. Tacos de asador, Spit or grill tacos, May be composed of any of the following. Carne asada tacos, Tacos de tripita, Tripe tacos, Grilled until crisp, And chorizo asado, Traditional Spanish-style sausage. Each type is served on two overlapped small tortillas and sometimes garnished with guacamole, Salsa, Onions, And cilantro, Coriander leaves. Also prepared on the grill is a sandwich taco called molita, Little mule, Made with meat served between two tortillas and garnished with Oaxaca-style cheese. Molita is used to describe these types of sandwich tacos in the northern states of Mexico, While they are known as gringas in the Mexican South, And are prepared using wheat flour tortillas. Tacos may also be served with salsa. Tacos de Camarones, Shrimp tacos, Also originated in Baja California in Mexico. Grilled or fried shrimp are used, Usually with the same accompaniments as fish tacos. Lettuce or cabbage, Pico de gallo, Avocado, And a sour cream or citrus mayonnaise sauce, All placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla. Tacos de pescado, Fish tacos, Originated in Baja California in Mexico, Where they consist of grilled or fried fish, Lettuce or cabbage, Pico de gallo, And a sour cream or citrus mayonnaise sauce, All placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla. In the United States, They were first popularized by the Rubio's fast food chain, And remain most popular in California, Colorado, And Washington. In California they are often found at street vendors and a regional variation is to serve them with cabbage and coleslaw dressing on top. Tacos dorados, Fried tacos, Literally golden tacos, Called flautas, Flute, Because of the shape, Or taquitos, For which the tortillas are filled with pre-cooked shredded chicken, Beef, Or barbacoa, Rolled in an elongated cylinder and deep-fried until crisp. They are sometimes cooked in a microwave oven or broiled. Tacos sudados, Sweaty tacos, Are made by filling soft tortillas with a spicy meat mixture, Then placing them in a basket covered with cloth. The covering keeps the tacos warm and traps steam, Sweat, Which softens them. Tacos de birria, Stewed meat tacos, Are made with goat or beef, Roasted or stewed with spices, And typically served with the broth from cooking the meat as a dipping sauce. Originating in the Mexican state of Jalisco, Birria was mentioned in a 1925 article in the El Paso Herald. The Taqueria El Remedio in San Antonio began offering birria de restacos in their current form in Texas in 2018. Offerings by taco stands in California and across the Southwest United States began occurring at about the same time. As an accompaniment to tacos, Many taco stands will serve whole or sliced red radishes, Lime slices, Salt, Pickled or grilled chilies, Hot peppers, And occasionally cucumber slices or grilled combray onions. The hard shell or crispy taco is a tradition that developed in the United States. This type of taco is typically served as a crisp fried corn tortilla, Filled with seasoned ground beef, Cheese, Lettuce, And sometimes tomato, Onion, Salsa, Sour cream, And avocado or guacamole. Such tacos are sold by restaurants and by fast food chains, While kids are readily available in most supermarkets. Hard shell tacos are sometimes known as tacos dorados, Golden tacos in Spanish, The name that they share with taquitos. Various sources credit different individuals with the invention of the hard shell taco, But all of those credited seem to have been reproducing a dish that already existed. Beginning from the early part of the 20th century, Various types of tacos became popular in the U. S. , Especially in Texas and California, But also elsewhere. By the late 1930s, Ashley Mexican Food and Absolute Mexican Foods were selling appliances and ingredients for cooking hard-shell tacos. And the first patents for hard-shell taco cooking appliances were filed in the 1940s. The first U. S. Published cookbook to provide a recipe for a hard shell taco was The Good Life, New Mexican Food by Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert, Published in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1949. In the mid-1950s, Glenn Bell opened Tacotilla and began selling a simplified version of the tacos being sold by Mexican restaurants in San Bernardino. Particularly the tacos dorados at the Midla Cafe, Owned by Lucia and Salvador Rodriguez, Across the street from another of Bell's restaurants. Over the next few years, Bell owned and operated a number of restaurants in Southern California, Including