It's the end of August, so that means most kids, teens, and even a lot of adults are going back to school.  In keeping with this end-of-summer academic tradition, this blog post is a bit of a history lesson about our favorite topic:  delicious Mexican food.  Actually, the term "Mexican" is a bit of a misnomer since much of the food that we think of as Mexican has a history that stretches further back than the time when the Spanish colonies or Mexico were even an idea.  So before we begin feasting on a yummy pair of tacos, let's find out when and where all this delightful cuisine came from in the first place.

First, we need to go back thousands of years to the time of the Mayans, Aztecs and other Mesoamerican civilizations.  Their farming success and survival have a strong influence on what many consider a traditional Mexican meal, one that consists, at least in part, of corn, beans, squash, and other plants, often chilis.  These ancient people discovered that if they grew these plants together, in what are called milpas, the soil would not be depleted of nutrients, and it even kept harmful plants away from what they were growing for food.  It's also a lucky coincidence that the corn in our tortillas tastes so delicious with a bit of beans and a generous seasoning of dried chilis.  We eat them together, because they grow together--a menu created by Mother Nature and some wise, ancient farmers.

A Mayan family taking care of their milpa.

So how did those ingredients eventually evolve into tacos?  That happened when someone, somewhere figured out how to turn dried corn into tortillas.  Even making the corn edible was a challenge that Mesoamerican civilizations had to figure out.  That's because a process called nixtamalization had to be discovered in order to remove the corn kernel's skin in order to make it edible.  Otherwise, humans aren't even able to digest it.  Then, sometime about 500 C.E., someone learned how to turn this dried corn into a dough and eventually a tortilla, even then a handy, edible utensil for eating what's on the inside.  We know that rough date because that's when the first flat, clay comals, used to cook tortillas, began to appear.

An Aztec comal.

It's harder to determine when other "Mexican" foods began to be eaten, but that doesn't make them any less delicious.  The Spaniards first encountered what we think of today as guacamole when they encountered the Aztec civilization in the 1500s.  The Aztecs called their dish ahuaca-mulli which means avocado sauce or mixture.  Take some avocados, lime, salt, a few other ingredients (depending on the taste of whoever's making it), and you have guacamole.  Mmm, yummy...too bad Montezuma never had a chance to be invited to any Super Bowl parties.

Guacamole prepared with a mortar and pestle.

At Taco Punk, we peer into the past to search for new things to put onto our menu.  We like to keep the old favorites, but add some new flavors to keep people coming back, and give you a chance to try healthy food deliciously prepared.  Our new spiced, smash sweet potatoes feature a plant that was first eaten in Peru 10,000 years ago.  Some classics never go out of style.  Tasty with a hint of natural sweetness, they'll entertain your taste-buds now, and keep you warm through the fall.  Another new side is our chili-spiked kale, a greens and chili infusion brought together with a vinegar kick.  Healthy, hearty, and delicious.  If you haven't tried either one, do yourself a favor, and dig in.

A vegetable mole taco with our two new sides, chili spiked kale and spiced smash sweet potatoes.  100% vegan!

We'd like to wish everybody who is excited about the new school year, including students, teachers, and parents, a lot of luck, and express our admiration for anybody who makes life-long learning one of their goals.  Hopefully, you were able to learn some things reading this blog (I certainly learned a lot from writing it).  And in case the combination of school, practices, work, and family life leave you feeling hectic, remember every Tuesday, kids eat free at Taco Punk.  Work hard, but give yourself a chance to have fun and relax with friends and family.  Besides, how else are you going to show off how smart you are?

By John Beechem, taco grunt and social-media writer.  Contact at jbeechem2000@gmail.com.

At Taco Punk, we care about where our food comes from.  That’s why we source our meats locally, from places like Marksbury Farm, and make sure our seafood is sustainably caught.  We want to know what goes into our food, and we believe you have a right to know too.  To most of us, that’s common sense.

                                       No genes were modified in the creation of this taco.

Unfortunately, not everybody thinks that way.

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a piece of legislation that has been labeled the “Monsanto Protection Act” by its critics.  What this particular bill would do if it is signed into law is allow Monsanto to continue planting genetically modified crops before they’ve been approved by the USDA.  In California in 2012, Monsanto funded an enormous campaign to convince voters to allow genetically modified foods to be sold to consumers without being required to inform them that the foods they are buying are different in any way.  At Taco Punk, we believe companies like Monsanto pose an enormous threat to the safety of the food we eat. 

You might be wondering why genetically modified food is such a big deal.  After all, don’t they help farmers use less pesticides?  For a while, they did.  Now, pesticide resistant crops have evolved that have forced some farmers to use even more pesticides than they used to.  Another major concern about genetically modified foods is their place in the ecosystem.  Through pollination, their genes could contaminate non-modified plants, and create many unforeseen (and probably unwanted) consequences. 

