Trick a Taco Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lettuce

Mexican culture used to frown on getting too creative with tacos because of how important it is to keep traditions alive. In the last few years, however, Mexican eateries have learned to adapt to new trends and lifestyles to accommodate consumers with different tastes.

A major change in how tacos were served involved replacing the corn tortilla, a taco's base ingredient, with lettuce leaves. The lettuce acts as the tortilla and is filled with what the customer orders (similar to the Korean dish bossam, where meat is wrapped around lettuce and then steamed).

In recent years, more and more consumers have switched to lettuce tacos to make their diet a little bit healthier, considering the many calories that are saved by making the change. I've had lettuce tacos myself and they're pretty good, but nothing compares to the real thing!

Answer: Chicken

Tacos al pastor is one of those meals that you HAVE to try if you're ever in Mexico. One of my all-time favorite taco meats, pastor is marinated pork that is prepared in a large, vertical skewer and spit-roasted whole. The meat obtains unique flavors from both the marinade (which includes the red spice achiote, chili peppers, and orange juice) and the roasting process. Though it is unclear exactly who created these tacos or when, the dish is commonly associated with the arrival of Lebanese immigrants into Mexico City and Puebla between 1920 and 1960. One origin story credits Concepcion Cervantes with inventing the dish in her taqueria El Tizoncito after visiting a Lebanese restaurant.

Since pork meat is not everyone's favorite, taquerias have adapted to prepare other types of meat "al pastor" and give consumers more options. Popular variations include chicken (pastor de pollo) and fish (pescado al pastor); the former is typically served in taquerias while the latter is more often found in marisquerias or seafood restaurants.

Tacos al pastor are served with chopped onions, cilantro, and pineapple. Many also choose to squeeze lemon juice and put plenty of hot salsa over the tacos. (I, of course, am one of those people!)

Answer: Shell

To a native Mexican, this is perhaps one of the most bizarre ways to "trick a taco". The origin of this variation is unknown, but it is speculated that hard taco shells emerged in the Southern United States in the middle of the 20th century, and in large part were popularized by the fast-food chain Taco Bell. In fact, today's Taco Bell menu famously contains crunchy tacos and crunchy wraps that revolve around the tortilla's texture. In Mexican cuisine, a hard tortilla is called a tostada but is never used for tacos.

Fun fact: Taco Bell tried twice, in 1992 and 2007, to open restaurants in Mexico and failed miserably. This should say enough about what Mexicans think of hard shell tacos...

Answer: Poblano

All of the answers here are types of chili peppers used to make salsas for tacos in Mexico. Poblano peppers are on the lower side of the heat spectrum, as they only have flavor and barely any spice. This characteristic makes the variety ideal for those who don't enjoy spicy foods. However, this is not a viewpoint many Mexicans share! Rather, Mexicans see salsa picante as an essential component of tacos (and indeed, almost any other food!)

Morita, serrano, and habanero are all different types of chili peppers, listed in order from less spicy to most spicy. Though this ranking stems from their capsaicin level as measured in Scoville units, they all provoke unique reactions upon tasting them! Morita is a red pepper used to prepare a delicious salsa de morita, most often eaten with beef or pork tacos. Serrano is a green, slightly spicier pepper which is either blended into a creamy salsa or chopped with tomato and onion to make pico de gallo. Habanero can come in green or orange color and is famed for being very hot! It is served in salsas that are either blended or pickled. Some even dare to bite it at the same time they take a bite of the taco!

As a well-known Mexican saying spells out: "salsa que no pica, no es salsa" ("a sauce that is not hot/spicy is not a sauce").

Answer: Fried in oil

The name of the dish, tacos dorados, stems from the color that the tortilla gets once fried in oil. These special tacos begin their life as any other taco: a meat or chicken filling is wrapped inside a soft tortilla in its classic cylindrical shape. Then, a toothpick is inserted into the tortilla so that it keeps its shape even after going into the hot oil.

When they are golden-fried, the tacos are taken out and immediately served, often with sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Answer: Cheddar

Traditional Mexican tacos rarely include cheese unless a specific dish calls for it; for example, tacos dorados are often finished off with some shredded queso fresco. Differently, Mexicans may find it strange to see sharp cheddar cheese (in most cases the yellow kind) shredded onto their tacos when visiting the U.S., especially in fast food eateries like Taco Bell and Chipotle.

A common version of a taco in the U.S. is made of a hard shell, ground beef, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Personally, I don't mind the taste, as long as I'm aware that what I'm eating is not actually a taco!

Answer: Canasta

Tacos de canasta literally translates to "tacos from a basket". The name comes from how this meal is often sold in the streets of Mexico City and other parts of the country: vendors will either set up a stand or move around in bicycles with baskets carrying these delicious tacos.

They are different in that they are prepared with a variety of fillings (including meat, frijoles or beans, papas con chorizo or potatoes with chorizo), and many more. Once they are filled and sealed, they are brushed with butter or lard and placed in a basket or pot where they are steamed.

This creates their signature "sweaty" texture that makes them a classic Mexican street food. The tacos are literally taken out from a basket and then served in disposable plates with salsa verde.

Answer: Shrimp

This quiz mentioned earlier that cheese is only used in very specific situations when eating tacos: tacos gobernador is one of those situations! An unorthodox yet delicious mixture of shrimp, rajas (or prepared chili peppers), and melted cheese, tacos gobernador hail from the northern state of Sinaloa. According to an urban legend, the governor of Sinaloa in the 1990's, Francisco Labastida (who later served as a senator and Secretary of the Interior, the latter which in Mexico is the equivalent of a Vice-President), loved his wife's shrimp tacos and was one day surprised by a chef with this eccentric combination.

The story goes that Governor Labastida liked the tacos so much that he named them governor's tacos or tacos gobernador.

Answer: Tongue

Tacos de lengua or tongue tacos are seen as a delicacy by many Mexicans, and despised by many others! The tongue is boiled for at least three hours until tender, though some people choose to boil it even longer, even for a full day before serving! Once the tongue is ready, it is seasoned and sliced into thick pieces that fit tortillas. Tongue is not the only strange ingredient in Mexican cuisine; tacos are also made out of brains, iguanas, and worms!

Answer: Tuna

Tacos mineros are eaten in states like Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes, though they are most often linked to the latter state. All of these states are known for mining, which gives the tacos their name. Though tacos mineros can be prepared with pretty much any filling, the standard recipe calls for a mixture of bacon, beans, tomato, potatoes, and pork meat wrapped inside a tortilla, which is then fried and drowned in a tomato-based sauce.

The tacos are said to have been popular among miners when the profession was flourishing in Mexico.