Tacos are a worldwide phenomenon in the food industry. So many cultures and restaurants adapt, create and expand on the idea of what a taco can be and use the basic fundamentals of the dish to create flavor combinations not possible in other foods.
The basics of a taco are a taco shell or tortilla filled with a type of filling, simple yes, but the combination of ingredients that can be put into a taco shell are endless.
The types of tacos I grew up with leaned more towards the Hispanic side of the taco world, and consisted of tacos filled with flavorful ingredients, and spices. Some of my personal favorite types of tacos are chorizo tacos, tripe tacos, shrimp tacos, and sliced beef tacos.
The chorizo tacos consisted of chorizo, which is a spicy Spanish pork sausage, with refried beans and cheese, those three ingredients’ pair very well together to create a smooth, crunchy, cheesy taco with the perfect about of heat and flavor to make them enjoyable and fun to eat.
The tripe tacos are tacos that consist of tripe, which is essentially beef stomach, but the way the tacos are cooked makes me forget that I’m eating beef stomach due to the tasty and crunchy texture that pairs well with the cilantro onion, jalapenos and salsa that are found in the taco. An odd arrangement of ingredients to some, but to me it is a taco I can’t recommend enough.
Shrimp tacos are a staple in my household and are tacos consisting of shrimp, salsa and cherry tomatoes, the soft texture of the shrimp paired with the flavorful salsa and grilled tomatoes culminates into a taco that is enjoyable to consume.
The sliced beef tacos come courtesy of my girlfriend’s mother, and are tacos filled with sliced beef and cactus mixed together with flavorful seasonings and paired with a salsa that is delicious and spicy to create the perfect balance of textures, flavors and spice.
Americanized tacos are also an enjoyable style of tacos, consisting of a hard-shell taco base with ground beef, shredded cheese, sliced tomatoes and lettuce, a simple set of ingredients, but pair well together for a crunchy, flavorful, easy to make taco. Americanized tacos, although not everyone’s first choice, are a solid taco type and are very simple to prepare and enjoy and as college students. Simple, easy to make food is a must to navigate through each semester and are worth a shot at least once in your life.
Taco’s versatility adds onto their appeal, and all can relate to eating a good taco, they all hold their own in the flavor and ingredients department and should be taco’ bout more when discussing great foods.
