Taco
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Taco (disambiguation).
Image:Mexico.Tacos.02.jpg Image:Mexico.Tacos.01.jpg
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish comprising a rolled or folded, pliable tortilla (of either maize or wheat flour) filled with meat (generally grilled beef, picadillo, chicken or pork), chili-based salsa, guacamole, and garnishes such as pico de gallo or cilantro. It may also contain just about any other filling that lends itself to it — generally meats or vegetables that are chopped and fairly dry. There are many subvarieties of the taco, and most of them have a certain set of traditional fillings. However, care should be taken when using the word taco outside of Mexico. The word can mean at least 22 different things depending on the country in which one is in.
A taco is normally served flat on a tortilla that has been warmed up on a comal; since the tortilla is still soft, it can be folded over or pinched together into a U-shape for convenient consumption. In the variant known as the taco dorado, the pre-stuffed tortilla is rolled into a cylinder and deep-fried until crisp.
One speciality found at many taco stands across Mexico (and a particular favorite in Mexico City) and Texas is the taco al pastor. As the name pastor suggests, they were originally made with lamb or mutton. Now, the main ingredient is spiced pork, which is cut in slivers, from a rack of meat standing on a vertical spit in front of an open flame; the method is similar to that used to prepare Döner kebabs and gyros in the Mediterranean. The cooked meat is then placed on a maize tortilla and garnished with chopped cilantro, onion, and a wedge of pineapple, with a dash of salsa as a finishing touch. Since tacos al pastor tend to be among the cheapest tacos, they are the mainstay of many a visit to the taquería.
In the Mexican state of Baja California and the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific coast, the fish taco is quite popular, and is served in many seaside taquerias. These tacos contain chunks of either grilled or battered and deep-fried fish, a white sauce and shredded cabbage. Maize tortillas are usually employed.
The first dated account of the Taco was written by Bernal Diaz del Castillo in 1520 in his chronicles called A True History of the Conquest of New Spain.
Tacos in the USA
Americanized versions may use a deep-fried crisp tortilla shell, and include ingredients such as lettuce, tomato and cheese. The taco made with a crisp taco shell is probably descended not from the taco, but from the tostada, which it resembles more closely. Crisp shelled tacos were originally sold at taco stands as a convenient, quick lunch on the run. They are found at restaurants like Taco Bell, Del Taco and Taco Tico. A popular Americanized variation of the taco that does not use a crisp tortilla shell is the breakfast taco, consisting of a soft flour tortilla filled with some combination of traditional breakfast foods, such as eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, sausage, chorizo, or migas. In much of Texas the breakfast taco is generally referred to as a taquito (literally, "little taco"), but this usage is not widespread, and in other contexts the word may refer to baked or deep-fried tacos, or tacos cut into small portions and served as hors d'oeuvres.
The Baja California style fish taco has recently gained popularity in the USA as well. Truly authentic tacos north of the border can be found at many small restaurants and taco wagons, especially around Mexican neighborhoods. Cabrito (meat of a goat) tacos served with green chiles are popular in the state of New Mexico.