This is a guest post by Katherine Robinson. Katherine Robinson is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about her travel experiences which may be useful to other travellers.
The first dish of the week for the month of May is a burrito, which is a wheat flour tortilla with a filling. Most Westerners will have tried and loved burritos; however, I think you will be quite surprised at how different they are when you try them in Mexico. In fact, they are actually a lot smaller and have only one filling. In the USA and Europe, we pack them full with lettuce, salsa, meat, rice, beans and all sorts of other fillers. Interestingly, it seems that burritos are more famous outside the country and are considered to be one of the most representative dishes, but in Mexico they are only eaten in the north.
What is a burrito?
Burritos are known in Spanish as tacos de harina, which literally means, wheat tortillas. In Mexico, only one or two ingredients, such as refried beans, chopped hot dogs or deshebrada (meat) with a sauce, are used to fill the tortillas.
Where does it originate from?
Burritos originate from Ciudad Juárez which is a city in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. This is the place to go if you want to sample real Mexican burritos. You will probably see street stalls selling them, but I would only recommend trying them in a restaurant. Standards of hygiene are somewhat different in Latin America.
To get to Ciudad Juárez you will have to take a flight to Abraham Gonzalez International Airport, which is located in this city and this hub offers domestic flights. International flights usually have a stopover in Mexico City before a connecting flight to Ciudad Juárez. Alternatively, if you find cheap flights to El Paso Airport in the City of El Paso, Texas, book them as this it is also near Ciudad Juárez and is on the border between Mexico and the USA.
Photo credit: via flickr
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I didn’t know you were a food blogger, also!
Burritos are not that common on the west coast of Mexico, where we live, but I do see them occasionally. I make breakfast burritos, with eggs, cheese, beans and potatoes, served with lots of salsa.
Kathleen
They’re not all that common here in Mexico City either, but like you mentioned I do see them on the menu every now and then. I definitely saw them more in the U.S. than I do here in Mexico. And breakfast burritos, yum!!
This is great. I’ve lived in Texas, eaten many burritos but had no idea of the history or pedigree for the dish. thanks Laura!
It’s pretty interesting, before I moved here I had always just assumed they were common throughout Mexico. =)
THANK YOU! Finally, someone sets the record straight and tells the story as it is: Burritos are NOT really that common in México! How could they be with all the variety of nice food we have to choose from? From quesadillas to tamales; from carne asada to chiles rellenos the options are far better than a lame burrito. Now, when it comes to have a breakfast burrito the story is different and then your taste-buds will be skyrocketing!
Now let’s debunk the Chilli-con-carne myth once and for all!
Thank you Laura!
Thanks Carlos, I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Chiles rellenos are one of my favorites!!