How Tacos Conquered America

The aroma was irresistible: sweet and earthy, like a field of fresh corn. The sound was unmistakable: a sudden sizzle as fresh tortillas hit the fryer. It was 1947, and diners at one of New York City’s first Mexican restaurants knew exactly what they wanted: crunchy tacos stuffed with tender pork, savory beans and sausage, or chili-spiced chicken. 

Or maybe one of each?

There was just one problem. The cooks at the restaurant hated making them! Each cornmeal tortilla shell had to be individually fried in scalding oil. The cooks had to turn each tortilla by hand until it was perfectly crispy. The process was dangerous—and painful. The cooks had the burns to prove it. 

Fearing that his staff would quit, restaurant owner Juvencio Maldonado knew he had to do something. Before coming to the U.S., Maldonado had trained as an electrician in Mexico. Now he put his expertise to work. He tinkered and fiddled until finally, he had it: a device that allowed cooks to fry taco shells—up to seven at a time—without having to touch them. 

In 1950, Maldonado received a patent for the world’s first mechanical taco fryer. He didn’t know it at the time, but inventions like his would help tacos become an American hit, forever changing the way we eat.

The aroma was irresistible. It was sweet and earthy, like a field of fresh corn. The sound was unmistakable. It was a sudden sizzle as fresh tortillas hit the fryer. The year was 1947. Diners at one of New York City’s first Mexican restaurants knew what they wanted: crunchy tacos. You could have one stuffed with pork, beans and sausage, or chicken. 

Or maybe one of each?

There was just one problem. The cooks hated making them! Each cornmeal tortilla shell had to be individually fried in hot oil. The cooks had to turn each tortilla by hand until it was crispy. The process was dangerous—and painful. The cooks had the burns to prove it. 

Juvencio Maldonado, who owned the restaurant, feared that the cooks would quit. He knew he had
to do something. Before coming to the U.S., Maldonado had trained as an electrician in Mexico. Now he put his expertise to work. He tinkered until finally, he had it. His new device allowed cooks to fry taco shells—up to seven at a time—without having to touch them. 

In 1950, Maldonado received a patent for his device. It was the world’s first mechanical taco fryer. He didn’t know it then, but inventions like his would help tacos become an American hit, forever changing the way we eat.

By the 1950s, many of the children and grandchildren of those first Mexican immigrants were prospering in the United States. The nation’s economy was booming, and many Mexican Americans were being hired for new types of jobs that paid well. 

With more money to spend on a wider variety of foods, this younger generation began adding new flavors to the tacos they’d grown up eating. They experimented with ingredients that were readily available in U.S. supermarkets. Ground beef replaced traditional fillings like cow tongue or stomach. Instead of topping tacos with ingredients like chopped onions and cilantro, as their grandparents did, they chose crunchy iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese. 

Meanwhile, throughout the Southwest, entrepreneurial Mexican Americans began opening restaurants that reflected the tastes of their generation. And guess what starred on the menu? Tacos, of course.

By the 1950s, many of the children and grandchildren of those first Mexican immigrants were prospering in the United States. The nation’s economy was booming. Many Mexican Americans were being hired for new types of jobs that paid well. 

With more money to spend, this younger generation began adding new flavors to tacos. They experimented with ingredients that were available in U.S. supermarkets. Ground beef replaced traditional fillings like cow tongue or stomach. Instead of topping tacos with chopped onions and cilantro, as their grandparents did, they chose crunchy iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese. 

Meanwhile, throughout the Southwest, entrepreneurial Mexican Americans began opening restaurants. And guess what starred on the menu? Tacos, of course. 

Still, the fact remained that frying tortillas was slow and unpleasant work. But Maldonado’s mechanical fryer helped change that. Soon after it was perfected, a number of other devices that could safely fry multiple shells at once came along. These fryers saved time and protected cooks’ fingers from searing oil burns. As an added bonus, the fried shells lasted for weeks, unlike fresh tortillas, which could get moldy after just a few days.

The timing of these taco fryers was perfect. By the 1950s, a new way of eating was sweeping the country: fast food. For the first time, you could drive up to a restaurant like McDonald’s, order a hamburger and fries for less than a buck, and have it in your hands in minutes. Americans loved the speed and convenience. 

Tacos, it turned out, were ideal as fast food: cheap, delicious, and—thanks to mechanical fryers—easy for restaurants to churn out.

