You didn't know these 9 surprising facts about tacos al pastor

Ah! The taco al pastor, the crown jewel of street food in the capital. In Mexico City, there is no other king in the world of tacos than the pastor. Those tender pieces of marinated pork roasted over charcoal are succulent, and they can even be mixed with cheese, flour tortillas, corn, pineapple, etc. As expected, this taco has many curious facts and myths in its history, and today we explain 9 of them. Arab Influence It turns out that the very Mexican taco al pastor actually derived from kebab, a Turkish specialty. When a Lebanese community arrived in Puebla, they started playing with the concept of vertically roasted meat on a spit. After mixing it with Mexican spices like achiote, the pastor was born. The Gringa The pastor with cheese served in a flour tortilla is called gringa, but why? Apparently, years ago in an unknown taqueria, two taqueros realized that the flour tortilla would bubble when it hit the grill and joked that it burned just like the white and delicate skin of an American girl. The Best Pastor? This debate will probably never end, but in 2013 a consensus involving over 100 taquerias did leave a clear winner: El Pastorcito de Boturini (Av. Lorenzo Boturini 2503, Mexico City). Colorless There are white pastors, which are simply pork meat, unmarinated but prepared on a vertical spit. They can be found at the taquería El Huequito (Tintoretto 148, Mexico City). Like a Toy The name given to the stacked pork fillets comes, of course, from their resemblance to the traditional Mexican toy for children: the top. Records A respected taquero should make at least eight to ten tacos per minute. Year of Origin The most popular theory says that the taco al pastor was born in 1972. Visionary The idea of vertical charcoal roasting as done with pastor was invented by a Turkish man named Kadir Nurman. We owe him a lot. Balanced Food As long as one ensures it's not made with too much oil, the taco al pastor is quite nutritious: it contains protein from the meat, carbohydrates in the tortilla, vitamins from the pineapple and lime, and of course, the minerals from the vegetables: parsley, onion, and salsa. Are you craving it yet? Here are some recipes so you can enjoy this delicious street dish at home: Tacos al pastor Vegetarian pastor Fish tacos al pastor Red salsa for tacos al pastor Soy tacos al pastor