Review of 'Taco Usa How Mexican Food Conquered America' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Though it can get a bit long at times (the chapter on restaurant history really felt like a long haul), the book overall is very good. Arellano is covering a lot of ground, but that is because Mexican food in the U.S. has taken so many forms, it has been transformed so many times, it has been adapted so often that it takes a lot of effort and research to track it all down. Track it all down the author has. From the early restaurants to food in the grocery stores with side trips about tequila and even the invention of the frozen margarita machine, Arellano covers it all from the early days of Mexican and American history to today. I did learn a lot, and I think a lot of readers will learn something as well. What I found amazing is that the food has taken such diverse forms …
Though it can get a bit long at times (the chapter on restaurant history really felt like a long haul), the book overall is very good. Arellano is covering a lot of ground, but that is because Mexican food in the U.S. has taken so many forms, it has been transformed so many times, it has been adapted so often that it takes a lot of effort and research to track it all down. Track it all down the author has. From the early restaurants to food in the grocery stores with side trips about tequila and even the invention of the frozen margarita machine, Arellano covers it all from the early days of Mexican and American history to today. I did learn a lot, and I think a lot of readers will learn something as well. What I found amazing is that the food has taken such diverse forms and adaptations. In the end, Mexican food, as the U.S. sees it and consumes it is as much Mexican as it is something new that has been assimilated and adapted to the U.S. It was another immigrant so to speak.
If you enjoy food writing, you will probably enjoy this book. If you enjoy microhistory books, you will like this book as well. There are a lot of interesting stories and details in this book. There are some well known tales, such as Mr. Bell starting what became Taco Bell to the lesser known stories of tamale vendors (well, lesser known today, but Arellano makes sure you know by the time you have read this book). Very good reading, and a book that will make you hungry for some Mexican food and some tequila.
Similar books, or at least ones I have read and that I think will appeal to readers who like this one:
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
Glazed America: a History of the Doughnut