Book Log 2012 #36: Taco USA by Gustavo Arellano

Another entry in the "how an ethnic food became American food" genre, this time for Mexican food. I didn't like it as much as I liked The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, but it's not far off. It's a good mix of the historical with the sociological, as it looks to explain both how the food got here and how it became so popular with non-Mexicans. It also goes beyond the well-known stories (like how nachos were invented) to highlight aspects of Mexican food like the tamale men who were popular in early 20th century America, the women who made Mexican a popular street food in San Antonio, and some of the restaurants and entrepreneurs who put Mexican on the map.

Enjoyed it quite a bit, even if it left me wanting chips and salsa all the time.