Mexican Tacos vs. American Tacos
Everyone loves tacos! In Mexico, tacos are antojitos(snacks) often served as comida callejera(street food). In the United States, tacos are so popular that there’s even a day known as “Taco Tuesday.” Although they seem similar, the reality is that tacos mexicanos(Mexican tacos) and tacos americanos(American tacos) are very different.
Ingredients
There’s never a shortage of toppings on a good taco! Mexican tacos and American tacos tend to have different toppings. Mexican tacos traditionally come with cilantro(cilantro), cebolla blanca(white onion), and salsa casera(homemade salsa), which is an essential ingredient.
Mexican Tacos
American tacos, on the other hand, are prepared with lechuga (lettuce), tomate(tomato), and queso cheddar rallado(shredded Cheddar cheese). They are typically served with store-bought salsa.
American Tacos
Meat
Another ingredient that differentiates Mexican tacos from American tacos is the meat. Mexican tacos are often prepared with carne guisada(stewed beef), carne frita(fried beef), or carne a la plancha(grilled beef). American tacos, on the other hand, tend to be prepared with carne molida(ground beef). Tacos de pescado(fish tacos) can be found in both countries.
If you go to an authentic Mexican restaurant with traditional tacos and you don’t see any tacos you recognize, don’t fret! Let’s taco ‘bout the different types of tacos!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| marinated-pork tacos | |
| stewed-goat tacos | |
| tacos with braised or steamed meat from the head of a cow | |
| grilled-steak tacos | |
| braised-pork tacos | |
| slow-roasted pork tacos | |
| spicy pork-sausage tacos |
Other Differences
Here’s a list of more ingredients that differentiate Mexican tacos from American tacos.
| Mexican tacos | American tacos |
|---|---|
| tortillas blandas (soft tortillas) | tortillas crujientes o tortillas blandas (crispy taco shells or soft tortillas) |
| picante (spicy) | no muy picante (mild) |
| gajo de limón (lime wedge) | crema agria (sour cream) |
| cilantro (cilantro) | queso cheddar (Cheddar cheese) |
Hungry for more? Satisfy your craving for food-related vocab with these delectable articles!
- Interactive lesson and article: At the Restaurant
