Taco USA - by Gustavo Arellano (Paperback)

About the Book

Presents a narrative history of Mexican cuisine in the United States, sharing a century's worth of anecdotes and cultural criticism to address questions about culinary authenticity and the source of Mexican food's popularity.

Book Synopsis

The nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ¡Ask a Mexican! presents a fascinating and tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine's tremendous popularity in el Norte.

Nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ¡Ask a Mexican! Gustavo Arellano presents a tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine's tremendous popularity north of the border. Arellano's fascinating narrative combines history, cultural criticism, food writing, personal anecdotes, and Jesus on a tortilla. In seemingly every decade for over a century, America has tried new culinary trends from south of the border, loved them, and demanded the next big thing. As a result, Mexican food dominates American palates to the tune of billions of dollars in sales per year, from canned refried beans to tortilla wraps and ballpark nachos. It's a little-known history, one that's crept up on this country and left us better for it.

Review Quotes

"[Arellano] manages to squeeze in mentions of just about every Mexican restaurant (including, believe it or not, both Taco Cabana and the dining room of the Austin Hyatt), product line, and preparation in the country. If you've ever wondered about the roots of Taco Bell or why fajitas are called that or who invented the frozen-margarita machine, you'll find answers here."--Slate Magazine

"An appealing cultural exploration of Mexican food in the United States.... Readers will come away not only hungry, but with a deeper understanding of the Mexican people and their cuisine."--Kirkus

"Gustavo Arellano...is perhaps the greatest (and only) living scholar of Mexican-American fast food."-- "The New York Times"

"In a chatty, lighthearted style and with mordant wit, Arellano traces the steady northward creep of Mexican cooking from Texas and the Southwest into the heart of Yankee territory-."--Booklist

"In this entertaining nod to culinary and cultural histories, journalist Arellano traces the roots of Mexican food in the U.S. and explores the cuisine's many offshoots, underscoring why salsa is now our #1 condiment... Arellano makes the point, one that's particularly relevant in today's heated immigration debate, that as much as some Americans may protest Mexican immigrants, they're in love with Mexican food." --Publishers Weekly

Arellano approaches his subject with incisiveness, humor, academic rigor, and, of course, an endless appetite.-- "Southwestern American Literature"

About the Author

Gustavo Arellano's ¡Ask a Mexican! column has a circulation of more than two million in thirty-eight markets (and counting). He has received the President's Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and a 2008 Latino Spirit Award from the California State legislature. Arellano has appeared on the Today show, Nightline, NPR's Talk of the Nation, and The Colbert Report.