ancient dish - Tacos al pastor
Mexico
Ancient dish: Tacos Al Pastor
Description: Tacos al pastor are a popular Mexican street food made with thin slices of pork that are marinated in a blend of chilies, achiote, and spices, then stacked on a vertical spit called a trompo and slow-roasted. Influenced by Lebanese shawarma, the meat is typically shaved off the spit and served on small corn tortillas, often topped with diced onions, cilantro, fresh pineapple, and a squeeze of lime. The result is a savory, slightly sweet, and smoky taco that showcases Mexico’s talent for blending indigenous flavors with international influences
Place of origin: Mexico
Location: Mexico is located in the southern part of North America, bordered by the United States to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. Its geographic position makes it a natural bridge between North and Central America, with diverse landscapes that include mountains, deserts, jungles, and coastlines
Typical ingredients: Pork, dried guajillo and arbol chilis, pineapple, onion, cilantro, achiote paste, garlic, cumin, bay leaf, clove, vinegar, Mexican oregano, black pepper corns, and coriander
Associated cuisine: Mexican
Course: Lunch/Supper
Tacos Al Pastor ancient history: Before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, the indigenous peoples of western Mexico, including the Cora, Huichol, and Purépecha, were already adept at slow-cooking game meat such as deer, rabbit, and wild birds using pit ovens (barbacoa style). These cooking methods often used native herbs and chili peppers to tenderize and flavor the meat—techniques that would later influence birria’s development. The concept of stewing meat with local spices and wrapping it in leaves to retain moisture reflects ancient Mesoamerican cooking traditions. However, goat, the signature protein of birria, was unknown in the Americas until the Spanish introduced it.
After the Spanish conquest of Mexico (1521), European colonists brought with them domesticated animals like goats, cattle, and sheep. Goats, in particular, thrived in the arid and rugged terrain of Jalisco and surrounding regions. However, these animals were not initially seen as desirable food by the colonizers, who often considered goat meat to be tough and unpalatable. For the indigenous population, however, goat became an accessible source of meat. Over time, they applied their traditional cooking techniques to this new animal, using long marination in chilli-based adobos (sauces), slow cooking over low heat, and native seasonings like dried chillies, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and garlic to tenderize and enrich the flavour of the meat.
It is during this post-conquest period in the 16th or 17th century that the early versions of birria—named either from the Spanish term for “worthless” or “messy food” or possibly an indigenous word—began to emerge as a distinct stew. Over the next few centuries, birria became a staple food in Jalisco, particularly in Guadalajara and the surrounding countryside. Traditionally cooked in earthen ovens and served during fiestas, weddings, baptisms, and other major celebrations, it symbolized abundance and communal bonding. The dish was typically made from goat or mutton, though beef and other meats were later used. In its original form, birria was often cooked al vapor (steamed) or en pozo (in an underground pit), much like ancient Mesoamerican cooking styles.
