Taco
- For other uses, see Taco (disambiguation).
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish comprising a rolled or folded, pliable tortilla (of maize, if the tortilla is of wheat flour then that is a burrito not a taco) 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.
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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 (fried taco) or flauta (Flute in English, because of the shape), the tortilla is filled with pre-cooked chicken or barbacoa, rolled into a cylinder and deep-fried until crisp.
Having cheese, lettuce, and other condiments on a taco are generally used in places other than Mexico. Tacos from Mexico generally have solely meat on them. Also, hard shells are almost non-existent in Mexico.
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 As the name pastor suggests, they were originally made with lamb or mutton.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.