Earlier this week one of my friends at work celebrated her birthday. Because of the current state of the economy, thank you very much politicians, I couldn't really afford to buy her a gift. But if there is one thing I can do is cook, and I'm a pretty damn good cook thank you. So I asked her what she wanted me to make her for her birthday lunch and her choice was tinga de pollo. (Actually, since she doesn't speak Spanish, she asked for "that spicy chicken" that I make.) Before I continue, allow me to explain what tinga is for the benefit of those that haven't tried it. Basically it's a dish that consists of shreded chicken, sauteed sliced onions, diced tomato, spices and chipotle peppers. It's simmered and then it's eaten on crispy tostadas that have been smeared with sour cream and then it's all topped with shredded lettuce. (Hungry yet?) So needless to say, we had a good lunch.
Now, if you've never heard of tinga, I'm not surprised. Most Americans' exposure to Mexican cuisine begins at Taco Bell and doesn't venture too far from that fare. Just to make it clear, crispy tacos were invented by Taco Bell and are NOT part of authentic Mexican cooking. Now, I plan to revisit the topic of faux-Mexican food on this blog again so I won't go on my rant about the lack of authentic Mexican food. But it does remind me of a story that happened back in my college days when I worked in a research lab.
OK, let me set up the scenario. I worked in a research lab with several regular employees and some students from the medical and dental schools that were there during the summer. Most of us in the lab were from San Antonio, but we had people from other parts of the country and from other parts of the world. One of our favorite things to do was order breakfast tacos. Now I have found that there are people, especially here in Appalachia, that cringe and look at me funny when they hear the term "breakfast taco." But in Texas they are more of a staple in the mornings than biscuits and muffins. (Also, Mexicans can eat tacos at any part of the day.) So this one summer day we all arrived at the lab hungry and someone decided to take up an order for breakfast tacos and call it in to a nearby restaurant. We went around the lab asking everyone if they wanted anything. One student, who will rename anonymous, obviously was not familiar with the breakfast taco. He inquired about the menu and when we told him all the different choices he had for taco fillers he had a perplexed look. He then looked at us and said, "Do they have any regular tacos?" Upon hearing this we all looked at each other in question since we all wondered what he meant. I proceeded to tell him that those were regular tacos. His reply? "No, I mean with the crunchy shell and the ground meat and cheese and lettuce."
It was all I could do not to laugh at him right then and there. It hadn't occurred to me that he had no idea what a breakfast taco was. I think he felt bad that day, but I think by the end of the summer he had a better grasp of what Mexican food was.
One more thing, and this is for all you gringos, please learn to say tortilla. They are not "soft shells," they have a name. It really bugs me when people call them "shells." I'll even help you learn how to pronounce tortilla. OK, here you go:
tortilla - tore-tee-yah
There, now you can call it by its real name. Wear it out at your local Mexican restaurant.
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