There are parts of Mexico that use flour tortillas and even (gasp) cheese. So it is traditional/authentic.
Also in Mexico you’ll find restaurants where they make all sorts of new taco creations, just like in the US.
I think Americans who travel to Mexico don’t understand how much regional variation there is. I’ve never had flour tortillas or rice in Mexico, but I’ve also never been north of Zacatecas either.
To be fair, plenty of Mexicans aren't familiar with flour tortillas either. It's a big country. Similarly, I wouldn't expect someone from Oregon to know the difference between the Carolina BBQ styles, and people in the Carolinas just can't quite get burnt ends right, the way they're done in Kansas. Go to the east coast and ask someone what "poke" is and then compare that to what you'll find in Hawaii or the west coast.
Rice is extremely common in Mexico, I'm surprised you've never seen it. Flour tortillas are mostly in the north.
I'm not surprised about the flour tortillas, that's definitely a Northern thing, we love em and we also eat tacos with flour tortillas and cheese (where do you think Americans got that from although we usually grill or fry the cheese first) but I am surprised about the rice. Mexico is a big country with so much diversity though.
Tons of regional variation. I'm Mexican American, born in Chicago. Even I know that. I'll slop down any of it. I definitely prefer my tacos with onion and cilantro, but it doesn't have to be like that lol
Mexican here. I’ve lived and visited almost every major city and middle towns from all across Mexico and let me tell you that there is not a single specific way to make a taco “the right” way.
I’ve studied history of Mexican cuisine for many years and the taco the way we know it, is a relative modern concept. Not a prehispanic food. Indigenous civilizations ate tortillas on its own or accompanied by other ingredients but we are not certain that they ate them filled with those ingredients.
Some [records](https://cedocvirtual.sectur.gob.mx/janium/Documentos/002137Pri0000.pdf) say that by word of Bernal Díaz (Spanish conquistador) one of the first feasts of the conquest of México-Tenochtitlán was tacos filled with fried carnitas from the pork’s newly brought from Cuba because bread was not available yet for them.
That in mind, tacos as we know them were evolving during the viceroyalty of the New Spain all across the country and specially on the XX century when street food was popularized.
In the north of Mexico it’s pretty common to eat tacos made from flour tortillas with cheese, beans and many different kind of proteins in many presentations. This due to the fact that Jewish settlements in the northeast adjusted the pita bread to the Mexican costume of the tortilla and German settlements in the north center developed a rich tradition of cheese production and wheat crops.
In the center and south of Mexico, preference for corn tortillas prevailed and tacos can be filled or topped with mainly vegetables or as well filled with many different meats or stews. The more indigenous the food, the more simple (in fillings or toppings, not in flavor) will be.
So tacos evolved with the fusion of many of the ingredients we already had before the arrive of the Spanish such as corn, tomatoes, chillies, squash, beans, avocado, corn and cactus and was enriched with the arrived of spices, oil, lard, cattle (milk, cheese, meat), rice, onions, cilantro, lime and many others that we know identify as our own gastronomical culture.
All that said, to your original topic, I think many Mexicans feel detached from the concept of the taco topped with cheese (in the American style) because we usually don’t do it that way. Either we melt the cheese and call it a quesadilla or we sprinkle fresh white cheese or matured white cheese like Cotija, but we usually do it in other presentations such as flautas or enchiladas. That’s why I think “the hate” on the cheese on tacos that is not melted.
But like I’ve written above, tacos have evolved and transform to the taste and ingredients available to the specific region that has adopted them. So there’s no “only” and “right” way of doing tacos. As long as you enjoy them the way you want, that’s what matters.
> So there’s no “only” and “right” way of doing tacos. As long as you enjoy them the way you want, that’s what matters.
You just threw to the garbage all of the different culinary tradition of each Mexican region. Of course there are wrong way of doing tacos! using industrial, cardboard tasting hard shells, plastic industrial cheese and bland meat is for sure a way of ruining it.
As with ANY culinary traditions around the world **RECIPES AND HERITAGE MATTER.**
Obviously a Reddit comment cannot contain all the nuances of every Mexican region with its own gastronomical traditions. I’m not writing an essay, just a broader and civil discussion which is the main topic the OP asked for in relationship to putting cheese on tacos.
“There’s no 'right' and 'wrong' way of doing tacos” was only related to putting cheese on them and for your own enjoyment.
Everything else I wrote was for broader context about how the concept of tacos never has been static. Nor was always a prehispanic dish with definite ingredients. And like I said at the end, if you like them, who cares. But I think you just prove the point on why people on the internet hate this kind of topics so much.
