Happy National Taco Day! Today we celebrate one of the world’s most beloved foods—the taco! But before you unwrap your favorite taco, let’s take a little journey through its surprisingly rich (and explosive!) history.
🌽 Ancient Roots
Long before Europeans arrived in the Americas, indigenous peoples in what is now Mexico were enjoying early versions of tacos. Corn—known as maize—was a sacred crop, and thin flatbreads made from masa (corn dough) were an everyday staple. These tortillas were used to scoop up or wrap other foods like fish, beans, and chiles, making them both practical and delicious.
💥 From Dynamite to Dinner
The word taco actually first appeared in the 18th century, and it didn’t refer to food at all! In Mexico’s silver mines, workers used paper-wrapped gunpowder charges called “tacos” to blast through rock. The miners’ simple, handheld meals of meat and tortillas—nicknamed tacos de minero (miner’s tacos)—resembled these dynamite sticks, and the name stuck.
🌮 Street Food to Global Star
From the mining towns, tacos spread to Mexico’s working-class communities. They became the perfect street food—cheap, portable, and endlessly customizable. Different regions created their own specialties, from tacos al pastor to fish tacos. By the early 1900s, Mexican immigrants had brought tacos north to the U.S., especially to Texas and California, where their popularity exploded.
🏚️ The Rise of Taco Bell
The crispy, hard-shell taco is actually an American innovation. Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell, is credited with helping popularize it in the 1950s. He opened his first restaurant, Taco Tia, in San Bernardino, California, selling a simplified version of tacos inspired by local Mexican eateries.
After several name changes, the first official Taco Bell opened on July 6, 1962 in Downey, California. The tiny 400-square-foot stand served tacos, burritos, tostadas, Chiliburgers, and frijoles—all for just 19 cents each (about $2 today). Though the original building closed in 1986, it was saved from demolition and moved to Taco Bell’s corporate headquarters in Irvine, where it’s affectionately known as “Taco Bell Numero Uno.”
Today, Taco Bell serves over 2 billion customers each year across more than 8,200 locations worldwide.
🌮🌮 Taco Tuesday: A Trademarked Tradition
National Taco Day happens to fall on a Tuesday this year—fittingly, Taco Tuesday! The phrase has been around since at least 1933, but in 1989, Taco John’s trademarked it in all U.S. states except New Jersey. The chain fiercely protected its ownership, even sending cease-and-desist letters to small restaurants.
In 2023, Taco Bell launched a campaign to “liberate Taco Tuesday,” arguing that “nobody should have exclusive rights in a common phrase.” By October of that year, both Taco John’s and the New Jersey restaurant relinquished the trademark, freeing “Taco Tuesday” for everyone to use and enjoy.
🚀 Tacos in Space
Believe it or not, tacos have even gone interstellar! NASA astronauts prefer tortillas over bread because they don’t produce crumbs that could float around the spacecraft. NASA eventually used tortillas developed by Taco Bell—engineered to last longer without drying out.
In 2021, astronauts on the International Space Station made tacos with home-grown chiles, proving that even hundreds of miles above Earth, tacos still bring people together.