# Whats the difference between a burrito, a soft taco, a chimmi-changa, etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276 "2010-02-24T17:42:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/101 "2010-03-04T04:27:10Z")
I lived in central Mexico for many years (mostly Michoacan, previously on the Pacific coast in Jalisco). Flautas were always made with corn tortillas. So were tacos. As a matter of fact, I don’t ever remember seeing a flour tortilla outside of establishments that catered to Americans, except sometimes for quesadillas (more usually made with corn tortillas, or even fresh corn masa wrapped around cheese and deep-fried - mmmm, fatty). Burritos were nonexistant. Flautas were rolled around a filling and deep-fried, usually with full-size tortillas. Taquitos were soft tacos made with small (3-4 inch) tortillas. Just-plain-tacos usually also used the small tortillas if they were available. > [@CBEscapee](#): > > For the last time, hard tacos (tacos dorados) are VERY common in México. The _flauta_ which is usually made with a larger than normal tortilla, is a type of taco. The _taquitos_ are made with a smaller corn tortilla. Tacos fried _after_ filling were common. Tostadas made of a tortilla fried flat were also common. I don’t recall seeing the [hard shell fried on its own that is then filled with stuff](http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/isolated-objects/5437132-empty-taco-shell.php?id=5437132) TacoBell-style version anywhere except at TacoBell (yes, they have TacoBell in Mexico - it’s a hoot). Also, anyone who thinks flour tortillas taste better have never had a fresh, hand-made corn tortilla straight off the griddle. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/102 "2010-03-04T04:35:01Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > Tacos fried _after_ filling were common. Yes, that it what we call a taco dorado and that is what I have tried to tell some of the posters here. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/103 "2010-03-04T04:39:10Z")
CBEscapee: for Americans, “hard taco” means a empty shell that is fried and then stuffed. Sort of like a shaped tostada. I think that’s what the people upthread are talking about when they talk about fried tacos. Tacos dorados are pretty uncommon up here. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/104 "2010-03-04T04:42:48Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > CBEscapee: for Americans, “hard taco” means a empty shell that is fried and then stuffed. Sort of like a shaped tostada. I think that’s what the people upthread are talking about when they talk about fried tacos. Tacos dorados are pretty uncommon up here. Yeah, for the vast majority of Americans, that is what “hard tacos” are. But you can find Mexican-style tacos dorados, but you do need to know where to look. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/105 "2010-03-04T04:43:05Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > CBEscapee: for Americans, “hard taco” means a empty shell that is fried and then stuffed. Sort of like a shaped tostada. I think that’s what the people upthread are talking about when they talk about fried tacos. Tacos dorados are pretty uncommon up here. When I say ‘hard taco’, I’m referring to a mass-produced shaped shell that is filled with cooked meat and stuff. When I say ‘fried taco’, I mean a corn tortilla that is filled (partially, in my case – just meat, or sometimes refried beans and cheese if I have no meat) that is then folded over and fried in oil. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/106 "2010-03-04T04:47:48Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > But Zarela, you must have forgotten that the authentic enchiladas served in many places in the USA do have melted cheese (in great abundance) all over them. What can be more authentic than an enchilada smothered in cheddar cheese? I don’t think I’ve ever seen an enchilada smothered in cheddar. But no matter. My nationality’s food (my parents were Polish-born) has done the same thing with the cuisine in the US. Potato and cheese pierogi in Poland are made with a cheese not unlike queso fresco (it’s a fresh, white cheese that breaks apart into curds). Here, they’re more often made with cheddar. I prefer the more traditional style, but the cheese-and-cheddar variants are absolutely authentic Polish-American variants. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/107 "2010-03-04T04:58:41Z")
Wouldn’t it be better said that they are Polish-American adaptations to an authentic cuisine? That the authentic dish is made with the cheese you mention? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/108 "2010-03-04T06:04:51Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Wouldn’t it be better said that they are Polish-American adaptations to an authentic cuisine? That the authentic dish is made with the cheese you mention? You could certainly say it that way. To be more precise, I would say the traditional dish, as made back in Poland, is made with a certain type of Polish white cheese. But I would still consider the Polish-American adaptation of it and extension of Polish cuisine, just a different regional variation. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/109 "2010-03-04T06:39:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, for the vast majority of Americans, that is what “hard tacos” are. But you can find Mexican-style tacos dorados, but you do need to know where to look. I don’t know if they still make them the same way, but Jack-In-The-Box of all places used to do their cheap-ass tacos like that. Fill, fry, add lettuce and a slice of cheese. Just the thing when your broke and stoned. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/110 "2010-03-04T15:53:06Z")