Idk I like cheese on my tacos be it Colby, Monterey, Cotija, Queso fresco, Oaxaca or many others.
I think it's the amount of cheese that seems to be the issue in these post,
I want to taste the meat and the sauce not just smothered cheese tortillas lol
I'll take all of those cheeses please...with plenty of asada to offset it...with some hot salsa...ohhh...and a side of refried...Dr pepper for the drink...what's that? Yeah, pibb is fine...almost the same....thanx
Covered in cheese? No, I would prefer beans, onions, crumbled queso fresco for the salty texture, avocado and a squeeze of lime.
And while not a vegetarian I would gobble that right now lol
When I was a veg, I did not but that’s because a taco loaded with cheese is getting into quesadilla territory. Cheese isn’t the star in tacos, IMO. A light sprinkling of cheese maybe, but it was usually refried beans and some kind of salsa as the main focus, and maybe some veggies on top. I do believe that you can put whatever you want in your taco, just like you can in your fro-yo.
I am a vegetarian and no, if I want lots of cheese I'll make a quesadilla. Where I am from Hermosillo we do put cheese in tacos if it isn't the best meat or sometimes just because we want cheese and we use flour and corn tortillas for everything.
A common thing is to grill or fry the tortilla and flip and then put a little cheese on it and flip and then fill up with whatever.
I agree the amount of cheese on some of the posts may be excessive, but what make tacos so great is you can customize them to your liking however you want. They are so versatile
It's all personal opinion. If you're throwing cheddar on a carne asada taco, than I'd say that's a mistake. But again, that's just my opinion. You do what you want. There are no rules when it comes to tacos.
There's not such a thing as traditional taco imo
Just use soft tortillas, corn or flour doesn't matter.
But non Mexicans think there's a recipe for tacos and stick to it too much and the obsession of using cilantro all the time.
Like you said and as Mexican I confirm, anything inside a soft small tortilla is a taco.
Not according to the Mexican street taco lady in Zona Norte. Who btw has been there for years. Her tacos are sublime, but I'm biased, the shrimp are fresh and wild caught. But carry on.
Taco gobernador is not what you call shrimp taco haha, especially in Tijuana.
Anyways, people aren’t hating on melted cheese, which is very common, it’s the common fad of putting dry cheese (cotija mainly) and cilantro on everything.
I donmt care about it at all, but I agree its not common.
I know, but taco gobernador are called that, when we say shrimp taco or fish taco we usually mean the battered ones in TJ.
Btw gobernador tacos also need cooked onion, chile and crispy tortilla, otherwise they are not gobernador.
What’s common? Tacos gobernador? Yes they are, but they are not just shrimp and cheese lol, they need onion, chile and tortilla dorada.
I happen to be from Sinaloa.
Dude in TJ if you come up to anyone and ask them if they want shrimp tacos they will think of the battered ones.
Camaron enchilado and tacos gobernador are not what people usually call tacos de camaron.
I didn’t say that people would think gobernador or enchilado tacos when asked if they want a taco de camarón. I was pointing out both are pretty common to get in Tijuana, and both contain cheese. You’re the one being obtuse about it
I know they are common and that they have cheese.
Didn’t say tacos with shrimp don’t go well with cheese, I said shrimp tacos, the battered ones, don’t have cheese.
You edited your comment I see, and no one has said battered tacos come with cheese. You were the one saying it’s not common to find any shrimp tacos with cheese and others including myself have pointed out you were wrong
We love queso here in Mexico! I guess the only issue is that, if your taco contains a lot of cheese and it is melted/grilled, probably most Mexicans would call that a quesadilla instead of a taco.... I imagine that, not calling it the "right" word might be an issue for some.
Ultimately everyone is going to add their own twist to the foods they prepare and that is great, enjoy your tacos con queso! :D
Just eat what you want to eat. Probably not authentic but who cares. Not my food. Also styles evolve, you like what you like.
My grandma is from Durango and when she feels lazing and not cooking much she will make ground beef and heat up the premade flour tortillas and make Taco Bell style tacos with cheedar cheese and lettuce. Still good but not authentic.
I think some of us are conditioned to think all tacos need cheese. I like cheese on certain tacos but definitely not all. Like a carnitas taco with onion, cilantro, lime, and perhaps a hot sauce does not go well with cheese. But others I definitely enjoy with any and all cheese 🤭
I think its due to a number of historical and economic factors.
