I got an interesting comment on my last post, which got me thinking about the history of the burrito. In my response, I said that the burrito is a Mexican-American creation. I would like to re-phrase that to say that the burritos most of us are familiar with are - cheese, lettuce, rice beans, guacamole, etc. - are a hybrid of the two cultures.
In 1998, a journalist at Washington Post went in search of the origin of the burrito (which I discovered at this blog) "As we followed the historical trail, and got closer and closer to the source, the burritos became smaller and smaller, and our favorite ingredients disappeared one by one. When we finally found what we thought was the original burrito, it was very different from the burritos we knew and loved."
Burritos-A Search for Beginnings, Peter Fox, Washington Post, November 4, 1998
Another source, Food Timeline, notes, "Burrito lovers David Thomsen and Derek Wilson believe that the modern burrito originated 'in the dusty borderlands between Tucson and Los Angeles.'"
Finally, I've discovered there are at least two people that have dedicated entire blogs to burritos:
Burritophile
Burrito Blog
3 comments:
Julie - I am quite impressed with all things burrito! You are on to the world beat of food between bento boxes and burritos - no blitzes? Thanks for following up and uncovering treasures. My favorite restaurant in Tempe is a little home -style place that serves great Mexican food. There are no burritos on the menu, but fantastic pork tacos and enchiladas made with tomatillo sauce. Whenever someone asks about burritos, the waitresses can be hear to say: "A burrito is a small donkey. We don't have donkey on the menu." Alas they have sold out a bit and now have the bastard chimichangas on the menu. Still great mole, only on Thursdays.
It is just plain weird to think of this simple rustic food evolving into the 2000+ calorie super burrito (a.k.a. the BOB or Big Old Burrito) sold at fast food restaurants like Chipotle - Still we eat some variety of cheesy bean filled tortilla every other day and have always assumed it was "Mexican"- thanks for the info
Hi boys!
I sincerely believe me I love to answer your concern but not really though I think it should give credit to both cultures. thanks for the info I really liked.
Post a Comment