Talking Taco

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Whether or not it's Tuesday, tacos pretty much always hit the spot—and not just in their homeland in Mexico. These days, the taco can be found all over the world, although it's acquired some strange new fillings along the way, from French fries to canned corn. It's hard to imagine something so universal having to be invented—but, in fact, the taco as we know it only emerged in the 1800s. In this episode, Gastropod talks taco with the experts, peering through the salsa-smudged veil of history to answer such questions as: What do Cornish miners and their lunchtime pasties have to do with the taco? Did Glen Bell, of Taco Bell fame, actually invent the hard-shell version? Is a burrito also a taco? And how can a seemingly simple snack harbor so many mysteries? Grab a napkin, because things are going to get messy—and delicious—as we dive deep into the taco-verse to find out!

Tacos from Maizajo, on handmade tortillas filled with duck and a fermented mezcal-based salsa. (Photo by Nicola Twilley)

Episode Notes

Alonso Ruvalcaba

Food writer and chef Alonso Ruvalcaba is the co-author, with chef Enrique Olivera, of the new cookbook Sunny Days, Taco Nights.

Jeffrey Pilcher

Jeffrey Pilcher is a professor of food history at the University of Toronto and the author of Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food.

Tacos from the Por Siempre Vegana taco stand in Mexico City, featuring French fries as an optional topping! Maybe the French aren't so out there, after all... (Photo by Nicola Twilley)
Tostadas from a stand in Xalapa, Mexico, with rajas (stewed prickly pear cactus strips), rice, and black beans. (Photo by Nicola Twilley)

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega is an award-winning, bilingual science journalist based in Mexico City, and we couldn't have reported this episode without his help. Find more of his writing from Science Magazine, The New York Times, Quanta, and elsewhere on his website.

Real del Monte's Cornish History

For more about Real del Monte's Cornish miners and their sporting and culinary contributions, you can read this article in The Conversation and this one on the Seconds website.

Eater's Guide to the Best Tacos In Mexico City—and More!

With impeccable timing, our friends at Eater have just published a new guide to where to eat in Mexico City. There are special sections on street food and traditional specialties, there are maps and recommended day trips, and there's also lots of context on what makes one of the world's great food cities so great. ¡Buen Provecho!

Transcript

Click here for a transcript of the show. Please note that the transcript is provided as a courtesy and may contain errors.