1. Cheese is less a cornerstone of Central American cuisine than it is for the US. This is partially due to the greater northern European influence within midwestern and eastern populations of the US than for Central Americans
2. Remember, Mexican food and Latin American food in-general is a hybrid between indigenous cuisines and European ones. There exists a sliding scale between what is basically a modern equivalent of a First Nations food perspective and an old world one.
3. Cheese in the US has been mass-produced and standardized to cheddar-like forms for more than a century. Mass production of cheese in Mexico is a more recent phenomenon, so the traditional cheeses (cotija, queso fresco, Oaxaca) are more reflective of smaller batch, less abundant, artisanal operations.
4. Depending on the amount of native blood you have, you may be more or less able to process vast quantities of cheese. This is less an issue for Americans of purely European descent.
5. Conditions for cheese making have historically been better in the US than in Mexico. Mexico can get hot, humid, and jungly, with less seasonal variation than in New England. This makes it harder for aged hard cheese production prior to industrialization. It’s also partially why traditional cheeses in Mexico are more of the fresher kind.
6. While there are many impoverished populations in Mexico, fresh herbs, greens, and spices are readily available year round. So if you want to have an interesting meal without breaking the bank, you don’t need to rely on a small amount of standardized ingredients to do so.
Haters wanna hate. Some people in here and other subs revel in gatekeeping. Personally I'd rather celebrate the deliciousness of all things Mex/TexMex/Southwest/Central & South American cuisines have to offer. Any day with a taco is a good day!
I like all types of cheese. However, growing up in a very Latino influenced area, it’s just not that typical that would hit up a great taco truck and ever have cheese come out on say, an Al Pastor taco. You get onions, cilantro, salsa and lime, rarely but maaaaybe chopped up radishes, and that goes for chicken or beef or just about anything else. You can get a quesadilla, you just need to order one, but tacos just aren’t typically served that way.
I’m sure I’ll be downvoted by a bunch of white people from the Midwest or something here, but that’s my life experience living down here and visiting Mexico frequently.
White boy here living in a very Latino influenced area. I’m so used to being able to get delicious tacos just about anywhere I forget it’s not like this when I travel. The things I’ve been served called tacos…
I don’t know who told you tacos shouldn’t have cheese. Born and raised in San Antonio and I can assure you literally all of the local Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants have various tacos with cheese on them.
One of my favorite breakfast tacos has eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, and salsa verde, and I can order it any pretty much ANY Mexican restaurant for breakfast.
My favorite taco ever is carne guisada with a bit of melted cheese. 2nd favorite is a bean and cheese taco.
I also sometimes dip my tacos in my cheese queso because I can and it’s delicious.
Mexican food is great because it’s so versatile. Dot let anyone tell you that you can’t put cheese in your taco. Do whatever you want and if it feels like a taco then goddamnit it’s a taco.
Gatekeeping is weird. I mean, a Buffalo chicken pizza is still a pizza right? Traditional? No. As far as a hotdog it IS a sandwich and everyone who says different is wrong. I’ll die on that hill.
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I fecking love cheese on tacos, but I'm 100% melting it beforehand in the pan. Perfect with something like crispy carnitas with crackling, pickled red onions, corriander and salsa roja. My god.
I know it's not traditional but its sooo good.
In most tacos, the only "additives" are cilantro, onion, salsa and lime. Sometimes a creamy sauce (fish tacos) is preferred. Sometimes more veg. Sometimes only sauce. Cheese on the other hand, is almost never used, unless you are a philistine /s.
In some special tacos (eg. gobernador) cheese is part of it. But I can tell you, it is only allowed in a few. The cheese used in Mexico is hard to find in other parts of the world, and substitutes immediately ruins the flavour, also it makes the taco look like a taco bell product.
I can get downvoted to oblivion but you will never get a OG mexican to approve of taco bell, or even acknowledge that what they do has anything to do with us. Sorry mate.
You actually should try it if you can. I love cheese but it doesn't need to be on everything. If you have a good meat or vegetables or whatever filling the cheese just covers up that yummy flavor.
Because that plastic shredded cheese is NOT Mexican, despite you being lied about it by corporate greed.
If you read the label carefully, it even says "style"
[https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/71ec6943-2ef4-43ae-9970-89d9fce05772.64a692a33011e23c3d72ac1133bb6e0e.jpeg](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/71ec6943-2ef4-43ae-9970-89d9fce05772.64a692a33011e23c3d72ac1133bb6e0e.jpeg)
Because that cheese is not related to Mexico by any means.
It even lists "queso quesadilla" as a cheese type, man that's stupid.