four called El Taco. The tacos sold at Bell's restaurants were many Anglo-Americans' first introduction to Mexican food. Bell sold the El Taco restaurants to his partner and built the first Taco Bell in Downey in 1962. Two years later he began selling franchises and by 1967 had 100 locations. Traditionally, Soft-shelled tacos are made using corn tortillas cooked to a softer state than a hard taco, Usually by grilling or steaming. More recently, The term has come to include flour tortilla-based tacos, Mostly from large manufacturers and restaurant chains. In that context, Soft tacos are tacos made with wheat flour tortillas and filled with the same ingredients as a hard taco. The breakfast taco, Found in Tex-Mex cuisine, Is a soft corn or flour tortilla filled with meat, Eggs, Or cheese, Which can also contain other ingredients. Some have claimed that Austin, Texas is the home of the breakfast taco. However, Food writer and OC Weekly editor Gustavo Arellano responded that such a statement reflects a common trend of whitewashed foodways reporting. Noting that predominantly Hispanic San Antonio, Texas never had to brag about its breakfast taco love. Folks there just called it breakfast. Since at least the late 1930s, A variation called the Puffy Taco has been popular in the lower Rio Grande Valley and the surrounding area. Henry's Puffy Tacos, Opened by Henry Lopez in San Antonio, Texas, Popularized the variation in which uncooked corn tortillas, Flattened balls of masa dough, Are quickly fried in hot oil until they expand and become puffy. Fillings are similar to hardshell versions. Restaurants offering this style of taco have since appeared in other Texas cities, As well as in California where Henry's brother Arturo Lopez opened Arturo's Puffy Taco in Whittier, Not long after Henry's opened it. Henry's continues to thrive, Managed by the family's second generation. Kits are available at grocery and convenience stores, And usually consist of taco shells, Corn tortillas already fried in a U-shape, Seasoning mix, And taco sauce. Commercial vendors for the home market also market soft taco kits with tortillas instead of taco shells. The tacodilla contains melted cheese in between the two folded tortillas, Thus resembling a quesadilla. A flour tortilla or wheat tortilla is a type of soft, Thin flatbread made from finely ground wheat flour. Made with flour and water-based dough, It is pressed and cooked similar to corn tortillas. The simplest recipes use only flour, Water, Fat, And salt. But commercially made flour tortillas generally contain chemical leavening agents, Such as baking powder and other ingredients. Although it has its origin in Mexico, The flour tortilla was invented once the Spanish introduced wheat to Mexico in the 16th century. According to historical sources, The Spanish first introduced wheat to the lands around Mexico City in 1523. Having found great success, The cultivation of wheat soon spread beyond the central Mexican plateau through Catholic monks. It reached the region of Michoacán in the 1530s with the Franciscans, While the Dominicans brought it to Oaxaca in the 1540s and gave grain to the inhabitants of that region to produce flour and prepare unleavened bread. Which was traditionally prepared for religious ceremonies in the Catholic Church. The wheat-growing region in Mexico was in the temperate and cold regions, Between 4, 000 and 6, 000 feet to 9, 000 feet above sea level. The majority of wheat was produced in central Mexico, With the main wheat-growing regions being the Lerma Valley, The Atlixco, And San Martin Valleys in Puebla, The Bajio region, And the Valley of Oaxaca. These areas produce the most valued and esteemed weed in the country. Within these regions, The largest producing states were Jalisco, Guanajuato, And Puebla. The top six wheat-producing states in the 1890s, Based on the median yield measured in hectoliters, Were Jalisco, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Chihuahua, Puebla, And the state of Mexico. With the exception of Chihuahua, All in Central Mexico. In 1884, A report on the commerce between the United States and Mexico states, Wheat grows on the Plateau of Mexico at from 6, 000 to 9, 000 feet above sea level, And between the 18th and 24th parallels of latitude. The wheat-growing area of Mexico, Par excellence, Extends from, Say, Puebla near to Colima, About 500 miles east and west, And from southern Michoacán to Zacatecas, About 400 miles north and south. This plateau is broken by mountain ranges