Taco 29985 226090303 2008-07-16T19:56:13Z Glane23 6959733 /* In the United States and Canada */ add subsection for hard-shell taco type {{Otheruses}} {{Distinguish|tako}} [[Image:Barbacoa taco.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Barbacoa]] tacos.]] A '''taco''' ({{IPA-en|ˈtɑːko}}) is a traditional [[Mexican cuisine|Mexican dish]] composed of a rolled, folded, pliable [[maize]] or [[wheat]] [[tortilla]] that can be filled with a wide variety of edible substances. The fact that a taco can be filled with practically any meat, fish, shellfish, vegetable, and cheese allows for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally [[Finger food|eaten out of hand]], without the aid of utensils, and is often accompanied by a garnish such as [[salsa (sauce)|salsa]] and vegetables such as [[cilantro]], [[onion]], [[cabbage]], [[tomato]], or [[lettuce]]. ==Etymology== According to the [[Real Academia Española]], the word '''taco''' has twenty seven definitions. The one referring to an edible snack food describes a dish composed of a rolled [[maize]] [[tortilla]] filled with food, typical of Mexico.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/ |title=Definition: Taco |publisher=Real Academia Española |accessdate=2008-06-13}}</ref> The Online Etymological Dictionary defines '''taco''' as a "tortilla filled with spiced meat" and describes its etymology as derived from Mexican Spanish, "light lunch," literally, "plug, wadding."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=taco&searchmode=none|title=Definition: Taco |title=Online Etymological Dictionary - Taco |publisher=Douglas Harper |accessdate=2008-07-11}}</ref> The latter description is itself a reference to the earliest known mention of '''taco''' in print; appearing in 1607, the word signified a plug used to hold the ball of an [[Arquebus|arquebus]] in place prior to firing the weapon. The use of the Spanish word '''taco''' to describe a food of longstanding pre-Hispanic use, especially when other Mexican dishes retain names based on their indigenous roots, remains a puzzling mystery.<ref name = "TacoInvent2"> {{cite journal | authorlink = Jeffrey Pilcher | title = Was the Taco Invented in Southern California? | journal = Gastronomica | volume = 20 | issue = 1 | pages = 26 & 28 | date = Winter 2008}}</ref> ==History== The taco predates the arrival of Europeans in Mexico. 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 conquistors, [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]] documented the first taco feast enjoyed by Europeans which [[Hernán Cortés]] arranged for his captains in [[Coyoacán]]. (Note, however, that the native Nahuatl name for the flat corn bread used was ''tlaxcalli''. The Spanish give it the name ''tortilla''.)<ref name="HistoryA"> {{Cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070718154326/http://food.oregonstate.edu/ref/culture/mexico_smith.html |title=Tacos, Enchilidas and Refried Beans: The Invention of Mexican-American Cookery |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=Oregon State University |work=}} </ref><ref name="History"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.iccjournal.biz/StudentScholars/Undergraduate/history_of_mexican_cuisine.htm |title=History of Mexican Cuisine |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=Margaret Parker |work=}} </ref><ref name="History2"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.mexicanmercados.com/food/foodhist.htm |title=A Thumbnail History of Mexican Food |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=Jim Conrad |work=}} </ref><ref name="History3"> {{Cite web |url=http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Tortilla_Taco_history.htm |title=History of Tortillas & Tacos |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=Linda Stradley |work=}} </ref> ==Preparation== A traditional Mexican taco is normally served on a flat tortilla that has been warmed up on a ''[[Comal (cookware)|comal]];'' since the tortilla is still soft, it can be folded over or pinched together into a U-shape for convenient consumption. ==Types== *''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 (sauce)|salsa]], [[onions]], and [[cilantro]]. Also prepared on the grill is a sandwiched taco called ''mulita'' ("little mule") made with [[meat]] served between two tortillas and garnished with [[Oaxaca cheese|Oaxaca]] style [[cheese]]. ''"Mulita"'' is used to describe these types of sandwiched tacos in the Northern States of Mexico, while they are known as [[Gringa]] in the Mexican south and are prepared using [[wheat]] flour tortillas.