Mexican gastronomy has an endless number of styles, flavors and colors; it is so extensive and multifaceted that it has been named a "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO. One of the dishes that has become the symbol of the country is the taco.

The word taco comes from the Nahuatl word 'tlahco' which means "half or in the middle", referring to the way it is shaped. The true origin of the taco is not known, but it is believed that it was created in pre-Hispanic Mexico.

There are two references from this time: the first is from Moctezuma, who used tortillas made in hot stones as a spoon, forming something similar to the taco we know today; the second is the way they sent food to the men who worked all day in the fields, wrapped in tortillas.

Taco is a very popular culinary preparation from Mexico that consists of a tortilla, usually corn, that is folded or rolled to contain within various ingredients and some type of sauce. It is the most representative "antojito" of Mexican cuisine and can be found everywhere in the republic and in Mexican restaurants around the world.

The tortilla is a thin and round preparation made of corn dough, between 5 and 10 cm in diameter. Corn tortillas are especially important in Mexican cuisine, with which tacos are prepared; the importance of the tortilla in Mexico and Central America is such, that has been used in the daily diet since very remote times in various towns of the region, being part of the culture of many of the original peoples of America and transcending its consumption in many cases to the present.

For the filling, there is a wide variety of foods such as meats, casqueria or sausages. The ingredients and the way they are cooked determine the name, for example, cochinita tacos or golden tacos, also called fried tacos or flutes. Other variants include: basket tacos, armored tacos, named for including rice and hard-boiled egg, drowned tacos, northern tacos, etc. among many others.

The sauce is the accompaniment and at the same time an essential ingredient. There are many sauces in Mexican cuisine: the family of red sauces, along with the family of green sauces, are the most typical, in addition to the spicy avocado sauce, the tree chili sauce, the macha sauce, the pico de gallo, etc. Other common accompaniments are: cheese, cream, lemon, radishes or a mixture of chopped cilantro and onion.

Types of tacos

Some particular types can be distinguished, based on their type of meat or their preparation. There are those who consider that a taco is born with the "mere act" of wrapping or rolling a stew with an omelette.

By type of meats: Tacos are basically filled with pork and beef, among these are: Tacos de tripa, tacos de arrachera, tacos de sesos, tacos de bistec, tacos de suadero, tacos de escamoles and tacos de canasta.

Tacos al pastor: The main ingredient for these tacos is marinated pork with achiote or ancho chili, orange, vinegar, pepper. These are accompanied with a piece of pineapple, the tortilla is small and sometimes two are used, one on top of the other.

Tacos de carnitas: Made with pork cooked in lard (fat) of the same.

Taco de longaniza: Prepared with sausage, a long sausage, stuffed with minced pork

Charcoal tacos: They contain any meat roasted on charcoal coals, commonly beef, pork or chicken.

Roast beef tacos: As the name suggests, they are tacos with roast beef. They are usually consumed in restaurants specializing in roast meat.

Tacos de cochinita: Cochinita is a traditional dish from the state of Yucatan. It is prepared by bathing the pork with marinade (achiote) and letting it macerate for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and put the meat in. Let it cook until very soft. Originally the stew is made by cooking the meat in a hole in the earth where stones have been heated by means of intense fire, then covered with various leaves.

Taco de birria: It is made with goat meat, which is bathed with a special sauce and cooked in a clay oven for hours. Birria, served as a thick broth, is also a typical Jalisco dish.

Head tacos: They are steamed with the different types of meat that are in the head of the beef or sheep. They include the tongue, ear, eye, brains (brain), solid and cheek cleats, just to list a few.

Chicken tacos: This taco is made with cooked and shredded chicken, mole, onion, and is accompanied with a tortilla made with cornmeal, wheat flour, lard, salt and water.

Barbecue taco: Contains lamb, ram or beef meat in the northern states. It can be served in the traditional way, with soft tortilla, or with the tortilla rolled covering the meat or fried in oil, covered with cream and fresh cheese. It is usually accompanied by consommé or lamb broth, which contains rice and chickpeas, and is seasoned with drunken sauce, prepared with pasilla chili and pulque.

Barbecue taco: Contains lamb, ram or beef meat in the northern states. It can be served in the traditional way, with soft tortilla, or with the tortilla rolled covering the meat or fried in oil, covered with cream and fresh cheese. It is usually accompanied by consommé or lamb broth, which contains rice and chickpeas, and is seasoned with drunken sauce, prepared with pasilla chili and pulque.

Taco de suadero: This type of taco is prepared with two fried tortillas and on top a portion of suadero (beef) is added and can be accompanied with coriander, onion, lemon, salt and either red or green sauce to the taste of the diner.

Tacos de Canasta: These are tacos that are prepared with small corn tortillas and heated with steam using a pot called "vaporera". These tacos are distinguished by being oily, sweaty.

Being considered a basic dish of Mexican identity and gastronomy, there are variations or changes that are controversial. The importance of taco as part of Mexican culture can be understood through artistic expressions and popular culture where this dish is mentioned.

In 1997, March 31 was declared "World Taco Day" and with it would become the most representative dish of Mexico.

References:

Un recorrido por la historia del taco 

Taco - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre.