Tacostadas???
Are you wondering what a tacostada could be? If we’re using real Mexican food as our basis for comparison, they are not tacos and they are not tostadas. They’re more like tostadas folded inhalf. That’s right, they are those funny things they call “tacos” over at Taco Bell.
Since no one knows a real taco like a Mexican, Taco Bell has to change a few things on its menu before making, you got it, a run for the border. So they’re going for an American fast food image by serving fries topped with cheese, meat, cream and tomatoes along side their tacostadas. I wonder what a gordita from Taco Bell would look like. Actually, no I don’t, I prefer not to know.
With McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and KFC taking over Mexican cities, Taco Bell is el colmo. Taquerías are places to bond, eat suspicious meat that tastes really good, and enjoy real Mexican food. You can buy tacos in restaurants, in stands, from baskets or make them at home. They are everywhere and they are inherently Mexican.
So how will Mexicans react to Taco Bell? Carlos Monsivais summed it all up nicely:
Taco Bell wants to take advantage of the perception that if something comes from the United States, it tastes better, that a country that has been Americanized is willing to Americanize food that is central to its cuisine… It is an absurd idea, and given that it’s so absurd, it may just be successful.
