Nachos

Nachos with nacho cheese, olives, jalapeño pepper, sour cream and salsa

Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In Mexico itself they are rather called "totopos". In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips (totopos) covered in nacho cheese or shredded cheese and/or salsa. Sometimes french fries, potato chips or popcorn is used instead of tortilla chips. First created circa 1943 by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, the original nachos consisted of fried corn tortillas covered with melted cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeño peppers.

History

Nachos were originated in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, just over the border from Eagle Pass, Texas, (It is said^{[by whom?]} that it was first made in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico^{[citation needed]}) at a restaurant called the Victory Club, owned by Rodolfo De Los Santos.^[1][2][3] One day in 1943, the wives of ten to twelve U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Duncan in nearby Eagle Pass were in Piedras Negras on a shopping trip, and arrived at the restaurant after it had closed for the day. The maître d', Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, invented a new snack for them with what little he had available in the kitchen: tortillas and cheese sauce. Anaya cut the tortillas into triangles, added shredded cheddar cheese, quickly heated them, added sliced jalapeño peppers.^{[Note 1]} and served them.

When asked what the dish was called, he answered, "Nacho's especiales." As word of the dish traveled, the apostrophe got lost, and Nacho's "specials" became "special nachos."^[4]

Nachos in Germany.

Anaya went on to work at the Moderno Restaurant in Piedras Negras, which still uses the original recipe. He also opened his own restaurant, "Nacho's Restaurant", in Piedras Negras. Anaya's original recipe was printed in the 1954 St. Anne's Cookbook.^[1][2]

The popularity of the dish swiftly spread throughout Texas. The first known appearance of the word "nachos" in English dates to 1949, from the book A Taste of Texas.^[1] According to El Cholo restaurant history, waitress Carmen Rocha is credited with making nachos in San Antonio, Texas before introducing the dish to Los Angeles at El Cholo Mexican restaurant in 1959.^[5]

A modified version of the dish, with permanently soft cheese and pre-made tortilla chips was marketed in 1976 by a man named Frank Liberto, owner of Ricos Products, during sporting events at Arlington Stadium in Arlington, Texas this version of nachos became known as "Ball Park Nachos". During a Monday Night Football game, sportscaster Howard Cosell enjoyed the name "nachos", and made a point of mentioning the dish in his broadcasts over the following weeks, further popularizing it and introducing it to a whole new audience.^[6][7][8]

Ignacio Anaya died in 1975. In his honor, a bronze plaque was erected in Piedras Negras, and October 21 was declared the International Day of the Nacho. Anaya's son Ignacio Anaya Jr. serves as a judge at the annual nacho competition.^[1][2]

International Day of the Nacho

The International Day of the Nacho takes place every October 21. It was initiated in the 1990s in the United States and Mexico to commemorate the invention of nachos by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya in 1943 at El Moderno restaurant in the border town of Piedras Negras, Coahuila.

The International Nacho Festival is held on between October 13 and 15 at Piedras Negras and features a "biggest nacho of the world" contest which is registered with the Guinness Book of World Records. ^[9]

Variations

Nachos with beef, beans and cheese

A variation consists of a quartered and fried tostada topped with a layer of refried beans and/or various meats and a layer of shredded cheese or nacho cheese.

Common additional toppings include:

• Black beans
• Chili con carne
• Cilantro
• Elote
• Ground beef, chicken, carne asada
• Corned beef
• Bacon
• Spam
• Guacamole
• Jalapeño or other capsicum peppers or red peppers
• Lettuce
• Spinach sauce
• Lime
• Olives
• Onions
• Garlic
• Pickles
• Pico de Gallo
• Pinto beans
• Refried beans
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Tomatoes
• Chorizo
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pizza cheese
• Oaxaca cheese
• Nacho cheese
• Shredded Cheese

Nachos with an abundance of toppings are sometimes called "loaded nachos" or "super nachos". This type of dish is usually served as an appetizer at bars or restaurants in the United States though they generally tend to be as sizable as a meal. The dish is normally prepared in this manner: The tortilla chips are arranged on a platter, meat and refried bean toppings are then added, and the entire platter is smothered with shredded cheese. The platter is then put into a broiler or microwave to allow the cheese to melt. The platter is then covered with the cold toppings (shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, jalapeños, etc.) and served immediately.

In Memphis, Tennessee, barbecue nachos are served in most barbecue restaurants, and also at sporting events. Generous portions of barbecued pork shoulder are placed atop tortilla chips, then covered with melted cheese or nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, and sliced jalapeño peppers.

In Hawaii, kalua pork and pineapple nachos are served in many restaurants and bars. Generous portions of kalua pork and pineapple bits are placed atop tortilla chips, the covered with melted cheese or nacho cheese, and varied toppings.

A similar dish that involves tortilla chips and cheese is found in Tex-Mex restaurants. Small bowls of chili con queso and/or, more commonly, salsa, are served with baskets of warm tortilla chips as appetizers.

Nacho cheese

Nachos using a processed-cheese sauce.

A form of processed cheese sauce originated in Mexico mixed with peppers and other spices known as salsa de queso is often used in place of freshly shredded cheese in institutional or large-scale production settings, such as schools, movie theaters, sports venues, and convenience stores, or wherever using freshly grated cheese may be logistically prohibitive. Though originally formulated as a cheaper and more convenient source of cheese to top nachos, this dip has become popular enough in the U.S. that it is available in some Mexican-themed restaurants, and at major grocery stores, in both name-brand (Ricos Products, Frito-Lay, Tostitos, and Taco Bell) and off-brand versions.^[10] "Nacho cheese" has no legal definition beyond the generic legal definition for cheese products established by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

See also

• Mexican cuisine

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Nachos

Look up nachos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Nachos

Notes

References