The Origin of a Taco

If you have ever had the pleasure of enjoying a delicious taco, you might have wondered, “Who invented this perfect creation?” While experts are not sure exactly where the first taco was made and eaten, the history of this now Ameri-Mex food can be traced through time. Here is more on the origin of a taco, and how we got to where we are today with our common fusion of delicious American-Mexican dishes.

The Beginnings of the Taco

According to an article published by the Smithsonian, the origin of a taco is not exactly known. Professor Jeffrey M. Pilcher at the University of Minnesota suspects that the taco comes from Mexican silver miners, who likely were the first to invent such a convenient entrée. Such a theory dates the taco all the way back to the 18th century, making it more than 300 years old.

Pilcher believes that the mines are where the history of the taco starts because, back then, “taco” was the word they coined to refer to the charges they used when unearthing ore. Such a “taco” was gunpowder that had been wrapped in paper, in order to ignite an explosion in the mines. This is much like meat that is wrapped in a taco shell, especially if that taco is spicy, thus creating an explosion of flavor in your mouth

Moving Forward in History

The first mention of a taco in the United States was in a newspaper in 1905. When Mexican migrant workers came to the Southwestern United States in order to find work, they brought the taco with them. At first this food was seen as lower-class, until the children of those migrant workers grew up and had more advantages than their parents, as far as economics were concerned.

Because these children grew up eating tacos, this was something that they carried into adulthood. Once this happened, tacos became mainstream, but Americans were putting their own twist onto this foreign delicacy. Thus you have the birth of Ameri-Mex foods, which was a new spin on the Mexican classic.

Tacos in Today’s World

New As many of you know, tacos are a staple to the American diet in today’s world. Some consider this “Mexican” food, but more often than not, the tacos that Americans eat are not authentic to the Mexican culture. There are some restaurants that are true to the roots of the taco, but they are few and far between.

To get the best of both worlds, a taco at an Ameri-Mex style restaurant will present you with a meal that is packed full of flavor and all of your favorite ingredients. In the Atlanta area, there are so many of these restaurants to choose from, but you will not be disappointed with what we serve up at the Twisted Taco. By fusing together the old traditions of Mexico and new, popular trends in America, we are dishing out something special to our customers.

For more information on the unique tacos we serve at Twisted Taco, and our Atlanta-based locations, please visit our website or contact us.

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