9 Savory Taco Facts For Kids

July 20, 2024

Corn or flour tortillas stuffed with a variety of savory ingredients is a popular Mexican food enjoyed people people all over the country. Just setting out the ingredients for each person to build their own variety creates a sense of festivity. Kids love the experience of creating their own handheld meal overflowing with their favorite toppings. Here are some taco facts to share with your little ones next time this food is on the dinner menu.

Everything To Know About Tacos

Kids who love tacos can come up with a long list of things that make them so delicious. Maybe it's their favorite meat, like ground beef, pulled pork, or chicken, that makes it so delicious. Or perhaps it's the cheese, guacamole, sour cream, or diced tomatoes that do the trick. But just as important as the taste, this food a way of bringing families together for a fun meal. Kids who love eating this delicious food will enjoy reading the best picture books about tacos as well. Here is some fun taco information to talk about next time your kids are gathering around to enjoy their favorite dinner. There is so much information to share with your family next time you gather together to build a delicious, spicy meal together. The history behind America's favorite food, record breaking prices, incredible contests and all kinds of other tidbits are fun to talk about.

Fun Trivia to Share on Taco Tuesday

Kids can't get enough information about tacos, and it's easy to see why! It's not just that tacos are a fun and popular food; they're also super interactive. Kids love being able to customize their own, and tacos are often tied to great memories like "Taco Tuesday" or family dinners. This built-in love makes them much more open to discovering all sorts of facts about this favorite meal. Even a simplified look at the Mexican origins of tacos can be really captivating for kids. It's a gentle way to introduce them to different cultures and show them how food plays a big role in that. They often get a kick out of learning that their food comes from another country or how it has changed over time. Presenting the history of tacos as a story – from ancient beginnings to their journey across the globe – makes these facts even more engaging for young minds. Ultimately, kids are drawn to learning about tacos because they offer the perfect blend of familiarity, fun, customization, and a sprinkle of cultural intrigue, all wrapped up in one delicious package!

(1) There is a National Taco Day.

This fun date is a time for everyone to sit down and feast on their favorite taco combinations. Lots of people mistakenly believe October 4th is the official National Taco Day, however, this date was chosen by a popular taco restaurant chain as part of a promotion. Lots of restaurants run fun specials on this date to entice customers. In Mexico, the real Día del Taco is March 31.

(2) The record for the biggest taco in the world was set in 2011.

In Mexico, Alejandro Paredes Resendiz organize and oversaw the the assembly of a 335 foot-long taco. Local chefs filled the shell, made with 2,646 pounds of corn tortillas, with 3,322 pounds of seasoned pork. Eight months of planning went into this enormous feet. After the enormous taco was presented, a crowd of 15,000 spectators enjoyed feasting on the record-breaking taco.

(3) The word "taco" did not originally refer to food.

The term is traced back to 18th century silver mining in Mexico. In order to detonate the rocks, miner would wrap gunpowder in paper and insert it into the crevices. This early taco, although not a food item, was the basis for the modern day taco.The very first edible taco, as we know it today, was called tacos de minero and consisted of meat, bacon, and potatoes.

(4) A resort in Mexico sells the most expensive taco for $25,000.

Grand Velas Los Cabos offers this delicacy with a gold-flaked corn tortilla. It is filled with Almas beluga caviar, Kobe beef, langoustines, and black truffle Brie cheese. Not anyone is allowed to order this menu time.Interested customers must be guests in the resort's presidential suite, and a $12,500 deposit is required before the outrageously expensive taco is served.

(5) Americans eat a lot of them.

Estimates put the number somewhere around 4.5 billion tacos as year. Another way to think about this number is that it equals 490,000 miles of tacos. Some surveys indicate that the average person will eat 4 to 5 tacos per meal.

(6) A taco literacy course is offered by the University of Kentucky.

In a class called Taco Literacy: Public Advocacy and Mexican Food in the US South, students learn about the history of food and the role it plays in their lives. A professor who teaches the class focuses on the evolution of Mexican food in relation to complex societal issues like literacy, immigration, inequality, and communication amongst various cultures. As part of the curriculum, the class covers the intersection of Mexican food with cultural and societal practices. Students are encouraged to explore food politics and movements in relation to tacos and other popular Mexican cuisine.

(7) The first food truck to hit the streets sold tacos.

In recent years, food truck have gained quite a bit of momentum selling just about every type of cuisine imaginable. City streets are lined with clusters of trucks serving up delicious food to hungry passersby looking to grab a quick, tasty bite. The concept can be traced back to 1974 when a Mexican immigrant by the name of Raul Martinez set up outside of a diner in L.A. So popular were his tacos and Mexican dishes that he eventually developed the more than twenty King Taco fast serve restaurants.

(8) Tacos filled with fried grasshoppers are a delicacy in parts of Mexico.

Looking for tacos filled with fried grasshoppers? You'll primarily find these unique treats, called chapulines tacos, in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oaxaca is a hotspot for chapulines, with local markets brimming with them. They're typically sold by the scoop and seasoned with chili, lime, and garlic, making for a surprisingly flavorful and crunchy bite. These little critters have been a sustainable and important protein source in Mexico for thousands of years. While Oaxaca is their main stomping ground, you might also stumble upon chapulines in other central and southeastern Mexican states. Feeling adventurous in the U.S.? Some Mexican restaurants, especially in cities like St. Louis or Los Angeles, occasionally offer them. They've even popped up as a novelty at a few sports stadiums in the past, like for the Seattle Mariners.

(9) Hard shell tacos were popularized by founder of Taco Bell.

That crispy, U-shaped hard shell taco you often see in the U.S.? It's not a traditional Mexican taco. Authentic Mexican tacos typically use soft corn tortillas. The hard shell was popularized by Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell, in the mid-20th century. Bell saw the potential for a fast-food taco, and by creating an easier-to-fill, mass-producible hard shell, he made tacos accessible to a much wider American audience who might not have been familiar with traditional Mexican cuisine. It's worth noting that Bell didn't invent the hard-shell taco. He was famously "inspired" by Mexican restaurants in Southern California, like Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, which had been serving their own versions of "tacos dorados" (fried tacos) for years. Bell reportedly studied their methods before developing his own version for the fast-food market.

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