Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America
The nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ˇAsk a Mexican! presents a fascinating and tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine’s tremendous popularity in el Norte.
Nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ˇAsk a Mexican! Gustavo Arellano presents a tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine’s tremendous popularity north of the border. Arellano’s fascinating narrative combines history, cultural criticism, food writing, personal anecdotes, and Jesus on a tortilla. In seemingly every decade for over a century, America has tried new culinary trends from south of the border, loved them, and demanded the next big thing. As a result, Mexican food dominates American palates to the tune of billions of dollars in sales per year, from canned refried beans to tortilla wraps and ballpark nachos. It’s a little-known history, one that’s crept up on this country and left us better for it. |
Contents
Whats So Cosmic About a Burrito?
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1 |
Whatever Happened to the Chili Queens
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29 |
How Did the Taco Become Popular
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50 |
Who Were the Enchilada Millionaires
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71 |
How Did Americans Become Experts
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86 |
Whatever Happened to Southwestern Cuisine?
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108 |
ls TexMex Food Doomed?
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122 |
What Took the Burrito So Long
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139 |
How Did Mexican Food Get into
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175 |
Is the Tortilla Gods Favored Method
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195 |
How Did Salsa Become Americas
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215 |
Tequila? Tequila
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230 |
What Are the Five Greatest
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245 |
Special iAsk a Mexican Question How and
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271 |
Acknowledgments
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289 |
When Did Mexicans Start Making Food
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157 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aguilar American Angeles Ashley’s authentic Aztecs Bayless beans became beef Bell’s brand burrito called Cano Casa cheese chef Chi-Chi’s Chicago chile chili con carne chili queens chocolate city’s Claiborne cookbooks cooking corn country’s created culinary customers decades dish Doolin early eatery El Torito enchiladas factory fajitas Feniger fields figure filled finally find first five flavors flour tortilla fried Fritos frozen margarita Glen Bell Grill Guelaguetza hot dog hot sauce Lummis Mariano’s Martinez masa meal meat menu Mexi Mexican cuisine Mexican dinners Mexican food Mexican restaurant Mexican-American nachos native never Oaxacan offered Olvera Street opened Ortega Paso peppers plate popular recipes region Roberto’s Saavedra salsa San Antonio San Francisco says Sedlar sell served sold Southern California Southwest Spaniards Spanish specifically Taco Bell taquitos taste tequila Tex-Mex Texas there’s tion took Torito tortilla chips United vanilla vendors wanted what’s