Pineapple in tacos

Pineapple is the fruit topping that distinguishes Mexico City's tacos al pastor, a slice roasted on top of the trompo and flicked onto each taco. It is absent from most related spit-roasted styles.

History

The spit-roasted tacos orientales sold in Puebla around 1930 by Middle Eastern immigrant families had no pineapple, cilantro, onion or red adobo. Chilango's history of al pastor credits Mexico City with adding the fruit but finds no firm record of who did it first. El Tizoncito, founded in 1966, claims to have invented the version with a small piece of pineapple; El Huequito, from 1950, is credited with the red adobo.

Use

On a Mexico City trompo a block of pineapple crowns the stack of marinated pork while an onion sits at the base; the taquero shaves meat onto the tortilla and then slices a sliver of the roasting pineapple on top. Larousse notes that pineapple pairs naturally with fatty meats such as pork and contains bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme used in marinades to tenderize meat.

Styles without pineapple

Texas Monthly's José R. Ralat points out that Monterrey's tacos de trompo are served without pineapple and Tijuana's adobada is topped with a runny avocado salsa instead.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos al pastor
• Trompo
• Tacos árabes
• Tacos de trompo
• Taco garnishes

References

1. "La historia del taco al pastor es la versión taquera de Romeo y Julieta". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "Trompo Tacos Are So Much More Than Tacos al Pastor". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
3. "Piña". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.