How Mexican food conquered America

The Salt over at NPR has an extensive interview/150 mile trip with Gustavo Arellanos, who just published a book: Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America. They visit the (still existing) stand where tacos where first introduced, places where fusion tacos are created, and the “baroque masterpiece” of the Battleship Taco. Of particular interest is the discussion of the part that Taco Bell (now making 2 billion tacos/year) played in overcoming consumers’ suspicions about contamination and strangeness; in fact, Arellanos shows us where Taco Bell got their original recipe. If you’ve ever eaten a taco (and who hasn’t?) this is a fascinating story.