The rise of fast-food tacos helped popularize the dish not just in the Southwest but across the entire country. When the first Taco Bell opened in Los Angeles in 1962, the fast-food restaurant was an immediate success. By the end of the decade, two new Taco Bells were opening every week!

Even so, frying tortillas was still slow and unpleasant work. But Maldonado’s mechanical fryer helped change that. Soon, other tortilla fryers came along. These fryers saved time. They protected cooks’ fingers from burns. And the fried shells lasted for weeks. Fresh tortillas could get moldy after just a few days.

The timing of these taco fryers was perfect. By the 1950s, a new way of eating was sweeping the country: fast food. For the first time, you could drive up to a restaurant like McDonald’s, order a hamburger and fries for less than a buck—and have it in minutes. Americans loved the speed and convenience. 

Tacos, it turned out, were ideal as fast food. They were cheap, delicious, and—thanks to mechanical fryers—easy for restaurants to churn out.

The rise of fast-food tacos helped popularize the dish across the entire country. The first Taco Bell opened in Los Angeles in 1962. The fast-food restaurant was an immediate success. By the end of the decade, two new Taco Bells were opening every week!

The story of spaghetti and meatballs begins in the period between 1880 and 1920, when more than 4 million people immigrated from Italy to the U.S. Many took jobs as laborers, merchants, and street vendors. When the newcomers went shopping for food, a surprise awaited them: There was so much meat! 

In Italy, people didn’t eat much meat. It was an expensive luxury that wasn’t widely available. When Italians did cook meat, it was usually to add flavor to sauces. On special occasions, people made small meatballs, which were added to soups or eaten plain, without pasta or sauce.

In the U.S., however, meat was plentiful and relatively cheap. Italian immigrants were urged to eat more of it by social workers who believed the traditional Italian diet wasn’t nourishing enough. Soon, meatballs grew much larger and became a staple meal.

The story of spaghetti and meatballs begins in the period between 1880 and 1920. That’s when more than 4 million people immigrated from Italy to the U.S. Many took jobs as laborers, merchants, and street vendors. When the newcomers went shopping for food, a surprise awaited them: There was so much meat! 

In Italy, people didn’t eat a lot of meat. It was expensive and wasn’t widely available. When Italians did cook meat, it was usually to add flavor to sauces. On special occasions, people made small meatballs. They were added to soups or eaten plain, without pasta or sauce.

In the U.S., however, meat was plentiful and relatively cheap. Italian immigrants were urged to eat more of it by social workers who thought the traditional Italian diet wasn’t nourishing enough. Soon, meatballs grew much larger and became a staple meal.

So how did meatballs and spaghetti end up on one plate? 

In part, it was thanks to immigrants from Southern Italy, who had long enjoyed small portions of pasta with tomato sauce. They brought that dish with them to the U.S., where they often settled in the same communities as people from other regions of Italy. As neighbors discovered each other’s foods, they began incorporating those foods into their own cooking. Soon even people who’d never eaten pasta and tomato sauce back in Italy started cooking it. 

At the same time, Italian immigrants were adapting to a more American way of eating, says Fabio Parasecoli, a professor of food studies at New York University. In Italy, meals might have lasted hours, with multiple courses. In the U.S., mealtimes were shortened to fit the busy pace of American life. Rather than eating one dish at a time, courses were combined.

This combining of courses, along with the mixing of flavors from different parts of Italy, resulted in entirely new dishes—like spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce.

So how did meatballs and spaghetti end up on one plate? 

In part, it was thanks to immigrants from Southern Italy. They had long enjoyed small portions of pasta with tomato sauce. When they came to the U.S., they brought that dish with them. They often settled in the same communities as people from other regions of Italy. Neighbors discovered each other’s foods. They began using those foods in their own cooking. Soon people who had never eaten pasta and tomato sauce back in Italy started cooking it. 

At the same time, Italian immigrants were adapting to a more American way of eating, says Fabio Parasecoli. He’s a professor of food studies at New York University. In Italy, meals might have lasted hours and had multiple courses. In the U.S., mealtimes were short to fit the busy pace of American life. Rather than eating one dish at a time, courses were combined.

This combining of courses and mixing flavors from different parts of Italy resulted in new dishes. One of those new dishes was spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce.