It’s not hard to find Mexican food in the United States, even all the way up here in New Hampshire. While Mexican cuisine includes plenty of variety, there are a few staples that you’ll find at every Mexican restaurant. One of those is the burrito. It’s a given these days that burritos will always be on offer anywhere that sells Mexican food, but did you know they date back only to the early 1900s? For a cuisine that has been around for centuries, that makes burritos a relative newcomer to the scene.

What would Mexican food be without burritos? Here’s a look at how they became a permanent fixture of Mexican restaurant menus.

The Origins

During the Mexican Revolution, the story of a man named Juan Mendez began to circulate. According to the story, Mr. Mendez sold tacos on the streets of Ciudad Juárez. During this time, transportation was limited. Thus, while using a donkey—“burro” in Spanish—as his primary means of transport, Mr. Mendez would wrap his food in large homemade flour tortillas to keep his meals warm. As the “food of the burrito” or “food of the little donkey” grew in popularity, “burrito” was eventually adopted as the name for these tacos.

Journey to America

Because Ciudad Juárez is a city in Northern Mexico, bordering El Paso, Texas, the journey into the United States was only a matter of time. Mexican restaurants began serving burritos in the style we’re familiar with in the early 1960s. A small restaurant in San Francisco was likely the first to incorporate the added ingredients that many of us have come to love and associate with burritos. With the addition of rice, guacamole, and sour cream, the burrito developed into the “San Francisco style,” or “mission-style” burrito. Nearby cities, such as Los Angeles and San Diego, also took on the burrito, creating their own regional variations and specialties.  

The Makings

Although the ingredients can be as creative and unique as one’s imagination, traditionally, a burrito is filled with meat, vegetables, and beans. Rice and guacamole are also very common additions. Whatever fillings you like, the key to a burrito is the flour tortilla. The stretch of the gluten in the flour is what allows you to stuff a tortilla with loads of fillings without it breaking apart. A corn tortilla won’t hold the ingredients together as well, which is why they are reserved for other dishes, such as street tacos or enchiladas.

Authentic Mexican Food in NH at California Burritos

Authentic and delicious Mexican food is never far away when you visit California Burritos! We have four convenient locations; stop by and get yourself a burrito!