<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgtacos1.html |title=Wrap It Up - A Guide to Mexican Street Tacos - Part 1 |accessdate=2008-07-07 |publisher=Karen Hursh Graber |work=}} </ref><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgtacos2.html |title=Wrap It Up - A Guide to Mexican Street Tacos - Part 2 |accessdate=2008-07-07 |publisher=Karen Hursh Graber |work=}} </ref> [[Image:Tacos de suadero.jpg|left|thumb|Tacos de suadero (grey) and chorizo (red).]] *''Tacos de [[Cabeza]]'' or head tacos, in which there is a flat punctured metal plate from which steam emeregs to cook the head of the cow. These inclue: ''[[Cabeza]]'', a serving of the [[muscles]] of the head; ''[[Sesos]]'' ("[[brains]]"); ''[[Lengua]]'' ("[[tongue]]"); ''Cachete'' ("cheeks"); ''Trompa'' ("lips"); and, ''[[Ojo]]'' ("eye"). [[tortillas|Tortillas]] for these tacos are warmed on the same steaming plate for a different consistency. These tacos are typically served in pairs, and also include salsa, [[onion]] and [[cilantro]] with occasional use of [[guacamole]].<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"/> *''Tacos de Cazo'' for which a metal bowl filled with lard is typically used as a deep-fryer. Meats for these types of tacos typically include: ''[[Tripa]]'' ("trupe", usually from a pig instead of a cow); ''[[Suadero]]'' (tender beef cuts), ''[[Carnitas]]'' and ''[[Buche]]''.<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"/> *''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.<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="TacosSudadosRecipe"> {{Cite web |url=http://cocina-mexico.com/ingles/menu/typical_food/20.html |title=Tacos Sudados (Mexican recipe) |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=Mexican Cuisine |work=}} </ref> *''Tacos [[Al pastor]]''/''De [[Adobada]]'' ("shepherd style") 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 (analogous to the ''[[D%C3%B6ner kebab]]'' used in [[Greece|Greek]] restaurants to prepare [[gyros]]).<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"/> *''Tacos dorados'' (fried tacos) called ''flauta''s ("[[flute]]", because of the shape), or [[taquito]]s, for which the tortillas are filled with pre-cooked shredded chicken, beef or ''[[barbacoa]]'', rolled into an elongated cylinder and deep-fried until crisp. They are sometimes cooked in a [[microwave oven]] or [[broiled]].<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"/> *''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 remain most popular in California and Colorado. In California, they are often found at street vendors, and a regional variation is to serve them with cabbage and coleslaw dressing on top.<ref name="MexStreetTaco-Origin"/><ref name="MexStreetTaco-Types"/> As an accompaniment to tacos, many taco stands will serve whole or sliced red [[radishes]], [[Lime (fruit)|lime]] slices, salt, pickled or grilled [[Chili pepper|chilis]] (hot peppers), and occasionally [[cucumber]] slices, or grilled cambray onions. ==In the United States and Canada== ===Hard-Shell Tacos=== [[Image:NCI Visuals Food Taco.jpg|left|thumb|Hard-shell taco]] Beginning from the early part of the twentieth century, various styles of tacos have become popular in the United States and Canada.<ref name="HistoryA"/> The style that has become most common is the hard-shell, U-shaped version first described in a cookbook authored by Fabiola Cabeza de Vaca Gilbert and published in [[Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]] in 1949. Tacos are unknown in that form in Mexico.