The Taco Adventure

When I was 13 years old, my family and I went on a summer vacation to Mexico. This vacation was one for the books because not only did we get to see family that we hadn’t seen in years but it was where I had the ultimate taco experiences. Now what made this different from any of our other family vacations to Mexico was because we drove 36 hours from Santa Barbara, California to Lagos De Moreno, Jalisco. Yes, I said it 36 hours with five people in a 2000 Chevy Suburban. Luckily we all managed to not fight all 36 hours, I was quite thankful for the portable DVD player and the PSP if you can remember what that is.

The Taco Shop

About 15 hours into the drive we made our first stop in Juarez, Mexico. Now for those who don't know much about Juarez it is one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico do to cartel violence, so you can understand when I say my parents were a bit skeptical when it came to making a stop in this city, but Olga my mother did not want to continue to hear Chris my younger brother and I complain about how hungry we were. As we got farther out from the city there was a taco shop on the side of the freeway where my Jose decided to stop. Personally, when we got out of the car I was a little judgmental about this shop as it didn't seem to be the cleanest establishment. We waited in line and once it was my turn to order, I decided to order two tacos de asada, two tacos de adobada and two tacos de tripa. I was very hungry so you could understand why I ordered so many tacos but the price was also right as each taco was about 50 american cents. As we waited for our tacos, I was acting like a teenager, complaining about how I was going to get sick from the food but little did I know how amazing this tacos would taste.

The Taste

“Tu orden esta listo” said the cook who had just finished making our tacos. My dad, my brother and I went to get the plates of food as we had ordered about 25 tacos. Once we got the table we distributed all the tacos so we each got what we had ordered, said our prayers and asked for safe travels, then it was time to eat. If you know me I’m very particular about how I eat my tacos, I always start off with a taco de carne asada then I eat a different taco each time until I have to repeat a taco. As I bit into the first taco my eyes lit up and my brother asked, “is it that bad?” and I responded, “No it is the best carne asada taco I have ever had.” The taste of the oil that was dabbed prior to cooking the tortilla was a flavor that gave an authentic taste that was something that I was not ready for. Now the meat is also very well seasoned and marinated. All the tacos I had that day I can remember changed the way I now critique tacos. If you every catch yourself in Juarez heres a link so some of the best taco shops.

Moral of the story

Don’t judge a book by its cover!