Mexican tacos are a bit like Japanese rice balls in that they’re a food of the common people that comes in endless varieties. Still, there is one variety that is considered a true classic: tacos al pastor.
The tacos you get in Japan typically have ground meat, tomatoes, and lettuce topped with cheese, but these are American-style tacos that came to Japan from the US. You rarely see them in Mexico.
Tacos al pastor are made with pork marinated in a red food coloring called achiote, mild chilis, garlic, and other spices. The pork is then stacked on a spit and grilled, shaved off with a knife, and placed on corn tortillas to make tacos. Pineapple is also grilled with the pork and placed on top. The tacos are palm-sized—a little smaller than the ones we’re used to seeing in Japan—so you can easily put down three or four of them. That said, you have to be a little careful not to eat too much, since most shops will make them with two tortillas each.
The first time I saw them, they reminded me of Turkish kebabs—and sure enough, they are Middle Eastern style tacos that originally came from Lebanese immigrants. There are many legends about the origin of al pastor. The leading explanation is that Lebanese immigrants who came to the state of Puebla in the 1960s took their inspiration from kebabs and placed the ingredients in tortillas instead of pita bread. The debate still goes on, however, as to whether the Pueblans were the first to make these tacos or whether it was the people of Mexico City. So, tacos al pastor are eaten all over Mexico, but they’re known for being particularly delicious in Mexico City.
People add chopped onion and cilantro to tacos al pastor and squeeze lime over them to their own taste as well.
Some places sautee small onions or add nopales (marinated prickly pear cactus).
Al pastor with nopales
Al pastor has both a sweetness and a tartness to it, so it’s likely to appeal to the Japanese palate. It’s difficult to find them in Japan, so make sure you get some of these tacos if you ever visit Mexico.
The machine used to grill the pork for al pastor is called a trompo, and you can typically see them from outside the places that make the tacos. Occasionally you’ll find a place that has al pastor on the menu but doesn’t have a trompo. The tacos will typically look right but not taste the same, so if you’re going for tacos al pastor, try to pick a popular place that has the trompo in plain view.