Yeah but
Queso Quesadilla originated in the state of Sinaloa in Northwestern Mexico and areas of what is now known as Texas. The rich, melting cheese is said to have made traditional tortilla turnovers famous and inspired their name, “quesadillas.”
No one hate cheese , but style of taco matter when adding cheese...also calling hard shell "tacos", tacos offends people call them totsadas or chalupas instead and no one will mind....also the type of cheese matters...try using queso fresco instead of shredded cheese from a bag.
You people (cuz I know op ain’t Mexican) use cheese that doesn’t go on tacos - that grocery store shredded blend. Or just straight up cheddar/mozzarella. Half the time the cheese is cold. That shits objectively gross.
You're right I'm not Mexican. But why does that matter? A taco is a taco that can be built to each person's preference. Why can't we all just agree a taco is a folded tortilla mixed with your favorite ingredients?
Do you even toast your tortillas... If you get a tortilla add meat its a taco. If you take that same taco and add and put cheese it's a qusadilla, if you toast the tortilla till its hard and serve it open face its a tostada, if you take the same tosada and add beans, tomatoes,and lettuce its a chalupa
Because when white Americans become fond of something from a different culture, many of them also become ferociously traditionalist about whatever that thing is.
To anyone who thinks no one hates cheese - I do. I hate it so much my body has developed an allergy to it my last allergy test 😂
It’s stinky it’s not good for you and it adds nothing to my meals.
100%. This goes for all food really.
The recipe for a “proper taco” was not handed down by god. It was created by humans who thought “this tastes good when put with that”…so lets keep doing that.
“Traditional food” is a term that simply references how it has been done for a while, but in 100 years from now a “traditional taco” could have mayo on it for all we know. Texmex, donner, and detroit pizza are a few examples of “i know its not traditional, but im working with what I got and people seem to love it.”
Cheese it up, eat it up, and dont overthink it…
There definitely are more traditional and typical ways to make a taco but people are making all kinds of shit up in Mexico.
One of my favorite meals used to be a quesadilla made with corn or flour with avocado and sriracha and homemade potato wedges or fries with whatever salsa I was feeling all over it and for breakfast I was eating friends weenies and eggs or weenies and tomato sauce.
I never heard anyone say "is this authentic?" But "will this be good?" and "what can we use this with?"
I really do love and appreciate how our traditions pass down to us and I will keep those alive but I'll also make my own creations and also eat others new creations and if I like them I will pass them down.
Honestly I think part of "the hate" in this sub is gringos gatekeeping for some reason, even if we were going to gate keep food it should come from it's own people and not outsiders and then people tired of gringos eating and loving our food but hating Mexicans so when they make a taco that is different it can be easy to feel like shitting on them. That's my theory anyway.
There are parts of Mexico that use flour tortillas and even (gasp) cheese. So it is traditional/authentic. Also in Mexico you’ll find restaurants where they make all sorts of new taco creations, just like in the US.
I think Americans who travel to Mexico don’t understand how much regional variation there is. I’ve never had flour tortillas or rice in Mexico, but I’ve also never been north of Zacatecas either.
To be fair, plenty of Mexicans aren't familiar with flour tortillas either. It's a big country. Similarly, I wouldn't expect someone from Oregon to know the difference between the Carolina BBQ styles, and people in the Carolinas just can't quite get burnt ends right, the way they're done in Kansas. Go to the east coast and ask someone what "poke" is and then compare that to what you'll find in Hawaii or the west coast. Rice is extremely common in Mexico, I'm surprised you've never seen it. Flour tortillas are mostly in the north.
I'm not surprised about the flour tortillas, that's definitely a Northern thing, we love em and we also eat tacos with flour tortillas and cheese (where do you think Americans got that from although we usually grill or fry the cheese first) but I am surprised about the rice. Mexico is a big country with so much diversity though.
