Around Since The 16th Century, The Word Burrito First Appeared In The Oxford Dictionary In 1958

National Burrito Day is celebrated on the first Thursday in April (on April 3 this year). The day celebrates everyone’s appreciation for burritos. The Mexican dish is popular all over the world, but it has only been offered in American restaurants since the 1930s.

• 16th Century – Food wrapped in tortillas becomes a Mexican tradition.
• 1895 – Burritos are mentioned in the “Dictionary of Mexicanisms” and became popular in Guanajuato and Guerrero, Mexico.
• 1930s – Burritos are added to restaurant menus in California, starting at the El Cholo Spanish Café in Los Angeles.
• 1934 – Recipes for the home cook are introduced in Erna Fergusson’s “Mexican Cookbook.”
• 1940s – The story goes that this Mexican street vendor portioned meat out in tortillas, perfect for children, whom he called “burritos”.
• 1956 –  Duane R Roberts invented the frozen burrito after selling frozen burger patties to McDonald’s. 
• 1958 – The word burrito first appeared in the Oxford dictionary in 1958. 
• 1961 – The Mexican food scene in San Francisco produces an extra large burrito that adds rice, guacamole and sour cream.
• 1964 –  The first frozen burrito was sold in 1964.
• 1975 – Breakfast burritos are introduced in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Tia Sophia’s.
• 1980s – McDonald’s introduced a breakfast burrito in the late 1980s. Today the food is now sold at Burger King, Sonic Drive-In, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., and Taco Bell.
• 1993 – Famous for their freshly made burritos, Chipotle opens its first store in Denver, Colorado.
• 2014 – Taco Bell launched its own popular version of a breakfast burrito in 2014.
• Meaning “little donkey” in Spanish, it’s possible the term refers to the packs and bedrolls donkeys once carried. The definition explained that a burrito was a “rolled tortilla, with meat or other food within.”
• The dish first became popular in Guanajuato and Guerrero before its popularity moved northward to the United States.
•  Burritos are typically made with a flour tortilla.
• Traditionally, breakfast burritos can include scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, peppers, salsa, onions, chorizo, bacon, or sour cream.
• Burritos by the numbers:
  • 12,785.576 pounds — the weight of the largest burrito ever.
  • 54 — the number of restaurants that participated in creating the largest burrito ever.
  • 3,000 — the number of volunteers who participated in creating the largest burrito ever.
  • 44.20 seconds — the fastest time to eat a burrito, set by Leah Shutkever.
  • 2 pounds — the weight of mission burritos.
  • 605 kcal — the energy in the average burrito.
• Burritos music:
  • How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song) by Hoku (2000). The songwriter penned this one in honor of a boy she liked who worked at a burrito stand. Sure, it’s a little silly, but it’s also rather fun.
  • Burrito by Pete Yorn (2003). Known for his ability to play the bulk of the instruments on his albums, Pete Yorn sings this song where he offers the listener a bite of his burrito.
  • O Burrito by Fernando Corriera Marques (2009). This tribute is sung as it should be – in Spanish!
  • The Burrito Song by Creed Fisher (2022). A strange but compelling song by Creed Fisher, this one is more of a kids’ song but certainly shows its love for burritos too.

Sources: 

National Today

Days of the Year

National Day Calendar

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