When you hear the word Mexico there are a number of things which come to mind, at first you may think tequila, perhaps sun, beaches and sombreros, but somewhere along that thought process that magic word will pop into your mind, tacos. That’s right, tacos are the most incredible and one of the most famous Mexican exports and they are loved around the world. Much like many foods however the Mexican taco has been somewhat warped as it has been exported and that has resulted in some very different variations of this tasty snack.
Today then I want to take a look into what is the makeup of a traditional Mexican taco, as found throughout the country, lets take a look.
Small and Soft
As my good friend and fellow taco lover Javier Burillo will often tell me, the worst thing that ever happened to the taco shell was it being made hard. Now you may or may not agree with this but as someone who has grown up with authentic Mexican tacos I can completely understand where he is coming from with this. In the main a great taco should be small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, and soft enough to easily wrap around all of that juicy and delicious filling.
Filling
In terms of the main event in terms of the filling there is so much that you can do here which will give your taco some amazing flavor. Naturally the most common filling south of the border is meat or fish, but if you head to cities like Mexico City or even somewhere like Monterrey you are going to find veggie and vegan fillings like seitan or tofu, equally as delicious and of course ideal for those with certain dietary requirements. We like to do a slow cooked pork in our tacos but the real beauty of this snack is that you can fill it up with just about anything.
Condiments
Through the years I have seen all kinds of absurd things placed on tacos, some of which have even made me cringe. Whilst a taco shell with a meaty or fishy filing may lend itself to a variety of condiments, the truth is that to go traditional you just have to keep it simple. For me there is nothing better to adorn the taco than some chopped raw onions, a handful of cilantro and some spicy salsa, not to mention the lime juice which will be squirted on at the end. The truth is that a taco is a very simple dish to put together and the real difference between one and the other is about the quality of the ingredients. Very often people try to overthink a taco, or they aim to reinvent the wheel, none of that in reality is necessary, keep it simple and ensure that the ingredients are of a very high quality.
Leave a Reply