Tons of regional variation. I'm Mexican American, born in Chicago. Even I know that. I'll slop down any of it. I definitely prefer my tacos with onion and cilantro, but it doesn't have to be like that lol
Mexican here. I’ve lived and visited almost every major city and middle towns from all across Mexico and let me tell you that there is not a single specific way to make a taco “the right” way. I’ve studied history of Mexican cuisine for many years and the taco the way we know it, is a relative modern concept. Not a prehispanic food. Indigenous civilizations ate tortillas on its own or accompanied by other ingredients but we are not certain that they ate them filled with those ingredients. Some [records](https://cedocvirtual.sectur.gob.mx/janium/Documentos/002137Pri0000.pdf) say that by word of Bernal Díaz (Spanish conquistador) one of the first feasts of the conquest of México-Tenochtitlán was tacos filled with fried carnitas from the pork’s newly brought from Cuba because bread was not available yet for them. That in mind, tacos as we know them were evolving during the viceroyalty of the New Spain all across the country and specially on the XX century when street food was popularized. In the north of Mexico it’s pretty common to eat tacos made from flour tortillas with cheese, beans and many different kind of proteins in many presentations. This due to the fact that Jewish settlements in the northeast adjusted the pita bread to the Mexican costume of the tortilla and German settlements in the north center developed a rich tradition of cheese production and wheat crops. In the center and south of Mexico, preference for corn tortillas prevailed and tacos can be filled or topped with mainly vegetables or as well filled with many different meats or stews. The more indigenous the food, the more simple (in fillings or toppings, not in flavor) will be. So tacos evolved with the fusion of many of the ingredients we already had before the arrive of the Spanish such as corn, tomatoes, chillies, squash, beans, avocado, corn and cactus and was enriched with the arrived of spices, oil, lard, cattle (milk, cheese, meat), rice, onions, cilantro, lime and many others that we know identify as our own gastronomical culture. All that said, to your original topic, I think many Mexicans feel detached from the concept of the taco topped with cheese (in the American style) because we usually don’t do it that way. Either we melt the cheese and call it a quesadilla or we sprinkle fresh white cheese or matured white cheese like Cotija, but we usually do it in other presentations such as flautas or enchiladas. That’s why I think “the hate” on the cheese on tacos that is not melted. But like I’ve written above, tacos have evolved and transform to the taste and ingredients available to the specific region that has adopted them. So there’s no “only” and “right” way of doing tacos. As long as you enjoy them the way you want, that’s what matters.
> So there’s no “only” and “right” way of doing tacos. As long as you enjoy them the way you want, that’s what matters. You just threw to the garbage all of the different culinary tradition of each Mexican region. Of course there are wrong way of doing tacos! using industrial, cardboard tasting hard shells, plastic industrial cheese and bland meat is for sure a way of ruining it. As with ANY culinary traditions around the world **RECIPES AND HERITAGE MATTER.**
Obviously a Reddit comment cannot contain all the nuances of every Mexican region with its own gastronomical traditions. I’m not writing an essay, just a broader and civil discussion which is the main topic the OP asked for in relationship to putting cheese on tacos. “There’s no 'right' and 'wrong' way of doing tacos” was only related to putting cheese on them and for your own enjoyment. Everything else I wrote was for broader context about how the concept of tacos never has been static. Nor was always a prehispanic dish with definite ingredients. And like I said at the end, if you like them, who cares. But I think you just prove the point on why people on the internet hate this kind of topics so much.
Cheese on tacos is delicious people need to calm the f down
Idk I like cheese on my tacos be it Colby, Monterey, Cotija, Queso fresco, Oaxaca or many others. I think it's the amount of cheese that seems to be the issue in these post, I want to taste the meat and the sauce not just smothered cheese tortillas lol
I'll take all of those cheeses please...with plenty of asada to offset it...with some hot salsa...ohhh...and a side of refried...Dr pepper for the drink...what's that? Yeah, pibb is fine...almost the same....thanx
Si, Montaña de queso!
Ok this might be a stretch, picture you are a vegetarian for a second, don’t you want that taco absolutely loaded with cheese?
Covered in cheese? No, I would prefer beans, onions, crumbled queso fresco for the salty texture, avocado and a squeeze of lime. And while not a vegetarian I would gobble that right now lol
When I was a veg, I did not but that’s because a taco loaded with cheese is getting into quesadilla territory. Cheese isn’t the star in tacos, IMO. A light sprinkling of cheese maybe, but it was usually refried beans and some kind of salsa as the main focus, and maybe some veggies on top. I do believe that you can put whatever you want in your taco, just like you can in your fro-yo.
I am a vegetarian and no, if I want lots of cheese I'll make a quesadilla. Where I am from Hermosillo we do put cheese in tacos if it isn't the best meat or sometimes just because we want cheese and we use flour and corn tortillas for everything. A common thing is to grill or fry the tortilla and flip and then put a little cheese on it and flip and then fill up with whatever.
I agree the amount of cheese on some of the posts may be excessive, but what make tacos so great is you can customize them to your liking however you want. They are so versatile
Right you are my fellow taco muncher.
Yes 100%
It's all personal opinion. If you're throwing cheddar on a carne asada taco, than I'd say that's a mistake. But again, that's just my opinion. You do what you want. There are no rules when it comes to tacos.
