Entertainment
Netflix's New Taco Show Won't Just Make Your Mouth Water — It'll Teach You A Lot Too
After Taco Chronicles hits Netflix July 12, you'll want to plan a trip to Mexico ASAP. The first season travels south of the border to retrace the histories of various taco styles and the people who make them. It's not clear yet if Taco Chronicles will return for Season 2 or if it's just a one-off tacumentary (sorry!!), but considering the first season covers just six types of tacos, there's certainly room not for more episodes — and in your belly.
In Season 1, the six tacos covered are asada, barbacoa, canasta, carnitas, guisado, and pastor. If you aren't familiar those types, or if your most "authentic" taco experience has been going to a Chipotle or Taco Bell, then Taco Chronicles will absolutely help to educate you. But even taco connoisseurs should learn something about their favorite food from the show since, according to Netflix, the intention is to expose the "long, rich, little-known histories" of these popular tacos. Making your mouth water is just an added bonus.
Besides these six types, there are numerous other kinds of tacos. As Mexconnect highlighted, other traditional Mexican street tacos include cabeza, cazuela, dorados, fritanga, and pescado. Each variation has its own unique history, so Taco Chronicles could easily continue exploring these individual taco types in future seasons.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here's a primer for all the tacos you'll be learning about in Season 1 — you know, so you won't feel totally schooled by the series.
Asada
According to Borracha Mexican Cantina restaurant, "carne asada" simply means "grilled meat," though the tacos are typically made with flank steak. Taco Chronicles will take a look at the Mexican state Sonora, where the beef to make carne asada comes from, per radio station KJZZ.
Barbacoa
According to Chowhound, barbacoa tacos are usually slow-cooked beef served shredded. Yet, as Thrillist shared, there are places in northern Mexico that will serve this slow-cooked style using goat meat, beef heads, or beef cheeks.
Canasta
Per Eat Your World, canasta tacos can have varying fillings, including meat (like shredded chicken or sheep) and vegetarian (like refried beans or potato) options. What makes them unique is that these "tacos of the basket" are steamed and served out of — what else? — baskets.
Carnitas
As Eat Your World notes, carnitas tacos are a specialty from the state Michoacán, where pork (with its organs) is slow-cooked with spices and then fried up.
Guisado
According to AFAR, guisado tacos are the most popular kind in Mexico City. The small corn tortillas are filled with stews that can be made up of anything: blood sausage, ground beef, peppers, chicken liver. They also usually have rice and hard-boiled eggs in them so the stew doesn't seep out of the tortilla, Bill Esparza of the food tour company Club Tengo Hambre told the outlet.
Pastor
Tacos al pastor are made of slow-roasted pork on a vertical spit, according to AFAR. After the meat is shaved off, you just might get a slice of pineapple on top too.
Whatever type of taco you fancy, Taco Chronicles will tell you everything you never knew you needed to know about them. And look out for a second season to highlight even more taco facts, so you can show off in front of your friends.
