I had my first dose of real Mexican tacos today and boy were they good. I think I had beef but I’m not sure because the woman operating the stand spoke no English and her Spanish was on fast forward.
She chopped the meat up into thin strips and reheated it (it was pre-cooked) on a grill right in front of me. She added some sort of sauce, topped it with chopped onions, cilantro and a slice of avocado. Add a mixture of the mild and the hot sauce on display and you have a very satisfying meal which, as one restaurant owner assured me while trying to lure me in, “isn’t like Taco Bell.”
I’ve also learned that there is a right way and a wrong way to eat a taco. Apparently it’s a science.
How to eat a taco – step by step guide
1 – Never take the first tortilla from the warm pile in the basket. Instead, lift the stack with your fingers and grab one from the middle. These will still be warm and moist.
2 – Place the fillings on the correct side of the tortilla. You should use the inflated side which is the result of heating the dough during cooking.
3 – Once the filling has been placed on the tortilla, roll it up and carry it to your mouth using your thumb and the first 3 fingers only.
4 – Only prepare one taco at a time, not all at once, so they don’t get cold.
5 – As you lift the taco to your mouth, lean forward. This will prevent filling leak. If, however, you notice fillings trying to escape from the other end, it is acceptable to turn it around and bite it off rather than letting it fall. This is acceptable in even the most formal situations.
6 – Once you’ve lifted the taco from the plate you are expected to finish it. It is considered very bad manners to return it to the plate, allowing it to unroll and get cold.
