Food History: Tacos de Canasta | Mental Floss

Tacos de canasta (or "basket tacos") are not the first taco ever created, but they are inextricably linked with the history of the taco and the origin of the word taco. The history of the taco either begins around Aztec tables or in the mines of modern-day Mexico, depending on how you define a taco. In this episode of Food History, Justin Dodd gets into the history of the taco by way of a unique icon in street food history. You'll learn why taqueros put tacos de canasta in baskets and the explosive origin of the word taco. Food History is a series from Mental Floss where we dive deep into the culinary stories that lead to the food on our plates. If you have an idea for a dish, cooking technique, or cuisine that you’d like us to explore in a future episode, tell us in the comments. The history of Japanese food is the just the tip of the iceberg in fascinating food stories. Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW:    / @mentalfloss   About Mental Floss: Mental Floss is where curious people come for trivia-tastic information. Mental Floss produces lists of fun facts, debunks common misconceptions, and tells untold stories from history, science, culture and more. Website: http://www.mentalfloss.com  Twitter:   / mental_floss    Facebook:   / mentalflossmagazine   Copyright Notice: This video and YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of Mental Floss. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to this YouTube Channel is provided. © 2025 Mental Floss Food History: Tacos de Canasta | Mental Floss    / @mentalfloss