into a number of rich districts, Especially adapted for the growing of wheat. Namely, The Lerma Valley, Roughly 200 by 16 miles. The Bajio, 200 by 200 miles. Aguasalientes, 50 by 50 miles. The San Luis Potosi and Queretaro District, 150 by 35 miles. Miles. Considering that most wheat production was in central and southern Mexico, Not in the north, It is probable that wheat flour tortillas may have originated in this region. Flour tortillas could be found in places like San Luis Potosi, Another of the wheat regions of Mexico, But which is no longer considered an area where flour tortillas are considered a staple. A recipe for flour tortillas appears in the Mexican cookbook, Diccionario de Cocina o el Nuevo Cocinero Mexicano en Forma de Diccionario, 1845. A cookbook with recipes mainly from Central and Southern Mexico. Based on historical records, Corn tortillas were the main staple bread in northern Mexico, And what is now the southwestern United States in the 19th century, Just as in central and southern Mexico. In fact, We very rarely find mentions of flour tortillas. And when one does, They're usually second to corn tortillas as the main tortilla. Corn tortillas were the staple bread in New Mexico, Arizona, California, And Texas. One of the most common folk origin stories is that flour tortillas were invented in northern Mexico, Based on the erroneous belief that wheat could only be grown in the north, While corn could only be grown in the south. Some argue that hot and arid climates, Like that of Sonora, Are less supportive of growing corn. Thus it grew poorly while it was more suitable for wheat. Because of this, Some argue that the Spaniards did not know how to make corn tortillas in the North, So they decided to make them from flour. But the evidence proves the opposite, As most wheat was grown in central Mexico until the mid-20th century. While corn was plentiful in northern Mexico and the American Southwest, And constituted the main dietary staple of the inhabitants of the region, And was in no way hampered by the harsh, Hot, And dry climate. Others attribute the origin of flour tortillas to the Jews, Specifically the Crypto-Jews and Conversos, The exiled Spanish Jews that lived in Mexico. According to this hypothesis, These Jews invented or introduced the flour tortilla as a substitution for matzah, Or unleavened bread, Supposedly because they considered corn as non-kosher since it was fed to pigs. But the Mexican Jews were mostly Sephardic and had a completely different diet and never followed such restrictions. Thus corn was considered kosher. In fact, Evidence from the 17th century Mexican Inquisition and the Archivo General de la Nación shows that Jews in northern Mexico were consuming corn tortillas because they had no access to wheaten, Unleavened bread. And in many cases, Their consumption was used as evidence against them, As was the case of Solomon the Machoro, A Sephardic Jewish man who was denounced and tried in 1650 for having consumed corn tortillas with fish and vegetables during Passover. Wheat tortillas are a staple of the northern Mexican states and throughout the southwest United States. Tortillas vary in size from about 6 to over 30 cm, Depending on the region of the country and the dish for which it is intended. Industrially produced tortillas typically contain numerous chemicals in order to ease the production process, Control texture and flavor, And to extend chef life. Work has been done at Washington State University to develop methods for producing tortillas on a mass scale while still only using whole wheat, Water, Oil, And salt, With a fermented flour and water sourdough starter replacing chemical leaveners. Today, Personal and industrial tortilla making equipment has facilitated and expedited tortilla making. Manually operated wooden tortilla presses of the past led to today's industrial tortilla machinery, Which can produce up to 60, 000 tortillas per hour. Tortillas are now not only made from maize meal, But also from wheat flour. Homemade and store-bought tortillas are made in many flavors and varieties. Tortillas remain a staple food in Mexico and Central America, And have gained popularity and market share elsewhere. In the US, Tortillas have grown from an ethnic to a mainstream food. They've surpassed bagels and muffins and have now become the number two packaged bread product sold in the U. S. The tortilla industry, Tortillas and their products, Tortilla chips, Tostada shells and taco shells. Has become a $6 billion a year industry.