Tacos

The Real Deal
Mariah Carey is one of the top pop singers in America today. On an average, her CD’s sell for fifteen dollars. However, many find it easier to purchase a “knock-off” for a cheaper price than to purchase the real thing. For instance, an individual can purchase the exact CD at a local flea market for five dollars and save the extra ten dollars for something else. In the short story, “The Great Taco War,” Jose Antonio Burciaga informs readers that fast food industries like Taco Bell do no sell authentic Mexican tacos. He urges readers to purchase tacos from taquerias because unlike Taco Bell, their food is “real” Mexican food.
In the beginning, Burciaga provides a brief history when Taco Bell was established. First starting in Mexico City and then spreading throughout the United States, the chain sold “mild imitations of the real thing” (382). Many Mexican businesses and people protested against Taco Bell because unlike homemade tortillas made from hand, they used “prefabricated hard tortilla shells” (383) that tasted nothing like real Mexican tacos. Additionally, the restaurant also combines food and makes up names so that it appears different. From Enchiroto, a combination of a burrito and enchilada, to Cinnamon Crispas, known as bunuelos, Burciaga points out that “the Taco Menu can be a mystery if one is not familiar with the renamed food items” (383).
Lastly, the author informs readers that compared to Mexican food, Taco Bell’s food is cheaply made. Upon visiting a local Taco Bell restaurant, Burciaga orders a menu item and begins to consume the taco when he notices that the “meat was lukewarm and the cheese and shredded lettuce were cold. Halfway through the taco, the shell crumbled between [his] fingers and landed on [his] tray” (383). Additionally, his experience at the restaurant helps Burciaga realize that food served at Taco Belle is completely different from “real” Mexican food because it has a funny taste and lacks value. The author... [continues]

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