<ref name="TacoInvention"> {{Citation | last = Pilcher | first = Jeffrey | title = Was the Taco Invented in Southern California? | journal = Gastronomica | volume = 8 | issue = 1 | pages = 26-38 | publisher = University of California Press | date = Winter 2008 | year = 2008 | url = http://www.gastronomica.org/index.html | issn = 1529-3262 | eissn = 1533-8622 | id =}} </ref> These have been sold by restaurants and by [[fast food]] chains such as [[Taco Bell]], [[Taco Del Mar]], [[Mighty Taco]], [[Taco Cabana]], [[Taco Bueno]], [[Del Taco]], Taco Casa or [[Taco John's]]. Even non-Mexican oriented [[fast food]] restaurants such as [[Burger King]] and [[Jack in the Box]] have sold tacos. Mass production of this type of taco was encouraged by the invention of devices to hold the tortillas in the U-shape as they were deep-fried. A patent for such a device was issued to New York restauranteur Juvenico Maldonado in 1950, based on his patent filing of 1947. (U.S. Patent No. 2,506,305<ref>http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US2506305</ref>)<ref name="TacoInvention"/> Such tacos are crisp-fried corn tortillas filled with seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce and sometimes tomato or sour cream.<ref name="AmericanTaco"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-tacobell12mar19,0,3787670.story |title=Taco Bell Nation |accessdate=2008-07-10 |publisher=Los Angeles Times |work=}} </ref> In this context, ''soft tacos'' are tacos made with [[wheat]] flour tortillas and filled with the same ingredients as a hard taco.<ref name="BigOven"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.bigoven.com/14723-(Homemade-Fresh)-Chorizo-Soft-Tacos-recipe.html |title=Homemade Chorizo Soft Tacos (recipe) |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=BigOven.com |work=}} </ref> === Puffy Tacos, Taco Kits and Breakfast Tacos === Since at least 1978, a variation called the "puffy taco," originating in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], has been popular. Fresh corn tortillas are quickly fried in hot oil until they expand and become "puffy." Fillings are similar to hard-shell versions. Restaurants offering this style of taco have since appeared in other Texas cities, as well as in California. <ref name="Henry's"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.henryspuffytacos.com/ |title=Henry's Puffy Tacos |accessdate=2008-07-13 |publisher=Henry's Puffy Tacos |work=}} </ref><ref name="PuffyAustin"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A208403 |title=The Puffy Taco Invasion |accessdate=2008-07-13 |publisher=Austin Chronicle Corp. |work=}} </ref><ref name="Arturo's"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.yelp.com/biz/arturos-puffy-taco-whittier |title=Arturo's Puffy Taco - Whittier CA |accessdate=2008-07-13 |publisher=Yelp |work=}} </ref> For home cooks, taco kits are available at grocery and [[convenience store]]s and usually consist of taco shells (corn tortillas already fried in a U-shape), cheese sauce, seasoning mix and taco sauce. Commercial vendors for the home market also market soft taco kits with tortillas instead of taco shells.<ref name="OLP Taco Kit"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.ciao.co.uk/Old_El_Paso_Taco_Dinner_Kit__5314334 |title=Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit |accessdate=2008-07-08 |publisher=Ciao! Shopping Intelligence - UK (blog) |work=}} </ref><ref name="Ortega"> {{Cite web |url=http://www.ortega.com/products/dinner_kits.as |title=Ortega Taco Kits |accessdate=2008-07-08 |publisher=B&G |work=}} </ref> The breakfast taco, found in [[Tex-Mex cuisine]], is filled with meat, eggs or cheese with other ingredients.<ref name="BreakfastTaco"> {{Cite web |url=http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/BreakfastTaco.htm |title=Breakfast Tacos |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=Linda Stradley |work=}} </ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==See also== {{wiktionary}} *[[Quesadilla]] *[[Tostada]] *[[Fajita]] *[[Nachos]] *[[Taco rice]] *[[Taco salad]] *[[Taquito]] [[Category:Mexican cuisine]] [[Category:Spanish loanwords]] [[Category:Tortilla-based dishes]] [[Category:Tex-Mex cuisine]] [[Category:Sandwiches]] [[Category:Fast food]] [[Category:Cuisine of the Southwestern United States]] [[cs:Tacos]] [[de:Taco]] [[es:Taco]] [[eo:Tako]] [[fr:Taco]] [[id:Taco]] [[it:Taco]] [[he:טאקו]] [[la:Taco]] [[nl:Taco]] [[ja:タコス]] [[no:Taco]] [[nn:Taco]] [[pl:Tacos]] [[pt:Taco (culinária)]] [[ru:Тако]] [[simple:Taco]] [[fi:Taco]] [[sv:Taco]] [[zh:墨西哥卷饼]]