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American Tacos: A History and Guide

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Article
Also known as: American Tacos

American Tacos: A History and Guide is a 2020 book by José R. Ralat, the taco editor of Texas Monthly, published by the University of Texas Press, which surveys the regional and cultural styles of taco that have developed in the United States.

Contents
  1. Author
  2. Contents
  3. Approach
  4. Reviews
  5. See also
  6. References

Author

José R. Ralat, who grew up in New York as a Nuyorican, is the taco editor at Texas Monthly and earlier wrote the Taco Trail blog and VICE's Tacology column. L.A. TACO describes him as a taco scholar and historian; NBC News notes his argument that no single group owns the taco and that its authenticity is hard to pin down.

Contents

The book traces how a food of Mexican origin spread and changed across the United States, with chapters organized by style and region. NBC News lists Tex-Mex tacos, which grew out of Mexican American cooking in Texas; New Mexico tacos built on red and green chile; California tacos shaped by the state's mix of peoples; Indo-Mex or "Desi-Tex" tacos in Houston filled with aloo tikki, saag paneer or curries; Korean-Mexican tacos; and kosher "Deli-Mex" tacos with pastrami-style brisket in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. L.A. TACO adds breakfast tacos, crunchy tacos, Chicano locavore tacos and a chapter on "Sur-Mex" taco culture in the American South, along with a short list of iconic tacos for each region.

Approach

Ralat treats taco history as the history of the people who make tacos, tying each style to its cooks and their backgrounds. In L.A. TACO's interview he summarized his method as eating, reading, traveling and above all listening.

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "'American Tacos' author José Ralat explores Mexico's gift to the world". NBC News. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Taco Nerds, Rejoice. 'American Tacos' Has Arrived". L.A. TACO. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Behind a $1.50 Taco, a Deep Well of Expertise". PBS SoCal (The Migrant Kitchen). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "The Brief History of the Taco Emoji Now Has a Happy Ending". VICE. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Books Media Taco basics Tacos in the United States