If somehow you haven’t heard, The Hippo named Los Reyes the best tacos in NH of 2023! If you’ve tried our tacos, then you know they’re right, and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? We have our signature birria tacos, classic street tacos, and so much more! We use traditional recipes that our family has been perfecting for generations so you can experience the best of traditional Mexican food at the best of Derry restaurants.
But tacos have been around a lot longer than the Derry restaurants that make them! Let’s take a look at the history of this famous food.
Back to the Beginning
Our family has been making traditional Mexican food for a long time, but tacos long predate us! They are one of the oldest traditional Mexican foods. We’ve covered the history of street tacos on our blog before, but a lot went on before that. The indigenous people of Mexico wrapped their food in corn tortillas centuries before anyone ever called it a “taco.”
Tacos in the Silver Mines
Although tacos have been around for centuries, the name “taco” is relatively new. By “new,” we mean the 18th century, but when we’re talking about food indigenous people ate, that’s pretty recent, historically speaking. We don’t know exactly where the name came from, but one theory traces it to Mexican silver miners. In some contexts, the word “taco” can mean “wedge,” “wad,” or “plug.” To mine silver, the miners would use plug explosives, which were paper wrappers filled with gunpowder. At this time, tacos were a common working man’s lunch, and the miners noticed that their explosive plugs resembled their tortilla-wrapped meals.
Railroad Workers Move North
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Mexican immigrants come to the U.S. to work on the railroads. At first, they came primarily to California and Texas, along with their families, traditions, and food. Tacos were already a popular street food in Mexico, and they soon took off in the United States as well. Other immigrant communities added their ingredients and influences, making tacos the Mexican-American fusion food we know today.
A Taste of History at Derry Restaurants
We’re proud of our heritage and traditional recipes here at Los Reyes, and we love to share them with you. No matter which of our tacos you decide to try, you’ll be getting a taste of history and tradition!
