The Explosive (Literally!) History of Tacos

You can’t get too far in Mexico without stumbling upon a taco stand. From al pastor to carnitas to bistec, all your taco cravings can be satisfied for (usually) 20 mxn or less ($1usd).

Tacos are synonymous with Mexican cuisine, but how did they come to be?

I dove into the history of tacos to find out!

To understand the history of tacos, we need to start with the history of  tortillas.

Some sources say that tortillas can be traced back to the ancient Mayans in 10,000 BCE. Legend has it, peasants would gift tortillas to the kings, and the dish proceeded to become a staple of both Mayan and Aztec cultures (click HERE, HERE, and HERE to learn more.)

Other sources say tortillas were created in 2,000 BCE when the Mayans invented a food preparation process called nixtamalization. Nixtamalization is the process of cooking dried corn kernels in an alkaline solution of water and lime.  This makes corn easier to grind while the lime helps release key vitamins from the corn. Through nixtamalization, corn tortillas can hold their shape while being more nutritious, which was a game changer for diets of the Aztecs and Mayans.  Some sources say this process started in 2,500 BCE (a great source for the science of nixtamalization!) others say 1500-1200 BCE. Ah… the joys  of food history.

Based on the evidence, I’d guess that ancient Central American societies in 10,000 BCE did make some sort of flat bread. However, “tortillas” that we know and love today didn’t flourish until a few thousand years later with advancements in maize harvesting and the invention of nixtamalization. 

Now, let’s get to the History of Tacos…

According to Jeffrey Pilcher, a history professor and Mexican food historian, the first tacos were quite explosive, but not because of a spicy roja.The term “taco” referred to the explosive powder chargers silver miners used in the late 1800s to carve out rock face. Miner’s would make a cigar-like explosive by wrapping gun powder in silver paper, stick them in holes, then KA BOOM! These chargers looked quite similar to the miner’s lunches—tortillas wrapped around potatoes, meat, and other simple stuffings. They began calling their lunches “tacos”, and the name stuck.

As Mexico’s industrial economy started booming, women left the countryside and headed into Mexico City to join the work force. Those who couldn’t find well-paying factory jobs started selling tacos in the street. Voila, the birth of our beloved taco stand!

From Mexico to the USA

As Mexican migrants headed to the United States in the early 1900s in search of work, they brought tacos with them. Their children continued cooking up traditional Mexican flavors, but began adding lettuce, cheese, tomato and other American foods. Despite being delicious, many people didn’t want to go to Mexican neighborhoods to give them a try.

That all changed in 1962 when Glenn Bell began his Taco Bell empire. His tacos were accessible, Americanized and affordable, kicking off a true taco craze. Bell’s secret was his invention of fried, u-shape tortillas. While traditional corn tortillas need to be made fresh, fried tortillas last for much longer, making food prep faster and more efficient. (Check out my USA vs Australia Taco Bell Showdown for more!)

While tacos were becoming more American in the United States, tacos were becoming more Lebanese in Mexico. There was an influx of Lebanese migrants, and they brought vertical rotisseries with them for making shawarma. The children of this first wave of migrants started using this cooking technique with pork, leading to the birth of one of the post popular types of tacos in Mexico: the al pastor.

Tacos Today

Tacos have continued to boom in popularity in Mexico, the United States, and beyond.  (Fun Fact: “Taco Friday” is a popular Norwegian tradition. According to a 2012 study,  400,000 Norwegians (8.2% of the population) participated in a Friday taco feast.)

From a classic al pastor taco on the streets of Mexico City to a gourmet roasted brussel sprout taco in New York City, tacos are a delicious, versatile food that people can’t get enough of.

Hungry for more food history? Check out my deep dives into the History of Churros and the History of Pie!

Hungry for more tacos? Check out my Chelsea Market Taco Crawl and Austin Taco Adventure!