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| Alternative names | Rolled taco, flauta, taco dorado |
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| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Main ingredients | Tortillas,beef orchicken |
Taquitos (Spanish pronunciation:[taˈkito],Spanish for "littletaco"),[1]tacos dorados,[2]rolled tacos,[3] orflautas (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈflawta], Spanish for "flute") are aMexican dish that typically consists of small rolled-uptortillas that containfilling,[4] including beef, cheese or chicken.[5] The filled tortillas are thenshallow-fried ordeep-fried.[6] The dish is often topped with condiments such as sour cream andguacamole.[5]Corn tortillas are generally used to make taquitos. The dish is more commonly known as flautas when the little tacos are larger than their taquito counterparts, and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas.[7]
The taquito or little taco was referred to in the 1917Preliminary Glossary of New Mexico Spanish, with the word noted as a "Mexicanism" used in New Mexico.[8] The modern definition of a taquito as a rolled-tortilla dish was given in 1929 in a book of stories of Mexican people in the United States aimed at a youth audience, where the dish was noted as a particularly popular offering of railroad station vendors.[4] Taquitos were referred to, without definition, in a 1932 issue of theLos Angeles School Journal.[9]
Two Southern Californian restaurants are often given credit for their roles in the early development of the taquito. Cielito Lindo was founded by Aurora Guerrero in 1934 and located onOlvera Street inLos Angeles.[10] Guerrero's daughter used her taquito recipe in opening chain restaurants in Los Angeles, and soon competitors were selling similar dishes.[10] InSan Diego, what would become El Indio Mexican Restaurant began selling taquitos duringWorld War II, when tortilla factory owner Ralph Pesqueira Sr. was asked by workers at theConsolidated Aircraft Company factory across the street for a portable lunch item.[11][12] Pesqueria, who used a recipe developed by his Mexican grandmother, has claimed credit for introducing the word "taquito" for the dish.[13]
Taquitos were among the early Mexican food items developed as afrozen food, withVan de Kamp's introducing a successful frozen taquito offering by 1976.[14] The United States government has determined that taquitos must contain at least 15% meat.[15]
Crispy fried taquitos that are sold inMexico are often calledtacos dorados ("golden tacos") orflautas. Typical toppings and sides includecabbage,crema (Mexican sour cream), guacamole,green chili orred chili salsa and crumbledMexican cheese such asqueso fresco.[16][2]"Taquitos" in the Mexican border cities ofTijuana andMexicali refer to small tacos sold in stands, rather than the rolled taco dish.[17]
On a plate before us is a 'taquito' on shredded lettuce. On the table is a generous dish of well-cooked 'frijoles' and there are plates piled high with 'tortillas de maiz', the National bread.
A number of impromptu stands selling small tacos (taquitos) snuggle up to excellent established restaurants from which they have borrowed their names.
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