Burritos: Mexican or American food?

A couple of years ago, I had an odd conversation with a friend from Guadalajara. We were instant messaging each other, she in Guadalajara, Jalisco and I in Los Angeles, CA. It was after lunch and, naturally, the conversation turned towards food. I asked her about what she ate. She told me she had some leftovers from home and then returned the question. I told her I just had a veggie burrito from a restaurant across the street from my office. I was taken by surprise by the conversation…[It is important to note that she is Mexican, born and raised and she lives in Guadalajara, Jalisco.]


The following seems almost surreal:

Friend: What's that?
Me: What's what?

Friend: A burrito.
Me: What do you mean? You've never had a burrito before?

Friend: The whole animal?
Me: No, the food.

Friend: Oh, no... what is it?
Me: Well, it's usually a mix of rice, beans, and some kind of meat wrapped in a large flour tortilla. This time mine was all veggies.

Friend: Ohhhh, I know what that is! I've had one at McDonald's!

What just happened there?! Did I really have to explain to a Mexican who lives in Mexico what a burrito is? But, aren't burritos a common Mexican dish? If you live in the US, it sure seems that way every time you visit a, so called, Mexican restaurant.

Well, the truth is: kinda.

No one is truly sure about the origin of the "burrito" since there are stories coming from California, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Guanajuato and Sonora. What is certain is that today it is considered a regional dish on both sides of the border and furthermore, each region has its own style.

The Burrito in Mexico

Authentic Mexican burritos are usually small and thin, with flour tortillas containing only one or two ingredients. They are traditional in Chihuahua, most notably in border towns like Ciudad Juarez. They are also considered a regional food of Guanajuato. Although they may be one of the most popular dishes of Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico, they are really only common in the northern part of the country. However, thanks to its international notoriety, it is starting to make its way to the rest of the Mexican Republic.

The Burrito in the U.S.

Now things get really complicated. Americans LOVE the burrito. It has become a huge part of Mexican-American cuisine that the varieties are almost endless. First of all, in a truly American fashion, the burrito is much bigger. It usually has a lot more ingredients in it as well. In Tex-Mex cuisine they deep-fry burritos and call them Chimichangas. There are "Wet" burritos which are smothered in different types of salsas, much like an enchilada. There are also Breakfast Burritos with ingredients like: ham, eggs, bacon, avocado, salsa, beans, chorizo, sausage etc. In California, there are all sorts of burritos with, tofu, pineapple, brown rice, wheat tortillas, vegan etc. And then, there are the fusion burritos like Mexi-terreanean(with Falafel or shwarma), Sushi burritos, korean fusion etc.

Now I'm hungry

At the end of the day, whether you want to call it Mexican, American or whatever, it is a truly delicious, adaptable dish. So, whether you are a vegan surfer from Huntington Beach or a regular city goer from Ciudad Juarez, sit back and enjoy your favorite type of burrito. After all, "burrito" is the same in any language ;)

El Tepeyac Cafe

There can be no discussion of iconic restaurants in Los Angeles without mentioning El Tepeyac Cafe. Tucked away in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights, this restaurant has been an icon since 1952. Manuel Rojas and family have made this restaurant a "must" for natives and visitors alike with such dishes as the Manuel Special, an enormous burrito weighing 5lbs and garnering notoriety on the local and national level.

Manuel Rojas

The Rojas family opened their first restaurant in in downtown LA originally called Tupinamba Cafe in 1942. It was later moved to Lincoln Heights under the name, La Villa Cafe. In 1952 they made their final move to Boyle Heights as the now famous El Tepeyac Cafe. After the death of Salvador Rojas his wife Rebecca and son Manuel took over the reigns of the business and have made the restaurant into an international success. Through the decades, the family has contemplated the expansion of their brand until finally two years ago they opened their second El Tepeyac Cafe in the City of Industry located somewhat south of Los Angeles proper. Manuel Rojas dedicated his life to