Fun Facts About Nachos

As we celebrate National Nachos Day on November 6, Wicked Spoon Confessions spices up things by dishing out some interesting information on this popular snack created by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

 

History:

Courtesy: www.nationalnachosday.com

It’s said that Anaya, a Mexican from the border town of Piedra Negras, inadvertently invented nachos in 1943 when hungry guests showed up at the Victory Club, the restaurant he was working at across the Rio Grande River from Texas.

Anaya found himself without a chef so he decided to rustle up something tasty for his guests. The only foods available in the kitchen were tortillas and cheese. He began making the dish by cutting the tortilla into triangles. The cheese was then melted by heating it together with the triangular chips. He topped the dish with jalapeno peppers to complete the first-ever recipe of Nachos Especiales otherwise known as Nacho's Special Dish.

Anaya, who was called Nacho because of his short stature, created a dish that would grow in popularity in Texas and the Southwest over the next 20 years.  Anaya went on to work at the Moderno Restaurant in Piedras Negras, which still uses the original recipe. 



Fun Facts:
  1. In Mexico nachos are called ‘totopos’
  2. 21st October is the International Day of the Nacho.
  3. The first known appearance of the word “nachos” in English dates to 1949, from the book A Taste of Texas.
  4. The International Nacho Festival is held between October 13 and 15 at Piedras Negras and part of the celebrations features a "biggest nacho of the world" contest which is registered with the Guinness Book of World Records.
  5. Though the creator never sought to claim ownership of the dish, his son contacted a lawyer in 1960 to explore the possibility. Unfortunately, too much time had passed, so the recipe was free to the public.
  6. Nachos are the food most craved by pregnant women by popular poll.
  7. The University of Kansas set the record for the world’s largest plate of nachos on April 21, 2012 with an 80-foot long, 2-foot wide, 10-inch deep pile of chips, which broke the record by weighing in at nearly 5,000 pounds.
  8. Nachos can be made in different forms such as nacho lasagna, chocolate nachos, and even spicy nacho-flavored beer. Although the original recipe is rigid, modern takes can be a very innovative.
Hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you have any interesting trivia on the delicious nacho, do share in the comments section.

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