What is a taco?
A: A taco is a traditional
Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized
corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling.
The tortilla is then folded around the filling and
eaten how?
A: By hand.
A taco can be made with a variety of what?
A: Fillings, including beef, pork,
chicken, seafood, beans,
vegetables, and
cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety.
They are often garnished with various condiments, such
as what?
A: Salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, and vegetables, such as
lettuce,
onion,
tomatoes, and chiles.
Tacos are a common form of antojitos, or Mexican what?
A: Street food.
Tacos can be contrasted with similar foods such as
what?
A: Burritos, which are often much larger and rolled rather than folded; taquitos, which are rolled and fried; or chalupas/tostadas, in which the
tortilla is fried before filling.
This meaning of the Spanish word "taco" is a Mexican
innovation, but the word "taco" is used in other contexts to mean what?
A: "Wedge; wad, plug; billiard cue; blowpipe; ramrod; short, stocky person;
[or] short, thick piece of wood."
The taco predates the arrival of what?
A: The Spanish 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 what?
A: Small fish.
Tacos al pastor ("shepherd style") or tacos de adobada
are made of what?
A: 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.
Tacos de asador ("spit" or "grill" tacos) may be
composed of what?
A: Carne asada tacos; tacos de tripita ("tripe tacos"), grilled until crisp;
and chorizo asado (traditional Spanish-style
sausage).
Each type is served on what?
A: Two overlapped small tortillas and sometimes garnished with guacamole,
salsa, onions, and cilantro.
Also, prepared on the grill is a sandwiched taco called
mulita ("little mule") made with what?
A: Meat served between two tortillas and garnished with Oaxaca style cheese.
Where did tacos de camarones ("shrimp tacos")
originate?
A: In Baja California in Mexico.
Tacos de cazo (literally "bucket tacos") for which a
metal bowl filled with lard is typically used as what?
A: A deep-fryer.
How are tacos de lengua (beef tongue tacos), cooked?
A: In water with onions, garlic, and bay leaves for several hours until
tender and soft, then sliced and sautéed in a small amount of oil.
It is said that unless a taqueria offers tacos de
lengua, it is not what?
A: A real taqueria.
Tacos de pescado ("fish tacos") originated in Baja
California in Mexico, where they consist of what?
A: 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 were first popularized by
whom?
A: The Rubio's fast-food chain, and remain most popular in California,
Colorado, and Washington.
In California, they are often found where?
A: At street vendors, and a regional variation is to serve them with cabbage and coleslaw dressing on top.
Tacos sudados ("sweaty tacos") are made how?
A: 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 does what?
A: Softens them.
As an accompaniment to tacos, many taco stands will
serve what?
A: Whole or sliced red radishes, lime slices, salt, pickled or grilled
chilis (hot peppers), and occasionally cucumber slices, or grilled cambray
onions.
What is the most common type of taco in the US?
A: The hard-shell, U-shaped version, first described in a cookbook in 1949.