A taco is a traditional Mexican dish built from a small, hand-sized corn or wheat tortilla folded around a filling and eaten by hand. Fillings commonly include beef, pork, chicken, seafood, beans, vegetables, or cheese, typically finished with garnishes such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, coriander, onion, tomato, or chiles. Tacos originated in Mexico as a form of antojito, or Mexican street food, and remain one of the most recognizable dishes of Mexican cuisine while also having spread to worldwide popularity. They are distinguished from related Mexican dishes by their preparation: a burrito is typically larger and rolled rather than folded, a taquito is rolled and then fried, and a tostada uses a tortilla that is fried before it is topped.
Facts
Origin Period, From (Year)Sourced to the subject's own accountMarks the earliest documented written use of the word taco for the dish, in an 1836 Mexican cookbook. Whether the dish itself is older is genuinely debated: some scholars argue for a pre-Hispanic origin among indigenous lake-region communities eating tortillas filled with small fish, others credit 18th-century Mexican silver miners; neither rival theory carries a specific year to record here. Origin RegionSourced to the subject's own accountMexico City and central Mexico 1 FAQs
When does the word taco first appear in writing in Mexico?
One of the oldest mentions is in an 1836 Mexican cookbook by Antonia Carrillo.
One of the oldest mentions of the term taco comes from an 1836 cookbook by Antonia Carrillo, Nuevo y sencillo arte de cocina, reposteria y refrescos. In a recipe for a rolled pork loin, she tells readers to roll the loin as they would a taco de tortilla, or tortilla taco.
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1. Taco (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, regional-naming paragraph
It should also be noted that term taco was regional, specifically from Mexico City and surrounding areas, and that other regional names existed.
History section
One of the oldest mentions of the term taco comes from an 1836 cookbook -Nuevo y sencillo arte de cocina, reposteria y refrescos- by Antonia Carrillo; in a recipe for a rolled pork loin (lomo de cerdo enrollado), she instructs the readers to roll the loin like they would a "taco de tortilla" or tortilla taco.
- In Cuisine: Mexican Cuisine, Wikipedia category list
In Group: Wraps, Burritos and Tacos, Lead paragraph
A taco (US: , UK: , Spanish: [ˈtako]) is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling.
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Expresses Tradition: Street Food Culture, Wikipedia category: Category:Street foodView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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