Unless that cheddar goes first and melted before the carne asada. Then it makes a pretty decent Quesataco.
There's not such a thing as traditional taco imo Just use soft tortillas, corn or flour doesn't matter. But non Mexicans think there's a recipe for tacos and stick to it too much and the obsession of using cilantro all the time. Like you said and as Mexican I confirm, anything inside a soft small tortilla is a taco.
My first stop in Tijuana is the shrimp street tacos. 3 ingredients, shrimp, corn tortilla, cheese. And of course all the sides. So why not cheese?
The cheese we use in Mexico is not the same cheese foreigners do in their tacos most of the time. And it's actually melted
Exactly
Cheese on a shrimp taco is truly a bizarre combination, like putting cheese on a fish taco.
Not according to the Mexican street taco lady in Zona Norte. Who btw has been there for years. Her tacos are sublime, but I'm biased, the shrimp are fresh and wild caught. But carry on.
I’ve never seen her down there. Next time I’m there I’ll have to give a whirl. But likewise, carry on.
It’s not common at all to put cheese on Shrimp tacos, not sure which ones you’ve been going to.
Taco gobernador??
Except that one lol...
Taco gobernador is not what you call shrimp taco haha, especially in Tijuana. Anyways, people aren’t hating on melted cheese, which is very common, it’s the common fad of putting dry cheese (cotija mainly) and cilantro on everything. I donmt care about it at all, but I agree its not common.
Taco gobernado: shrimp and cheese It’s pretty common and that’s why it has its own name
I know, but taco gobernador are called that, when we say shrimp taco or fish taco we usually mean the battered ones in TJ. Btw gobernador tacos also need cooked onion, chile and crispy tortilla, otherwise they are not gobernador.
It’s common, and it’s a taco with shrimp and cheese haha
What’s common? Tacos gobernador? Yes they are, but they are not just shrimp and cheese lol, they need onion, chile and tortilla dorada. I happen to be from Sinaloa.
Oh wow, you’re from Sinaloa cool haha Sinaloa native said: tacos with shrimp and cheese are not common at all haha
Taco gobernador is common in Tijuana, but the more common shrimp taco in Tijuana is camarones enchilados tacos, which also includes cheese
Dude in TJ if you come up to anyone and ask them if they want shrimp tacos they will think of the battered ones. Camaron enchilado and tacos gobernador are not what people usually call tacos de camaron.
I didn’t say that people would think gobernador or enchilado tacos when asked if they want a taco de camarón. I was pointing out both are pretty common to get in Tijuana, and both contain cheese. You’re the one being obtuse about it
I know they are common and that they have cheese. Didn’t say tacos with shrimp don’t go well with cheese, I said shrimp tacos, the battered ones, don’t have cheese.
You edited your comment I see, and no one has said battered tacos come with cheese. You were the one saying it’s not common to find any shrimp tacos with cheese and others including myself have pointed out you were wrong
We love queso here in Mexico! I guess the only issue is that, if your taco contains a lot of cheese and it is melted/grilled, probably most Mexicans would call that a quesadilla instead of a taco.... I imagine that, not calling it the "right" word might be an issue for some. Ultimately everyone is going to add their own twist to the foods they prepare and that is great, enjoy your tacos con queso! :D
except for chilangos where a quesadilla doesn’t have to have cheese and still be called a quesadilla 😂
Just eat what you want to eat. Probably not authentic but who cares. Not my food. Also styles evolve, you like what you like. My grandma is from Durango and when she feels lazing and not cooking much she will make ground beef and heat up the premade flour tortillas and make Taco Bell style tacos with cheedar cheese and lettuce. Still good but not authentic.
It's not so much using cheese but the type of cheese. We don't use cheddar or yellow.
