Welcome to our Taco T-Shirt Vault. Taco Tees are great and so are tacos. But how did we get here? It’s all about the taco. So, let’s start at the beginning. Where did tacos come from? Well, it’s thought that they came from Mexico, even before the Spaniards. Tacos were considered a staple meal providing nutrients and energy. Especially, when using fish and cooked organs as a filling inside a freshly made corn tortilla. The tortilla was soft and flat.
Furthermore, did you know that the meaning of taco is a light snack? And, according to Mexican tradition there are certain times in which to eat seafood tacos, including lunch time and snack time called antojitos. How amazing is that? Also, the Department of Agriculture in Mexico states there could be well over 20,000 completely different taco recipes.
Food For Thought:
Would you believe that the largest taco ever made was 246 feet long? Oh, my! It stretched for an entire city block on November 20, 2011. It was created with pulled pork called carnitas and shown in Queretaro, Mexico.
Also, in Baja, the fish taco is the most popular. It was created during the 50’s and 60’s. Even though the taco has been around for 100 years. While Mexican immigrants worked on the railroads and other jobs, in 1905 the taco made its first introduction into the U.S.A. However, dating back to the early 19th century, taco places, called taquerías, were small stands.
American Tacos:
Some of the first exposure for Americans to tacos were through Mexican food carts. These food carts were located in L.A. and the first individuals to run them were women. These women were known as the “chili queens”. Now, by the 1920’s Americans were using standard fillings known as the ultimate taco. Into the 1940’s, the taco shell was changed to a pre-fried u-shaped taco. Today we celebrate tacos on October 4th. This is considered National Taco Day in the U.S.A.
Italian Tacos:
Similar to Mexican tacos, the Italians have their own type of taco. They use an Italian flatbread called piadine. And, it is made on a warm terracotta flat dish. The bread is usually filled with sweet or savory fillings and folded. For the taco variation, they use meat, cheese, and tomatoes. Once they fold the flatbread into the taco shape it is like a sandwich they call a piada. Their version of the taco!
Korean Tacos:
Surprisingly, the Korean taco didn’t come about in Korea! It actually was created in 2000 in Los Angeles’ street food community. However, it uses Korean ingredients like bulgogi and kimchi. Bulgogi is meat that has been sliced and marinated after grilling and roasting. Kimchi is a mix of vegetables with fish sauce and other spices. Next, this mixture is pickled and fermented to preserve during colder months and is a staple in most meals.
French Tacos:
In 2000, in a small city near Lyon, France, fast food restaurants were sighted with French tacos on the menu. These were known as French mattresses (matelas). These are grilled and folded flour tortillas and include a filling of cheese, french fries, and deli meat. However, French tacos seem to be more similar to a burrito or a quesadilla. They called their French taco, tacos francais, to distinguish it from the original Mexican taco.
Now that you know more about tacos, you see how popular they are especially since the early 2000’s. Since the popularity of the taco craze, we now have these wonderful amazing Taco T-shirts! You now can get your favorite taco sayings on a Tee. Join the club of taco lovers and get your T-shirt here today!