Tacos: A Love Story
Tacos: A Love Story
Tacos can be found in any city and in every corner of Mexico, but the history of this quintessential Mexican dish dates back much further than you might think! Here we explore the history of the taco, from its ancient Mexican origins to its celebrated status as one of our favorite Southwestern meals.
Pre-18th Century
Foods very similar to tacos were consumed by ancient Mexicans long before the Spanish arrived. The exact date is debated, but experts generally agree that the first "taco" was invented between 1000-500 B.C., although it probably did not look much like the taco we think of today. The Mexican natives made flat, soft corn tortillas and filled them with small fish, insects or offal.
18th Century
The name "taco" is believed to have originated with silver miners in Mexico. The very first type of taco ever documented was called tacos de mineros, or "miner's tacos." The cigar-shaped gunpowder sticks used in silver mine excavation resembled the spicy filled corn tortillas that the miners ate for lunch.
1900 - 1920
Mexican migrants introduced the taco to the U.S. in the early 19th century when they brought their delicious cuisines with them in search of employment. They were popularized through tamale carts in Los Angeles and with a group of women called the Chili Queens in San Antonio. It was the first exposure many Americans had to Mexican cuisine.
1920 - 1950
Descendants of the original Mexican migrants in the U.S. began to fuse traditional Mexican tacos with ingredients easily found in the U.S., such as Cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce and ground beef. Lebanese migrants in Mexico brought with them vertical rotisseries used to slow cook lamb, beef and pork and infused Mediterranean flavors into the Mexican street food scene. Meanwhile, Mexican restaurateurs patented the process of frying a tortilla and forming the U-shape ubiquitous to the crispy hard-shelled tacos Americans love.
1950 - 1970
The ability to mass-produce the hard-shell taco was vital to bringing Mexican cuisine to the broader U.S. by increasing its availability in restaurants and grocery stores across the country. It also set the stage for success by Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell. Starting with just one restaurant in 1962, his business grew to over 100 franchise locations by 1967.
1970 - Present
Today, Mexican cuisine is the third most popular menu type in the U.S. With 8% of the total national restaurant landscape, the Mexican restaurant industry market size is currently estimated at a whopping $66.9 billion. There has recently been a push in the U.S. for more authentic Mexican regional favorites, such as tacos al pastor, made of spit-roasted pork seasoned with a mix of Mediterranean and Mexican spices, and tacos de pescado, lighter, brighter tacos made with either grilled or fried fish.
