PSA: It has come to my attention that many of you don't know what a taco is

[Xipe Totec]

The literal definition of a taco is a long cylindrical object.

These, which some call taquitos (little tacos) are actually tacos:



These, which some call tacos, are actually chalupas:



They are called chalupas because of their shape like boats called chalupas.



These, which some call chalupas, are actually tostadas:



I don't know what this is, but some claim it is a chalupa:



And this is just gross:




Thank you for your attention.

[OriginalGeek]

1. I've known it was wrong all my life

but I still call tostadas chalupas because that's what my dad made me for my birthday suppers and that's what he called them. And he called them that because he grew up in Del Rio, Tx (by way of Okinawa - grandpa was in the Air Force) and that's what his friends called them.

I even call tostadas tostadas as long as there is only meat and cheese plus toppings. If it's refried beans, meat and cheese plus toppings it's a chalupa at my house.

And we call the rolled up tube thingies flautas. They can be flour or corn tortillas but I prefer flour.

that second thing from the bottom looks like Frito pie to me but I can't tell if that's chili in there. And on a side note, chili should not have beans.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Chili should have no beans, unless it's chili with beans.

Then you can properly describe it as chili with beans.

But chili is just chili.

Which comes from the Nahuatl word: chilli,

Which means: to cry.

For true chili will make you cry.

Either from joy, of from pain, depending on prior experience.

[OriginalGeek]

5. often times, it's both

joy and pain. That would be some GOOOOOOOOOD chili.

[hopemountain]

24. ha! makes sense..

from the verb 'chillar' - to cry?

[Xipe Totec]

28. Yes, that is the verb. nt

[KamaAina]

2. Drop the chalupa!

[LiberalElite]

4. Damn. now I'm hungry nt

[LynneSin]

6. Unfortunately most American's knowledge of Mexican food comes from Taco Bell

we should all hold our head in shame

[Xipe Totec]

7. Taco Bell. Or, as I prefer to call it: Moctezuma's Revenge. nt

[Major Nikon]

18. Ha!

[hopemountain]

25. we call it "taco hell"

no further explanation required.

[mainer]

8. I always called those rolled-up ones flautas

but whatever you call them, I want one now.

[Xipe Totec]

9. A tightly rolled deep fried taco is called a flauta

All flautas are tacos, but not all tacos are flautas.

[antiquie]

10. Me, too.

[Xipe Totec]

11. A bean taco, on the other hand, is called a flatula

Kidding.

[LiberalAndProud]

12. Around here chalupas are deep fried burrito thingies.

I've been duped. Or you have.

Let it suffice to say that someone has been duped.

[Xipe Totec]

13. Those are chimichangas. They are to Mexican food what french fries are to French food. nt

They are the gastronomical equivalent of IEDs.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. ok....what is a burrito?

Mr. Dixie makes a decent mex dinner, mostly either enchiladas or tacos.
but he also says he is making burritos when what I see are ..tacos.

[Xipe Totec]

21. An American invention. But if it's not opened at the ends it's a burrito.

A fried burrito is a chimichanga.

[LiberalAndProud]

14. Somebody needs to correct this egregious error.

Call Ortega RIGHT FUCKING NOW!

[Major Nikon]

16. Does that mean that burritos have to be made from little donkeys?

[Xipe Totec]

23. Who's to say they aren't?

[Major Nikon]

27. Because I've been having trouble finding little donkey meat at the Piggly Wiggly

[Xipe Totec]

29. Maybe it's just not properly labeled...

[Major Nikon]

30. I go more by shape

[Xipe Totec]

31. That's definitely a burrito!

[Major Nikon]

17. The taco is actually not Spanish in origin

It's a Native American dish most likely named by Mexican silver miners (after the cylindrical charges they used in blasting). Rolling and folding seem to be acceptable derivatives, but nobody seems to know if the original people had a preference. At any rate they came to the US as street food and were sold folded. If you wanted them rolled you had to do that yourself.

[Xipe Totec]

20. True, but the word taco is Spanish. It means short round plug or wad. It is a shape.

[Major Nikon]

26. Agreed

How they were named seems to come from the Mexican silver miners, but that doesn't mean they were always served rolled and I don't think anyone knows for sure as the Native Americans didn't write anything down.

At any rate, I like mine with corn tortillas, carnitas, cilantro, onion and salsa.

[trof]

19. Taco spelled backwards is Ocat.

Is this a cat thread in code?

[Xipe Totec]

22. Tacos backwards is so-cat!

[shenmue]

32. Thank you