A Burrito By Any Other Name

What is a burrito?

Also known as taco de harina, a burrito is a kind of Mexican food where a wheat flour tortilla is wrapped in a cylindrical fashion to contain a filling of meat, vegetables, and rice. Of course there are hundreds, even thousands, of variations, some with beans, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, cheese, and many more.

Why the name?

Well, burrito in Spanish means “little donkey,” which is the diminutive form of “burro.” Though the exact reason for the name is not known, it is believed by some that the rolled up taco de harina looks similar to a donkey’s ear. While there are some who say that the burrito was named for the bedrolls and packs that donkeys usually carry.

We may not know which theory is correct, but the fact remains that the name stuck, and what once was known as taco de harina, is now the burrito we know and love.

The origin of the burrito is not really known, but historians believe it may have originated with the vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, in northern Mexico in the 19th century. However, there are also claims that is may have originated among the farmworkers of California’s Central Valley, or northern Sonoran miners in the 19th century.

There is a myth though that the burrito started when a man named Juan Mendez, a taco vendor in Ciudad Juarez, used a donkey to transport his food during the Mexican Revolution. To help keep the food warm, Mendez used homemade flour tortillas to wrap the taco fillings. The name “burrito,” as the story goes, was used to describe the “food of the little donkey.” As the new type of food grew in popularity, the name stuck.

Through the years, several varieties of burrito sprung forth and these are the Mexican burrito, which consisted of a thin tortilla with one or two ingredients, mainly some sort of meat, with potatoes, rice, beans, asadero cheese, chile rajas or chili relleno.

There is the San Francisco burrito, or Mission burrito, which was similar to the Mexican burrito albeit adding more ingredients to the mix such as sour cream, guacamole, and rice. It is argued that this type of burrito was the first “super” burrito.

Then there’s the San Diego-style burrito which is generally described as no-frills, and smaller than other burritos.

And finally, the Los Angeles-style burrito, which usually takes multiple forms but is often dominated by some combination of refried beans, meat, cheese, rice and other add-ons.

In Pasadena, though there are several places that serve burritos, one of, if not the, best burritos in the area can be found at Burrito Express (a simple Yelp search will show that Burrito Express serves the best burritos in Pasadena, by the way).

At Burrito Express, you’ll also find several types of burritos available. From the special JVC Burrito, Ito Burrito, or the Ross Perot Burrito, to the standards Beef bean and cheese or Chorizo and Egg Burrito, or the ultra classic Bean and Cheese Burrito. You can also order the Vic’s Special, which comes smothered in Spicy or Mild sauce and Cheese and comes with a salad and chips.

Burritos have been around for more than a century, and with their popularity, will stay for centuries more. So head down to Burrito Express and take a bite out of history!

Burrito Express is located at 1597 East Washington Blvd.

To find out more about Burrito Express, visit www.http://burritoexpresspasadena.com or call (626) 798-0844 for more details.