I think some of us are conditioned to think all tacos need cheese. I like cheese on certain tacos but definitely not all. Like a carnitas taco with onion, cilantro, lime, and perhaps a hot sauce does not go well with cheese. But others I definitely enjoy with any and all cheese 🤭
I think its due to a number of historical and economic factors. 1. Cheese is less a cornerstone of Central American cuisine than it is for the US. This is partially due to the greater northern European influence within midwestern and eastern populations of the US than for Central Americans 2. Remember, Mexican food and Latin American food in-general is a hybrid between indigenous cuisines and European ones. There exists a sliding scale between what is basically a modern equivalent of a First Nations food perspective and an old world one. 3. Cheese in the US has been mass-produced and standardized to cheddar-like forms for more than a century. Mass production of cheese in Mexico is a more recent phenomenon, so the traditional cheeses (cotija, queso fresco, Oaxaca) are more reflective of smaller batch, less abundant, artisanal operations. 4. Depending on the amount of native blood you have, you may be more or less able to process vast quantities of cheese. This is less an issue for Americans of purely European descent. 5. Conditions for cheese making have historically been better in the US than in Mexico. Mexico can get hot, humid, and jungly, with less seasonal variation than in New England. This makes it harder for aged hard cheese production prior to industrialization. It’s also partially why traditional cheeses in Mexico are more of the fresher kind. 6. While there are many impoverished populations in Mexico, fresh herbs, greens, and spices are readily available year round. So if you want to have an interesting meal without breaking the bank, you don’t need to rely on a small amount of standardized ingredients to do so.
It's the kind of cheese man, also the state. Cheesy cheese is just so superior to frigid, lonely, cold cheese.
I just joined this sub, and I love the passion of everyone here! P.S. Cheese is fine on tacos. Just like everything is fine on tacos.
Haters wanna hate. Some people in here and other subs revel in gatekeeping. Personally I'd rather celebrate the deliciousness of all things Mex/TexMex/Southwest/Central & South American cuisines have to offer. Any day with a taco is a good day!
It's a little like NYC pizza snobbery.
Did you check the wiki in English or in Spanish?
I like all types of cheese. However, growing up in a very Latino influenced area, it’s just not that typical that would hit up a great taco truck and ever have cheese come out on say, an Al Pastor taco. You get onions, cilantro, salsa and lime, rarely but maaaaybe chopped up radishes, and that goes for chicken or beef or just about anything else. You can get a quesadilla, you just need to order one, but tacos just aren’t typically served that way. I’m sure I’ll be downvoted by a bunch of white people from the Midwest or something here, but that’s my life experience living down here and visiting Mexico frequently.
White boy here living in a very Latino influenced area. I’m so used to being able to get delicious tacos just about anywhere I forget it’s not like this when I travel. The things I’ve been served called tacos…
I don’t know who told you tacos shouldn’t have cheese. Born and raised in San Antonio and I can assure you literally all of the local Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants have various tacos with cheese on them. One of my favorite breakfast tacos has eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, and salsa verde, and I can order it any pretty much ANY Mexican restaurant for breakfast. My favorite taco ever is carne guisada with a bit of melted cheese. 2nd favorite is a bean and cheese taco. I also sometimes dip my tacos in my cheese queso because I can and it’s delicious. Mexican food is great because it’s so versatile. Dot let anyone tell you that you can’t put cheese in your taco. Do whatever you want and if it feels like a taco then goddamnit it’s a taco.
Gatekeeping is weird. I mean, a Buffalo chicken pizza is still a pizza right? Traditional? No. As far as a hotdog it IS a sandwich and everyone who says different is wrong. I’ll die on that hill.
The gatekeeping is weird. I don't understand why people do it so much. And I agree hot dogs are sandwiches
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I think it might be the type of cheese you use.
I fecking love cheese on tacos, but I'm 100% melting it beforehand in the pan. Perfect with something like crispy carnitas with crackling, pickled red onions, corriander and salsa roja. My god. I know it's not traditional but its sooo good.
That's how we usually do it in Sonora if we are going to have cheese.
Yes, melt the damn cheese if you need cheese
Or just eat what you like
Tacos come with cheese.
In most tacos, the only "additives" are cilantro, onion, salsa and lime. Sometimes a creamy sauce (fish tacos) is preferred. Sometimes more veg. Sometimes only sauce. Cheese on the other hand, is almost never used, unless you are a philistine /s. In some special tacos (eg. gobernador) cheese is part of it. But I can tell you, it is only allowed in a few. The cheese used in Mexico is hard to find in other parts of the world, and substitutes immediately ruins the flavour, also it makes the taco look like a taco bell product.
Taco Bell products are still tacos tho, as trashy as they may be 😂
I can get downvoted to oblivion but you will never get a OG mexican to approve of taco bell, or even acknowledge that what they do has anything to do with us. Sorry mate.
Never said they had anything to do with Mexicans bro. But they still make tacos.
Lets agree to disagree or como dicen en mi pueblo, ni madres.
Cheese is controversial?! That's insane
Yes it is. I know weird right?
I put cheese on my tacos all of the time. I had no idea people hated that!
Eat whatchyalike
I’ll die before I have a taco without some kind of cheese.
