Unpacking the effects of colonization on the humble taco
In a Q&A between Javier Cabral and Jocelyn Ramirez, the two Los Angeles natives talk about jackfruit tacos and colonialism in TASTE magazine. Cabral is the editor of independent food and culture publication L.A. Taco and Ramirez is a chef and founder of Todo Verde, a plant-based catering community. Ramirez explains how the taco can serve as an in-between to finding a pathway for decolonized foodways. We have been eating tacos in the U.S. for generations—carnitas and carne asada— but much of what people eat nowadays are things brought over post-colonization. Guisados, flor de calabaza, and more plant-forward options were most likely consumed long before this.
