Walking tacos are not tacos. Wawa proves it
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: (David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Tacos are tacos — except when they're not.
Why it matters: Born in Mexico's silver mines in the 18th century, tacos evolved from working-class staple to cultural icon, inspiring everything from Taco Tuesday to late-night drive-thru runs.
State of play: Not everything people call tacos deserves the name. I'm looking at you,"walking taco."
- Putting aside flavorful fillings and portability, there's one essential test of a taco: It must be wrapped in a tortilla, corn or flour.
Driving the news: Wawa isn't on anyone's top taco destination list, and yet the limited-time tacos it introduced this week clears this bar better than some fast-food chains.
- You can mix and match all sorts of combinations through Aug. 10: spicy cheesy chicken, seasoned beef with fire-roasted corn, garlic aioli, BBQ sauce, ranch, onions, jalapeños and more.
The intrigue: I know what you're thinking: garlic aioli on a taco? That's between Wawa and God.
Yes, but: If you're like me and living in the 'burbs, where there aren't really late-night food trucks and the options are limited to Taco Bell, these will do — even with some of those exotic ingredients.
So why am I turning up about tacos?
- Because Cinco de Mayo just passed, and a friend told me they celebrated by getting a "walking taco."
I'm going to keep it a buck: Walking tacos are not tacos. For starters, tacos are already walkable.
- So that's a distinction without a difference that shows walking tacos are swagger-jacking regular tacos' street cred.
Zoom in: As a New Mexican, I have a duty to tell you that the Americanized walking taco originated with Frito pie.
- In the 1960s, a woman working a lunch counter in Santa Fe found a creative new way to serve Frito pie by tossing chile con carne, cheddar cheese, lettuce and onion into a Frito bag.
- Somewhere along the way, capitalism entered, and America got it twisted.
I hear walking tacos are good, but I will never give anything a chance that looks like it was slapped together, without love, by an overwhelmed parent.
The bottom line: Give me birria, or give me death.
- Even Wawa got it right: A taco needs a tortilla shell, not some lazy bagged attempt at culture.