The Other Side of the Tortilla

tacos al pastor

Wordless Wednesday: Tacos al pastor in Kauai

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We were visiting the Hawaiian island of Kauai last week for my sister’s wedding and look what we found: A taco truck with tacos al pastor! They had a proper trompo and everything. We didn’t get a chance to stop and eat there because we either were too early, too late or just passing through Kapa’a on our way to Lihue or Poipu to eat somewhere else. They were always busy when we passed by during business hours, so I figure they must be pretty good. I took it as a sign that we need to go back to visit again!

hawaii-tacos-al-pastor-truck-TOSOTTWe were fascinated with the availability of taco joints on the island and the amount of Mexicans we met. We even found a lady selling authentic Mexican tamales on the side of the road one day.

  • Have you eaten the tacos from this place? How were they? If you haven’t eaten there, tell me where you’ve encountered unexpected tacos while traveling in the comments below!

 

What to order at El Borrego Viudo in Mexico City

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Yesterday for a late breakfast we drove all the way to José’s favorite place for carnitas, only to find that all they had left were maciza (the “white meat” with no fat or bone), hígado (liver) and riñones (kidneys) – which was not exactly what we were hoping to eat. Unfortunately, when you arrive later in the morning, you risk them running out of the best parts. So we turned around and headed back to the car and resolved to show up earlier another day.

We hadn’t eaten breakfast in anticipation of eating carnitas, so we were starving. The friend we brought with us recommended another taquería not too far away called El Borrego Viudo, or The Widowed Sheep, which is supposedly one of the best taquerías in Mexico City, especially after a night of drinking.

There are only seven items on the menu: al pastor, suadero, longaniza, sesos, lengua, cabeza and tepache (a drink made of fermented pineapple and sugar).

We stuffed our panzas with tacos de suadero, longaniza and al pastor, and drank an apple-flavored soda called Sidral Aga. According to Chilango magazine, it’s the taquería’s red salsa that people love the most but the truth is that José and I didn’t think it was anything phenomenal. What was phenomenal though was the longaniza, which was perfectly spicy and not greasy at all….

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Happy National Taco Day!

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Happy National Taco Day!

I didn’t even know this holiday existed in the United States until today when I was doing my daily morning food reading, but I’m glad I came across it because who doesn’t need another excuse to talk about tacos? Although practically every day is taco day in my house and we don’t need a holiday just to eat them, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some history about one of Mexico’s most common culinary delights.

My good friend Claudia, who is from Puebla, Mexico, and is also a linguist, shared with me a little lesson about the origin of the word “taco.”

There are various accepted origins; literally, it means a plug for an empty gap. Which makes a lot of sense when you look at it from the perspective of food – you eat a taco to fill the emptiness in your belly that is hunger.

A gringa from El Fogoncito in Mexico City

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