Tacos de canasta

Tacos de canasta ('basket tacos') are a popular Mexican food preparation consisting of tortilla filled with various stews.^[2] Typical fillings are papa ('potato'), chicharrón ('pork rinds'), frijoles ('beans') or adobo ('marinade').^[4] In all cases, the tacos are bathed in oil or melted butter. They are originally from San Vicente Xiloxochitla [es], Tlaxcala, although they are consumed throughout central Mexico, especially in the large cities of the country. They are usually sold on bicycles that circulate on the streets or also in street stalls. The name comes from the basket in which they are placed to keep them warm.

They are considered a simple, very inexpensive snack (they do not exceed $10

The sale of tacos in baskets through the streets of Mexico City dates back to the time of the

Today, between 50%[5] and 80%^[1] of Xiloxochitla families are engaged in the production of tacos de canasta, and many of them travel every day to Mexico City to sell their tacos de canasta.

Preparation

The most common guisos ('fillings' for the taco) are 4: beans, potato, adobo and pork rinds.^[7] Although the variety of stews has diversified in recent decades, those mentioned are "classical" fillings. The preparation of these stews begins the night before, cooking the potato and the beans.^[5]

Classic stews

• Adobo stew: it is cooked and shredded beef brisket (falda de res), which is mixed with salt, onion and guajillo chili adobo; then, with the broth from the falda, all the ingredients are cooked in the pan until the ingredients are integrated and thickened.
• Chicharrón stew: the onion is seasoned and pressed pork rinds are added; then it is mixed with guajillo chili adobo and heated in the pan until it thickens.
• Frijoles stew: bayos beans are cooked and mixed with salt and onion, then crushed until they form a puree and cooked in a pan until they lose liquid.
• Potatoes stew: they are cooked and mashed, mixed with salt, and then with the seasoned onion and the serrano pepper; then with milk they are heated in the pan until the ingredients are integrated and thickened.

Basket

The basket is lined with kraft paper, aluminum foil and a plastic or rubber bag,^[5] typically blue.^[4][7] To fill it, firstly a layer of tacos is placed, then a layer of onion (sometimes also dried chili peppers) and a bath of lard or hot adobo; so on until the basket is completed. A medium basket allows a capacity for 100-150 tacos,^[8] while the largest ones contain 200-500 tacos.^[5]

They are covered with cloth blankets to preserve temperature and humidity.^[2] The basket allows them to stay warm for up to 4–6 hours.^[1]

Traditions

Tacos de canasta are named for the basket that is used for storage and sale. Between 7:00 and 8:00, the taqueros leave Xiloxochitla, by bicycle if it is to the nearby municipalities, or in trucks if it is to the large cities such as Mexico City or Puebla; some of whom reside in the city during the week, and return to Xiloxochitla on the weekend.^[6] Basket tacos are on the streets from mid-morning (10:00 - 11:00) until late afternoon (16:00 - 17:00).^[7]

Typically, customers gather around the stall and consume their tacos standing on the spot.^[5] Regulars include blue-collar workers, college students, and office workers who have little time for breakfast.^[6] This custom has spread throughout Mexico City.

In 2016, a basket taco vendor from Mexico City named Marven, although better known as Lady Tacos de Canasta [es], rose to fame for appearing in the Pride parade with her particular way of advertising: “Tacos! Tacos de canasta! Tacos!”.^[4] Later, Marven would participate in the Netflix micro-documentary Las crónicas del taco (2019), for which she would be awarded the James Beard Foundation Award.^[9]

Taco de Canasta Fair

Since 2007, the Taco Fair has been held annually in San Vicente Xiloxochitla on the first Sunday in December. In each edition a commission is instituted to produce more than three thousand basket tacos that are delivered in the town square to the visitors of the event.

Variants

Paques sudados

In Comitán, Chiapas, a version of tacos de canasta are sudados paquitos. The name is probably a deformation of taquitos sudados. On August 8, the day of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, patron of the town, the vendors go out with the baskets to sell paquitos through the streets of the town. Comitan-style paquitos consist of chorizo, egg, potato, rajas, and refried beans.^[10]

Tacos al vapor

The term tacos al vapor ('steamed

• Cuisine of Mexico City
• Cuisine of Tlaxcala [es
  ]
• Tacos al pastor
• Tacos dorados