October 4 is National Taco Day! And this year October 4 is on a Tuesday, so obviously you HAVE to get a taco today (or two….or twelve). Before we talk about the best taco places in Las Vegas, let’s get some history up in here.
According to nationaldaycalendar.com, the origin of tacos go way back to Mexico, long before the Spanish arrived there in 1519. Back then tacos didn’t have all the savory stuffings we know of today. It was basically a fresh corn tortilla filled with small bites of fish or other meats.
The sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole version of tacos is actually very modern. Less than 100 years old. So…the modern taco is younger than Betty White was…let that sink in for a minute.
The origin of the word “taco” is actually a topic for debate. But many people agree that it came from 18th century silver miners in Mexico. In an interview with Smithsonian Magazine, Jeffrey M. Pilcher, professor of history at the University of Minnesota, said this about it.
“My theory is that it dates from the 18th century and the silver mines in Mexico, because in those mines the word “taco” referred to the little charges they would use to excavate the ore. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face.”
The first accounts of tacos in America came from the turn of the 20th century, when many Mexican immigrants started arriving in America. Over the next few decades the taco would evolve into what we know today. As the meats and vegetables available in America would replace the traditional ingredients from Mexico.
So now that you know WHY you’re eating tacos today, here’s the WHERE we think you just have to try.
–Wendy Rush, 96.3KKLZ Las Vegas
