National Taco Day
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mexican food? Tacos right! And how can you not when this famous dish is so flavorful. The best thing of all is you can have tacos any time of the day! You can have tacos for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You will find them on every block.
According to NationalTacoDay.com, Americans eat 4.5 billion tacos each year! This dish is everyone’s favorite that it even has a day of the week to celebrate #TacoTuesday, and now it’s a national holiday on October 4th. And let’s be honest, what is Tuesday’s without tacos? Just another day of the week.
And where do tacos really come from?
Origin is stated during the pre-hispanic era. Historians date the first traces of nixtamalized corn back to the Olmec culture back in 1,500 B.C. It is even said that the famous Moctezuma used corn tortillas to scoop and hold his food.
The word taco comes from the Nahuatl word ‘tlahco’, which means “half or in the middle,” referring to the way they are formed. They form part of the cultural and gastronomic diversity of Mexico.
Mexicans creativity is so that you can make anything into a taco, making tortillas our white canvas. There are different type of tacos depending the region of the country you are in: “de canasta, tacos de harina, de maiz, tacos de guisado, tacos dorados, etc.”
Tacos are one of Mexico’s iconic cultural items that have been declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO and ranked as the best dish in the world.
You can smell them across the street and will be tempted to go and have a bite. So if you are ever in Mexico, make sure to stop in a “taquería”.
Cochinita Pibil Tacos Recipe
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg of solid pork.
- 1 Cup of sour orange juice
- 1 Annatto cube
- 1 tbsp. oregano
- 1 tbsp. dried bay leaves
- 150 gr of white onion
- 4 Clean Garlic Cloves
- Salt and pepper
- Corn Tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
- Blend the juice, annatto, oregano, bay leaf, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat in a pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes.
- Combine the onion, chili, vinegar, and oregano in a bowl.
- Serve the cochinita in tacos.
