| The taco – The mouthwatering distinguishing national mark! |
October, 2004 - Leer Español
By The Editor |
 In Mexico eating tacos is so important that in fact we have the popular saying, amongst many others: "En la forma de agarrar el taco se conoce al que es tragón" [the way someone grabs a taco shows you whether he is a heavy eater].
It is through the taco that all religions and all social classes unite in order to celebrate on one hand the privilege of eating and enjoying a cuisine that through its ingredients offers what we call our very rich Mexican flavor, and on the other hand in order to realize that we all come from and end at the same place, there where: "con el taco en la mano todos somos hermanos" [with a taco in my hand we are all brothers].
 In many occasions a deal between friends or relatives is closed with a good taco. It is a tradition to organize a taco feast to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a baptism or simply to gather together with the family to eat. At present it is a world full of haste and competition but you may observe, too that there is nothing more practical on any level than to enjoy some delicious tacos when you have little time to eat.
It is mentioned that the conquerors were the ones that carried out the first memorable taco feast in the New World . Bernal Díaz del Castillo tells us something about what could easily be considered the discovery of the carnitas (grilled pork) taco. In his history of the conquest, the soldier writer remembers when he was with Mr. Hernan Cortez in his residence in Coyoacan, Hernan used to organize banquets for his captains. One time pigs and wine had arrived and none of these things were known in the new land. There was no wheat flour, whose cultivation started precisely in Coyoacan with 3 grains that one of the conqueror's black slave had found by coincidence in a rice bag.
The Spanish soldiers had to eat the pork with corn made bread, which was the main food of the native Indians. When the pork fell onto the soft surface of the freshly made corn tortilla, being enfolded by it, something was created that the Spanish soldiers did not know: the birth of the mestizo cuisine was occurring and the first taco (as we know it today) was tasted by European palates.
The taco - with the tortilla being the heart - is the predominant figure in a land distinguished for its corn culture. Its simplicity, its originality and its easy handling converts the taco into an indispensable food in the diet of the Mexicans.
In his "True history of the conquest of the New Spain "', Bernal Díaz del Castillo relates the magnificence of the Tlatelolco market, and among the variety of food products naturally the tortilla stood out. In a sense, the taco was an element of the daily diet of rulers and commoners. It is a legacy of prehispanic food that has survived up to our days and that not only has a great value in the Mexican diet but also amazes and pleases the foreign palates.  The taco consists of 2 basic elements; the first one is the tortilla which can be made of corn or flour. The second element is the food or the ingredient with which it is filled . There is an third element which even though it is not basic in making a taco, it is essential in order to distinguish a good taco from one that is not - and that element is the salsa that seasons it and which in most cases is very hot. As a matter of fact we have another saying: "la salsa mientras más picosa, más sabrosa" [the hotter the salsa, the more delicious it is].
 Once identified what a taco is, with a naked eye you can see why eating tacos is a cultural tradition in our families. From everything and for anyone you can make tacos. The most popular ones amongst many others are with carne asada (roasted beef), adobada (meat with adobada spice), carnitas de cerdo (fried pork), pork cutlet, goat meat, lamb meat and the ones with prepared food. The styles vary from steamed to barbequed, cooked, grilled, roasted and many more.
Thanks to the creativity of a local inhabitant, Puerto Vallarta now offers a marlin and/or seafood "tacon" (a very huge taco) that has traveled around the world being an ambassador of our coastal cuisine.  A taco is not just any thing, it is the secret weapon of the Mexicans: besides supporting the economy of many families of our country, it is a product that is also growing in the US American and Canadian market.
Eating a taco seems simple, however even "holding the tortilla" has its own science. In his book "Very brief history of Mexican food" Jesus Flores y Escalante sums up the rules for enjoying a good taco:
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Preparing or receiving a taco: take it with your thumb and little finger up and the ring and index finger down so that it does not fall apart or lose its contents.
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Make a 45 degree gyratory movement with your body to prevent getting stains on your cloth, if you wear a tie, it is recommended to guard it in the opening of your shirt.
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Know how to balance your body perfectly so that you can hold up either the plate or the drink with your left arm.
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Have profound knowledge of the names and nuances of each taco form and style so that you may not cause any contradiction with the taco cook
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Be on the alert to order the subsequent tacos on time in order not to "lose the rhythm"
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Keep good track of the number of tacos consumed in order to notify the taco cook the end.
So now, on your next visit of our destination follow the rules and enjoy this popular delicacy.
Taco is a culture and around it is a huge universe created by the taco chefs and their taco stands. However that is another story, which we will tell in future articles.
Buen Provecho! Enjoy your meal.
The Editor
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