8 ms·

You understand neither burritos nor tacos.

by RosanaAnaDana 4y ago

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
systemvoltage 4y ago
Go ahead. Explain yourself.
- RosanaAnaDana 4y ago
  A taco is a small, to be held in the hand, street food predating the Spanish empire in southern Mexico and central america (Parker, 2006). It is composed of a small amount of meat or fish on a corn flatbread, usually with some amount of pico de gallo or salsa, and often with lime over it. Some key elements is that its a 'single ingredient' dish, it be hand held, and it be served fresh (traditionally as street food). Carne asada, al pastor, fried fish, etc. represent reasonable taco fillings and are not 'combined' with other, filler type ingredients, like beans or rice. There is another mexican dish, the tostada which incorporates those ingredients. A tostada is not a taco. A taco needs to be able to be picked up and eaten with one hand. That means it can not be over filled and it shouldn't be. If you want more food, order more tacos. A burrito is as well a single ingredient food (read: no fillers like beans and rice unless that is specifically the single ingredient in the burrito). The primary difference is that a burrito is usually on flour tortillas and is wrapped to be held with two hands, often having substantially more content than a taco, which is specifically intended to be eaten with one hand. The biggest criticism I'm raising is the American (outside of border states like CA, AZ, NM, and TX where they don't put up with that shit) tendency to accept cheaper, filler ingredients as primary to the contents of a burrito. This is a serious departure, where in border states and mexico, burritos might come with rice and beans on the side, they are never substituted as primary ingredients. The broadest point is that there are many many ways of combining some filling, tortillas, and other ingredients. Just because it has those components does not a taco or burrito make. Parker, 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20080502160526/http://www.iccjournal.biz/StudentScholars/Undergraduate/history_of_mexican_cuisine.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080502160526/http://www.iccjou...
  - systemvoltage 4y ago
    Holyshit, I concede! This is peak HN :-). Thanks for the lesson honestly.
  - bbkane 4y ago
    This is a great description for the original, most pure definition of taco. However, people interpret foods differently over time and space (just look at what "pizza" has meant for different areas over time), and, in my opinion, this evolution is natural and shouldn't be looked down upon.
    - mvid 4y ago
      The pure definition, though, is still the common definition in most of Central America and in Latino communities. Feels odd to erase that correct, active definition because it was used for marketing unrelated things in unrelated places
      - jhgb 4y ago
        Let me know once people in the US stop referring to meat-filled pastry as "koláče". I was horrified to find out about that. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that one either.
        cleansingfire 4y ago
        The only place I've seen kolatches (sp.) was fifty years ago in the little town of West, TX (and it's not really in West Texas, but more in between Fort Worth and Austin.) Those were pastries filled with various delicious things, including sausage and fruit.) I don't think I've ever seen kolatches anywhere else. I'd love to find more, and learn the difference. They are far from common in the USA sadly.
        jhgb 4y ago
        I'm not sure I could tell you anything more than Wikipedia can already tell you in my stead. Sausages simply have nothing to do with koláče; koláče are basically sweets. You wouldn't put a sausage in a cake either, I'm sure.
dgellow 4y ago
Aren’t tacos very different things in different places? You and the person you answer to may be talking past each other if you have a different idea of what a tacos is in your mind. Just for the anecdote, I’m back from France and tacos there are a weird sandwich. But I’ve always seen them made using a hard-shell made of corn, that breaks way too easy. And I believe that’s considered heretic in the US, so I’m not even sure what you would expect an actual tacos to be!
- ghaff 4y ago
  >But I’ve always seen them made using a hard-shell made of corn, that breaks way too easy. And I believe that’s considered heretic in the US Certainly not heretic. You'll find hard-shell corn tacos in pretty much any US grocery store. They do break easily but they're what I would tend to use for a taco with ground beef. Otherwise, I'd usually use soft corn.
  - stjohnswarts 4y ago
    I usually get two, break them up and make a taco salad, much easier to eat and less likely to ruin a shirt. If I can't set up that situation I get the soft tacos.
    - dgellow 4y ago
      Oh that's an interesting idea. Never heard of a taco salad.
- robonerd 4y ago
  In America, hard-shell tacos are simultaneously heretical and popular. It's polarizing, like pineapples on pizza.
  - lordnacho 4y ago
    Marmite is polarising, you can legitimately like or dislike it. What you're suggesting is inflammatory legitimisation of an abhorrent practice.

