# Educate me about burritos, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 15, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849 "2022-01-15T14:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/241 "2022-01-20T18:12:57Z")
I learned a long time ago that a lot of our favorite “Mexican” dishes north of the border can barely be found in Mexico, especially ones that require a deep fryer. Even burritos are kind of exotic in Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/242 "2022-01-20T18:19:39Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Even burritos are kind of exotic in Mexico. Especially Southern Mexico, in my experience. They are more of a Sonora thing, or used to be. Cross-cultural “contamination” works both ways, and any number of places in Mexico have started serving “Mexicanified-Gringoised Mexican” food, at least in the more touristy areas. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/243 "2022-01-20T18:24:53Z")
Yeah, Arizona borders on Sonora and I saw flour tortilla wrapped fillings all the time but, as I said above, we called them “burros”, not seeing “burritos” until we got to California. Now, they’re burritos here as well. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/244 "2022-01-20T18:24:57Z")
So the guy was expecting small tacos, but he was surprised to receive taquitos? I’m a SoCal native, and lifelong West Coaster (with two thirds of my life in SoCal). Out here, ‘taquito’ has a specific meaning: A meat filling wrapped up in a corn tortilla, and deep fried. It’s never a flour tortilla. Similarly, a flauta is never a corn tortilla. Out here, flautas are never called taquitos. Actually, in northern Washington nobody calls them flautas. They call them ‘crispitos’. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/245 "2022-01-20T18:27:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So the guy was expecting small tacos, but he was surprised to receive taquitos? Because his “taquitos” and their “taquitos” were not the same thing. My Mexican taco encyclopedia has one picture labeled as a taquito in it. It is of a small, normal, not-rolled, not-fried taco. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/246 "2022-01-20T18:51:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > My Mexican taco encyclopedia has one picture labeled as a taquito in it. It is of a small, normal, not-rolled, not-fried taco. Those are called street tacos in California, or just a taco in Mexico City. I’m picturing a “taquito” taco in Mexico being barely larger than a silver dollar, or at least something that can be consumed in one bite. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/247 "2022-01-20T19:16:13Z")
The recipe itself says to serve [the al pastor meat] on hot, fresh corn tortillas, preferably two of the smallest ones. It does not denote the size. The picture next to this recipe actually shows a fairly normal sized corn tortilla. The recipe is titled “_taquitos caseros de carne adobada estil pastor_”. I doubt they would be as small as a silver dollar. A diminutive like “taquitos” can also just a “cutesy” way of saying taco (though the recipe does specifically say to use the smallest corn tortillas.) Incidentally, outside of this usage, “taquitos” is not used in the book. Wherever the author is talking about flautas or what we know as taquitos, the words “tacos dorados” (fried tacos) is used (though this is a general category – they don’t have to be rolled; they can be folded.) And, huh… there is something called a “chivichanga” in the tacos dorados section, with a “v.” This always seemed something more US American to me, for some reason, but. apparently, it’s Sonoran. (Which makes sense.) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/248 "2022-01-20T19:29:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve been meaning to try the pre-made ones from Trader Joe’s. I’ve not tried their carne asada, but their pre-made carnitas is my go-to when I want carnitas and don’t want to spend the time making carnitas. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/249 "2022-01-20T20:15:25Z")
I agree. Their pre-made carnitas are good. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/250 "2022-01-20T20:19:53Z")
I think someone mentioned the premade burritos or wraps available in the supermarket freezer section, for a dollar or so each and meant to be microwaved. I’ve tried them but they heat really unevenly, so part is scorching while another bit is close to frozen. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/251 "2022-01-20T22:14:24Z")
Yep. Just like a Hot Pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/252 "2022-01-20T22:44:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I just suggested Chipotle because it’s a national chain offering mission-style burritos. > [@pulykamell](#): > > For fast food middle-o- the-road burritos, it’s absolutely fine. I haven’t been there in many years, but it’s perfectly serviceable and one of the better fast food options. > [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, there are definitely better burritos to be had, but mostly at little holes-in-the-wall with one location, or food trucks, or the like. I don’t think there are any nationwide chains with better burritos than Chipotle. Is Willy’s Mexicana Grill national? I think their burritos are better than Chipotles. But just about every town I’ve been too has a local burrito joint - especially if it’s a college town. (Getting hammered at the Georgia Bar, then gorging at the Mean Bean was an essential part the curriculum at the University of Georgia, back in the 90s.) Mexican restaurants, yes, but also places that specialize in what this thread has taught me are Mission-style burritos. I’d just be surprised if Chipotles was the OP’s only option. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/253 "2022-01-21T21:48:03Z")
Oh, sure, there are plenty of better local joints (in Bozeman, it’d be La Parilla). But most of us don’t know what the OP’s better local option would be. ---
**Author:** ![Enjoy\_Slurm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enjoy_slurm/32/3937_2.png) [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/254 "2022-01-22T04:48:16Z")
Yeah but they’re like Taco Bell to real Mexican, sometimes you just want like 7 of those shitty little burritos to hit the spot. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/255 "2022-01-22T05:01:13Z")
> [@Enjoy\_Slurm](#): > > Yeah but they’re like Taco Bell to real Mexican They’re like what they are to Taco Bell. But yeah; sometimes they’re just the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/256 "2022-01-22T08:26:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Even Bobby Flay knows “stacked enchiladas” = “New Mexico.” > > [https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/traditional-new-mexico-red-chile-cheese-stacked-enchiladas-recipe-2013318](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/traditional-new-mexico-red-chile-cheese-stacked-enchiladas-recipe-2013318) I figured out yesterday that I have printouts for 5 different types of enchilada recipes. Now I have 6. Dagnabbit. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/257 "2022-01-22T14:49:10Z")
OP, if you’re ever in a Tex Mex place that has a dish “al carbon,” you can guess it refers to cooking over charcoal. I like to feign ignorance and transpose letters, ordering the “tacos al cabron.” _While the literal translation of ‘cabrón’ is a male goat, its slang meaning is somewhat ruder. It generally translates to ’ **asshole’** , ‘fucker’ or ‘bitch’. It’s an offensive term and the type of word that shouldn’t be said in front of children._ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/258 "2022-02-03T01:49:13Z")
I didn’t plan anything for dinner tonight, so I cooked some chopped onions and ground beef, drained them, put in some McCormick taco seasoning, and we had burritos on low-carb tortillas with shredded cheddar and sour cream (and Tapatio for me). ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/259 "2022-02-03T02:02:38Z")
Sounds like what I do about once a week, except mine are just shredded beef briefly marinated in taco seasoning (either McCormick’s or Penzey’s), plus shredded cheddar, some hot sauce, and some spinach leaves. My question is, what exactly makes a burrito different from a “deluxe soft taco”? The rice? The beans? The fact that it’s a “closed” shape? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/260 "2022-02-03T02:12:13Z")
IMAO (In my arrogant opinion), it’s that it’s on a flour tortilla. A ‘soft taco’ is on an un-fried corn tortilla. If it’s on a flour tortilla, it’s a burrito. FWIW, Mrs. L.A. had her burrito folded in half like a taco. But she agrees that tacos are on corn tortillas and burritos are on flour tortillas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=14)