UW Extension

Forget everything you think you know about tacos! In honor of National Taco Day, October 4, let’s look at the history of tacos, what makes an authentic taco, and consider the limitless variations of this delicious food.

Some historians say the Spanish introduced tacos to Mexico, but anthropologists say there is evidence of people in Mexico eating tacos filled with small fish, locusts, and snails before the 16th century. Authentic, traditional tacos are almost always served in soft tortillas. The hard shell taco Americans know today was invented in 1949, and helped the Americanized versi...