You understand neither burritos nor tacos.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

systemvoltage 4y ago

Go ahead. Explain yourself.

RosanaAnaDana 4y ago
A taco is a small, to be held in the hand, street food predating the Spanish empire in southern Mexico and central america (Parker, 2006). It is composed of a small amount of meat or fish on a corn flatbread, usually with some amount of pico de gallo or salsa, and often with lime over it. Some key elements is that its a 'single ingredient' dish, it be hand held, and it be served fresh (traditionally as street food). Carne asada, al pastor, fried fish, etc. represent reasonable taco fillings and are not 'combined' with other, filler type ingredients, like beans or rice. There is another mexican dish, the tostada which incorporates those ingredients. A tostada is not a taco. A taco needs to be able to be picked up and eaten with one hand. That means it can not be over filled and it shouldn't be. If you want more food, order more tacos. A burrito is as well a single ingredient food (read: no fillers like beans and rice unless that is specifically the single ingredient in the burrito). The primary difference is that a burrito is usually on flour tortillas and is wrapped to be held with two hands, often having substantially more content than a taco, which is specifically intended to be eaten with one hand. The biggest criticism I'm raising is the American (outside of border states like CA, AZ, NM, and TX where they don't put up with that shit) tendency to accept cheaper, filler ingredients as primary to the contents of a burrito. This is a serious departure, where in border states and mexico, burritos might come with rice and beans on the side, they are never substituted as primary ingredients. The broadest point is that there are many many ways of combining some filling, tortillas, and other ingredients. Just because it has those components does not a taco or burrito make. Parker, 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20080502160526/http://www.iccjournal.biz/StudentScholars/Undergraduate/history_of_mexican_cuisine.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080502160526/http://www.iccjou...
- systemvoltage 4y ago
  Holyshit, I concede! This is peak HN :-). Thanks for the lesson honestly.
- bbkane 4y ago
  This is a great description for the original, most pure definition of taco. However, people interpret foods differently over time and space (just look at what "pizza" has meant for different areas over time), and, in my opinion, this evolution is natural and shouldn't be looked down upon.
  - mvid 4y ago
    The pure definition, though, is still the common definition in most of Central America and in Latino communities. Feels odd to erase that correct, active definition because it was used for marketing unrelated things in unrelated places
    - jhgb 4y ago
      Let me know once people in the US stop referring to meat-filled pastry as "koláče". I was horrified to find out about that. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that one either.
      - cleansingfire 4y ago
        The only place I've seen kolatches (sp.) was fifty years ago in the little town of West, TX (and it's not really in West Texas, but more in between Fort Worth and Austin.) Those were pastries filled with various delicious things, including sausage and fruit.) I don't think I've ever seen kolatches anywhere else. I'd love to find more, and learn the difference. They are far from common in the USA sadly.
        jhgb 4y ago
        I'm not sure I could tell you anything more than Wikipedia can already tell you in my stead. Sausages simply have nothing to do with koláče; koláče are basically sweets. You wouldn't put a sausage in a cake either, I'm sure.

dgellow 4y ago

Aren’t tacos very different things in different places? You and the person you answer to may be talking past each other if you have a different idea of what a tacos is in your mind. Just for the anecdote, I’m back from France and tacos there are a weird sandwich. But I’ve always seen them made using a hard-shell made of corn, that breaks way too easy. And I believe that’s considered heretic in the US, so I’m not even sure what you would expect an actual tacos to be!

ghaff 4y ago
>But I’ve always seen them made using a hard-shell made of corn, that breaks way too easy. And I believe that’s considered heretic in the US Certainly not heretic. You'll find hard-shell corn tacos in pretty much any US grocery store. They do break easily but they're what I would tend to use for a taco with ground beef. Otherwise, I'd usually use soft corn.
- stjohnswarts 4y ago
  I usually get two, break them up and make a taco salad, much easier to eat and less likely to ruin a shirt. If I can't set up that situation I get the soft tacos.
  - dgellow 4y ago
    Oh that's an interesting idea. Never heard of a taco salad.
robonerd 4y ago
In America, hard-shell tacos are simultaneously heretical and popular. It's polarizing, like pineapples on pizza.
- lordnacho 4y ago
  Marmite is polarising, you can legitimately like or dislike it. What you're suggesting is inflammatory legitimisation of an abhorrent practice.