They still do it. In fact it’s one of their menu staples in the Dallas area. They take a corn tortilla, glop some of their meat paste in it, a squirt of their knock-off hot sauce, a triangle of cheese product, then a dab of shredded lettuce. Fold and put in a special deep frying basket which holds the edge of the taco into shape and then deep fry. You can get two for $0.99. They also started making what they call [taco nachos](http://www.jackinthebox.com/menu/product.php?prod_id=taco_nachos&cat_id=4), which are two of the above mentioned tacos, sans lettuce, cut in half, and mixed with shredded lettuce, some sliced jalapeno and then covered in a cheese sauce in a plastic tray. My brother in law, who is military, and my nephew would always load up on the Jack in the Box tacos whenever they were in town. Apparently they can’t get them even when they lived in Oklahoma, so it’s not a nationwide menu item. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![zarela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8491ac/32.png) [@zarela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zarela)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/111 "2010-03-04T16:00:11Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > But Zarela, you must have forgotten that the authentic enchiladas served in many places in the USA do have melted cheese (in great abundance) all over them. What can be more authentic than an enchilada smothered in cheddar cheese? They’re authentic Tex-Mex but not authentic Mexican . ---
**Author:** ![saritasanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@saritasanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saritasanchez)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/112 "2011-03-01T00:30:05Z")
In Mexico, what are known in the U.S as " tacos" are called " quesadillas". These are Quesadillas. [http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5365058496\_51527aae93.jpg](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5365058496_51527aae93.jpg) [http://www.mexconnect.com/photos/637-k-0308-p-the-sumptuous-mexican-meal-begins-with-quesadillas-de-cham-large.jpg?1230684105](http://www.mexconnect.com/photos/637-k-0308-p-the-sumptuous-mexican-meal-begins-with-quesadillas-de-cham-large.jpg?1230684105) Quesadillas de champiñones mushroom quesadillas ( mushroom tacos in the U.S) It is confusing because in the U.S we know quesadillas to be these: [http://lh6.ggpht.com/\_nONe71CKk-c/TGnxOfJPLTI/AAAAAAAAArs/iv1KMk8\_Uek/P10209502.jpg](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_nONe71CKk-c/TGnxOfJPLTI/AAAAAAAAArs/iv1KMk8_Uek/P10209502.jpg) But in Mexico something like this, a flour tortilla with cheese inside (and sometimes ham) is known as a sincronizada, or a gringa. Also there are tacos dorados: [http://www.elagaverestaurante.com/images/tacos-dorados.jpg](http://www.elagaverestaurante.com/images/tacos-dorados.jpg) They are cooked the same was a quesadilla except instead of just folding the tortilla in half, you roll it into a long tube. ---
**Author:** ![saritasanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@saritasanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saritasanchez)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/113 "2011-03-01T00:37:11Z")
Also I see lots of discussion on what kind of tortillas are used to make certain things. You have to remember that different places in Mexico make dishes differently. In Oaxaca they use banana leaves for enwrapping tamales, while other places use corn husk. You see, different regions prepare the dishes differently. ---
**Author:** ![saritasanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@saritasanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saritasanchez)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/114 "2011-03-01T00:40:08Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > No not really. They just have their own style and are the most widely popular fish taco in the USA. > > Again, not really. Fried tacos or _tacos dorados_ have been part of our diet since the Spaniards introduced cooking oils/fats to the local cuisine. Today we are all going to my mother’s house for homemade _pozole_ and _tacos dorados de papas_. I agree. Tacos dorados and quesadillas ( made frying them in oil) are not tex mex at all, its actually very traditional Mexican ways of cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/115 "2011-03-01T00:50:44Z")
> [@saritasanchez](#): > > In Mexico, what are known in the U.S as " tacos" are called " quesadillas". That’s too broad. Quesadillas are made with cheese - the word combines the words “queso” (i.e. cheese) and “tortilla.” A tortilla with a filling other than cheese is not a quesadilla. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/116 "2011-03-01T01:09:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > What is “authentic?” Chop Suey was invented by a Chinese cook. Just because he did it in California shouldn’t mean anything. But if you demand location, then that makes a Big Mac served at the Beijing McDonald’s Chinese food as well. Bobby Flay is famous for his Southwestern cuisine, but he designed and developed most of the recipes in New York City. Where do you draw the line regarding ingredients? If you take it to the limits, any food that isn’t gathered and eaten in its raw state is “not authentic?” If I use “traditional ingredients” to make my mole, is it any less Mexican just because I’m whiter than a…very white thing? You realize you turned yourself around here? You started out arguing that chop suey was Chinese because it was made by a Chinese guy. You ended up arguing that your mole is Mexican _despite_ being made by a non-Mexican. Your second position is more valid. It’s not important where something is actually made, nor by whom–what matters for labeling purposes is its congruence with geographically-based traditions. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/117 "2011-03-01T02:12:33Z")
Yeah, I know. I was trying to pin down **CBEscapee** to a position. He was waffling. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/118 "2011-03-01T02:25:10Z")
> [@saritasanchez](#): > > In Mexico, what are known in the U.S as " tacos" are called " quesadillas". Are you sure? That hasn’t been my experience at all. What do you regard as a taco, then? To me, it’s a very broad category of food served in a corn (or sometimes flour, like tacos arabes) tortilla. Most tacos I’ve seen in Mexico would be identifiable to an American as a taco. For example, [here’s a taco](http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQN8lYQTQLEErpK1W44jMjc0UBVFyqgj9To0vIHMdT32_KxJbVaw&t=1) from the place a couple miles down the street from me. Is this different than what you call a “taco”? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/119 "2011-03-01T02:49:28Z")
There is no difference. _All_ restaurants are Taco Bell, John Spartan. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276/120 "2011-03-01T03:29:18Z")
Where I come from (San Diego), taquitos/flautas are universally referred to as “rolled tacos”. Make of that what you will. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-burrito-a-soft-taco-a-chimmi-changa-etc/530276.md?page=7)