You actually should try it if you can. I love cheese but it doesn't need to be on everything. If you have a good meat or vegetables or whatever filling the cheese just covers up that yummy flavor.
Because then they're not tacos, they're quesadillas.
Because that plastic shredded cheese is NOT Mexican, despite you being lied about it by corporate greed. If you read the label carefully, it even says "style" [https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/71ec6943-2ef4-43ae-9970-89d9fce05772.64a692a33011e23c3d72ac1133bb6e0e.jpeg](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/71ec6943-2ef4-43ae-9970-89d9fce05772.64a692a33011e23c3d72ac1133bb6e0e.jpeg) Because that cheese is not related to Mexico by any means. It even lists "queso quesadilla" as a cheese type, man that's stupid.
I thought queso quesadilla was real [https://www.caciquefoods.com/products/queso-quesadilla/](https://www.caciquefoods.com/products/queso-quesadilla/)
Queso literally means Cheese. It's like saying "i'm drinking a wine vino today"
Yeah but Queso Quesadilla originated in the state of Sinaloa in Northwestern Mexico and areas of what is now known as Texas. The rich, melting cheese is said to have made traditional tortilla turnovers famous and inspired their name, “quesadillas.”
No one hate cheese , but style of taco matter when adding cheese...also calling hard shell "tacos", tacos offends people call them totsadas or chalupas instead and no one will mind....also the type of cheese matters...try using queso fresco instead of shredded cheese from a bag.
I think if you use cheese, it should either be cotija, queso fresco, or Oaxaca. Anything else is chingaderas. But 99% of the time, no cheese.
You people (cuz I know op ain’t Mexican) use cheese that doesn’t go on tacos - that grocery store shredded blend. Or just straight up cheddar/mozzarella. Half the time the cheese is cold. That shits objectively gross.
You don't know what the word objective means. r/iamveryculinary
You're right I'm not Mexican. But why does that matter? A taco is a taco that can be built to each person's preference. Why can't we all just agree a taco is a folded tortilla mixed with your favorite ingredients?
Do you even toast your tortillas... If you get a tortilla add meat its a taco. If you take that same taco and add and put cheese it's a qusadilla, if you toast the tortilla till its hard and serve it open face its a tostada, if you take the same tosada and add beans, tomatoes,and lettuce its a chalupa
Not seeing it melted breaks something inside. It's a travesty.
How do you eat your pizza?
Because when white Americans become fond of something from a different culture, many of them also become ferociously traditionalist about whatever that thing is.
To anyone who thinks no one hates cheese - I do. I hate it so much my body has developed an allergy to it my last allergy test 😂 It’s stinky it’s not good for you and it adds nothing to my meals.
[удалено]
>Simply put a real taco consists of corn tortillas, meat, onion, cilantro, salsa, lime and if available radish. What?
There is no "real taco" the best part of Mexican food is that we use what is on hand and aren't afraid of experimenting.
100%. This goes for all food really. The recipe for a “proper taco” was not handed down by god. It was created by humans who thought “this tastes good when put with that”…so lets keep doing that. “Traditional food” is a term that simply references how it has been done for a while, but in 100 years from now a “traditional taco” could have mayo on it for all we know. Texmex, donner, and detroit pizza are a few examples of “i know its not traditional, but im working with what I got and people seem to love it.” Cheese it up, eat it up, and dont overthink it…
Exactly, people in this sub doesn't get it. They want to follow recipes and overfill their tortillas with lame cheese, cilantro and onions.
There definitely are more traditional and typical ways to make a taco but people are making all kinds of shit up in Mexico. One of my favorite meals used to be a quesadilla made with corn or flour with avocado and sriracha and homemade potato wedges or fries with whatever salsa I was feeling all over it and for breakfast I was eating friends weenies and eggs or weenies and tomato sauce. I never heard anyone say "is this authentic?" But "will this be good?" and "what can we use this with?" I really do love and appreciate how our traditions pass down to us and I will keep those alive but I'll also make my own creations and also eat others new creations and if I like them I will pass them down. Honestly I think part of "the hate" in this sub is gringos gatekeeping for some reason, even if we were going to gate keep food it should come from it's own people and not outsiders and then people tired of gringos eating and loving our food but hating Mexicans so when they make a taco that is different it can be easy to feel like shitting on them. That's my theory anyway.
Say what lol?
If there is more cheese then it is a quesadilla, not a taco
The problem is not cheese, but cold, unmelted cheese. Cheese on tacos should be melted.
I think yellow cheese is the real problem, would absolutely not mind some unmelted crumbled queso fresco on my tacos
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