Mexican Food Chronicles - Nachos, America’s Favorite Appetizer

 

It is no wonder that Nachos worked their way into one of the favorites dishes in American restaurants and homes. What’s not to love about tortilla chips, cheese and a bunch of toppings? Like many foods found in America’s Mexican Restaurants we question their origins if the foods are authentically Mexican or Tex-Mex. The history of nachos isn’t quite so cut and dry as many other Mexican Food dishes because it has origins on both sides of the border that helped make this such a hit.

 

While nachos are often served at Mexican-American restaurants, they're not typically considered Mexican food. And even though nachos were invented in Mexico, they were created specifically for Americans. Wives of American military officers who lived at the Eagle Pass, Texas during WWII we have to thank for inspiring this dish. Across the Rio Grande River to the town of Piedras Negras, Mexico was the Victory Club, a restaurant where Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya worked. When the women wanted something new, Anaya got together fried pieces of corn tortillas, added melted cheese and pickled jalapeño strips. When asked what the dish was called, he said “Nachos’s Special”. But the tasty dish really got going in America thanks to Frank Liberto, who sold them as stadium food at Arlington Stadium. He invented a cheese sauce to go along with it, and his version of “Ballpark Nachos” exploded.

 

Traditional nachos consist of tortilla chips topped with cheese and jalapeños, as done by Anaya. Modern nachos have multiple possible ingredients, the most common toppings include cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, and occasionally lettuce. The topping of the greatest quantity is often the cheese. Some restaurants serve variations like barbecue nachos where cheese is replaced with barbecue sauce and poutine nachos in which the cheese is replaced by cheese curds and gravy. Even though those variations use nontraditional ingredients, they are still considered nachos. Sometimes restaurants completely put their own spin on nachos. For example "Irish Nachos" served at Irish-themed restaurants and bars include toppings over potatoes aka. French fries instead of tortilla chips.

 

Do you make nachos at home? Some people think it’s a fun and quick meal that they can throw together, while others possibly have never tried to make homemade nachos and leave them to the professional cooks. Here at Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant in Everett, WA we serve Super Nachos, our flour tortilla chips, served with cheese, beans, diced tomatoes, onions, guacamole, and sour cream. You can add meat or choose a gluten free option.