Taco Day: exploring the roots and cultural significance of this Mexican Celebration

Mexican gastronomy would not be the same without the presence of corn and its many facets that give society dishes such as pozole, chilaquiles and of course the tortilla, raw material for preparing tacos, one of the most acclaimed delicacies in the country, so much so that March 31 is celebrated as Taco Day.

It is a food that has made the Aztec flavor known around the world. Its presentations are infinite, since, strictly speaking, everything can be a taco. However, the ones that take the crown are the pastor, barbacoa, cochinita, carnitas, birria and a long etcetera.

Several sources point out that the origin of this tradition dates back to 2007 and arose thanks to a campaign launched by Televisa on Canal de las Estrellas. Part of the strategy was to create a website (which no longer exists) with all kinds of curious facts about this food, such as its pre-Columbian origin and the diversity of tacos in the country.

The promotion was through a commercial that said: “Because everyone has their day: Taco Day, March 31”. To give it more diffusion, an event was held at the Azteca Stadium and there was a concert with a fair where all kinds of tacos were exhibited. It is worth mentioning that this celebration did not only take place in Mexico City, as the same activities were replicated in the Papagayo Park in Acapulco.

The acceptance of this commemoration was such that since then the tradition began to be taken up again and it was agreed that this would be the date to celebrate the taco. However, it should be noted that people’s response was not a coincidence, since this food is already part of Mexican DNA par excellence.

Some studies point out that the name “taco” comes from the Nahuatl word tlahco, “which means “half” or “in the middle”, referring to the fact that a stew is served in the middle of the tortilla”. On the other hand, the Government of Mexico explains that its history begins with pre-Hispanic cultures, “having two references; the first one mentions that Moctezuma used tortillas to hold his food, forming something similar to the taco; the second one was that women, when men went to work, sent them food wrapped in tortillas”.

In those times the food was not exactly as it is known today, since at that time there were no animals such as cows, pigs or goats; meat was extracted from quail, ducks, deer, pigeons, hares and rabbits or stuffed with vegetables such as beans, squash and even chili.

Although it was common to eat corn tortillas with a stew, taquizas as such did not exist, in fact, it was Hernán Cortés who was in charge of popularizing these events. The information is known thanks to the book Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva España by the Spanish chronicler Bernal Díaz del Castillo.

It details how Cortés organized a small party in which he offered attendees “tacos with multiple extravagant fillings that would satiate anyone”.

This food never lost its cultural and social value, therefore, it became more and more popular until it conquered the palate of the entire population. Nowadays it is common to see how stalls offering this delicacy are never lacking in the most popular corners of the neighborhoods.

The experts in the kitchen are still innovating in the content and preparation of this dish, as the Government of Mexico specifies that “in 2017 was born the ‘golden taco’, one of the most extravagant tacos in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur; created by chef Juan Licerio Alcalá, which has among its ingredients a tortilla made of edible gold sheets, caviar, veal, caviar and caviar.s extravagant in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur; created by chef Juan Licerio Alcalá, which has among its ingredients a tortilla made with edible gold leaf, caviar, kobe beef, brie cheese, lobster, white and black truffle”.