Rooted in tradición mexicana and infused with Texas food culture, tacos are some of Texans’ all-time favorite foods. In The Tacos of Texas, the taco journalists Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece take us on a muy sabroso taco tour around the state as they discover the traditions, recipes, stories, and personalities behind puffy tacos in San Antonio, trompo tacos in Dallas, breakfast tacos in Austin, carnitas tacos in El Paso, fish tacos in Corpus Christi, barbacoa in the Rio Grande Valley, and much more.
Starting with the basics—tortillas, fillings, and salsas—and how to make, order, and eat tacos, the authors highlight ten taco cities/regions of Texas. For each place, they describe what makes the tacos distinctive, name their top five places to eat, and listen to the locals tell their taco stories. They hear from restaurant owners, taqueros, abuelitas, chefs, and patrons—both well-known and everyday folks—who talk about their local taco history and culture while sharing authentic recipes and recommendations for the best taco purveyors.
Whether you can’t imagine a day without tacos or you’re just learning your way around the trailers, trucks, and taqueros that make tacos happen, The Tacos of Texas is the indispensable guidebook, cookbook, and testimonio.
Part travel guide, part-taco manual, part cultural history of the people and places that have shaped—and been shaped by—this divine dish, Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece have created a fun, stomach-growling romp of a book that is coming out at just the right moment. . . . [F]rom the opening pages of The Tacos of Texas, it’s clear that this simple recipe belies a world of taco complexity with a deep multicultural history populated by some truly amazing characters.
[T]here is a bounty of tacos and this book is your best guide. . . . This is a big book with 440 pages of ideas, lore, fascination, and food. You can use this book even if you aren’t headed for Texas. But if you do have a trip planned there, grab a copy of this and some tacos when you land. This is variety Texas style. Big, bold, and sure to please.
- The Tacos of Texas
- The Holy Trinity: Las Tortillas, Los Fillings, y Las Salsas
- Rio Grande Valley
- Laredo
- El Paso
- Austin
- Corpus Christi
- San Antonio
- Houston
- Dallas–Fort Worth
- Midland–Odessa
- Abilene
- ¡Que Vivan los Tacos!
- El Glossary
- Acknowledgments
- Index
