On October 21, 1975, following the death of Ignacio Anaya, this day was declared to be marked every year as the International Day of the Nacho. Every dish has its origin story: potato chips were the creation of a chef who sliced fried potatoes impossibly thin to spite a customer who repeatedly sent his dish back to the kitchen saying the potatoes were too thick, while legend tell us that croissants were created by Viennese bakers who shaped them like Islamic crescents to commemorate the defeat of the Ottomans during the Battle of Vienna. Nachos, the tortilla and cheese combination that has become regular appetizer faire throughout America, has an interesting story too.
In 1943, some soldiers’ wives from Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas had crossed the border into Piedras Negras, Mexico for some afternoon shopping. Finishing late, they found a restaurant with a friendly maître d’ who let them in and served them drinks even though the restaurant was closed. They beseeched him for something to eat while they drank, and Ignacio, the maître d’, went back to the kitchen. The story goes that, at least at this point in his life, Ignacio didn’t know how to cook, and so he tore up some tortillas, threw cheese and some sliced jalapeños on top, and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. He presented them as his “Nacho’s especiales”, as they were his special and he was called “Nacho,” a common nickname for someone named Ignacio.
While the ladies reportedly enjoyed them, Nachos Especiales did not become an instant nationwide sensation. They were added to the menu at The Victory Club, the restaurant where Ignacio worked, and made their way into few local cookbooks. Over the next couple of decades they became a popular dish in southern Texas, with other restaurants adding them to the menu. In the 1950’s, Carmen Rocha, who had just moved to Los Angeles from San Antonio, brought Nachos to the El Cholo Mexican Restaurant and is now credited with introducing southern California to one of its favorite dishes. It would take a much bigger name, however, to put Nachos on the national stage.
Nachos today are known in a few different varieties: loaded, restaurant style nachos with real shredded cheddar cheese, peppers, and heaps of guacamole, beans, sour cream, and a variety of other toppings. The other commonly found version is decidedly low-rent, consisting of pre-packaged tortilla chips with a liquid nacho cheese sauce laid on at room temperature, and served in places like stadiums, movie theaters, and bowling alleys. They made it, in this incarnation, to the stands of Texas Stadium, where nachos were served during Dallas Cowboys games. As the story goes, a plate of nachos was put in front of legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell, who not only liked the dish, but began using the word “nacho” to describe any especially interesting plays on the field. Nachos had made it to the national stage and are now a regular appearance on menus across the country. Today, we mark the International Day of the Nacho, and remember Ignacio Anaya, the man who started it all.