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has warned our own government  about the threat companies like Monsanto pose to the global food supply.   Putin, along with countless others, is concerned about neonicotinoids harming bee colonies.  Neonicotinoids are pesticides made from nicotine created by a company named Syngenta.  This chemical has been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder, a disease that has wiped out nearly a third of all bee colonies.  Without the pollination bees provide, humans and most other animals would starve.  Monsanto, along with Syngeta, Bayer, Dow and Dupont make up nearly 100% of the market for genetically modified seeds, plants, and pesticides.

                                           Is this who you want in charge of your food?

This situation might seem hopeless, but it isn’t.  In fact, consumer demand is the most important factor in reducing the influence of these corporations.  All these companies want is (y)our money.  If we demand foods that are naturally produced and healthy, that’s what we’ll get.  One of the best sources for this kind of food is your local farmers’ market.  Most small farmers don’t use Monsanto seeds or pesticides, and if you’re unsure, ask.  Marksberry Farm, our own meat supplier, does not use these products in their feed or their livestock.  If you want to go one step further, you can grow your own food.  If you have the space, plant a vegetable garden so that you know that the only things going into your veggies are soil, water and sunshine. 

When you dine at Taco Punk, support local farmers, or grow your own food, you are freeing yourself from the influence of companies like Monsanto, at least in a small way.  Remember, we vote with our dollars as much as we do at the ballot box.  Make your vote count!

By John Beechem, taco grunt and social media writer.  E-mail jbeechem2000@gmail.com.

Come and enjoy Earth Day & Meatless Monday at Taco Punk!

Come to Taco Punk to celebrate Earth Day and Meatless Monday!  What is Meatless Monday?  At Taco Punk, it means that our black bean tacos are only $2.00, and platters cost $6.50.  Try our delicious seasoned vegetable molé, black bean and cheese tacos, or both in the same platter.  We also have excellent vegetarian sides including queso cerveza, guacamolé, and vegan options like our saffron rice, safrito black beans, and small green salads.  You’ll get an excellent meal at a great price that’s good for you and the planet.

                     Our black bean tacos are only $2.00 today!  Black bean platters are only $6.50.

Meatless Monday began in 2003 as a way to encourage people to eat healthier at the beginning of every week.  That’s because Americans tend to eat too much meat, and this can have harmful consequences  including heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.  Red meat, the meat most commonly consumed by Americans, is particularly harmful when people eat too much of it.  Eating less meat improves a person’s overall health, and Meatless Monday is an excellent way to make this change.  Even if you can’t come into our restaurant every week, establishing Meatless Monday at home will help you and your family. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with eating meat in moderation, especially the meat at Taco Punk.  Our meat is raised locally (except for our seafood, which is sustainably caught), and does not have any added preservatives or chemicals like most processed meats do.  In fact, processed meats have an even greater impact on one’s health than whole meats do.  When you do eat meat, it’s best to do so in a conscious, responsible way, and the best way to do that is to eat meat that’s locally raised and minimally processed, like the kind we serve at Taco Punk. 

From a global perspective, eating less meat has a positive effect on our entire planet.  For example, if everyone in the USA ate meat one less day a week, it would reduce pollution by as much as taking 7.6 million cars off the road.  Reducing meat consumption also helps fight deforestation.  That’s because millions of acres of rainforest have been lost to make room for grazing cattle.  Growing plants to feed humans (rather than livestock) has a much smaller environmental impact than growing meat.  That's what Earth Day and Meatless Monday are all about--treating the planet and your body the way they're meant to be treated.

                                           Earth Day is celebrated every April 22nd.

So do yourself and the world a favor.  Come celebrate Meatless Monday at Taco Punk every week.  You’ll be able to try our excellent vegetarian options for an excellent value, and help the planet at the same time.  Want to make an even bigger impact?  Walk, ride a bike, take the bus, or carpool with a group of friends or family to get here.  We want to take care of you and the Earth.  Help us out by making your Mondays meatless and delicious. 

Have a happy Earth Day!

By John Beechem, Taco Grunt and Social Media Writer.  E-mail at jbeechem2000@gmail.com.

We Know That When it Comes to Food and Ingredients, You Get What You Pay For

Welcome to the new Taco Punk blog!  We'd like to use this platform to communicate to our customers and the public in a way that lets us express more than we can in a Facebook status update, tweet, or advertisement.  Thanks for reading.  For our first post, we'd like to address one of the most common critiques against us: our prices.  We'd love to give our tacos away for free, but we wouldn't be around for very long if we did.  What follows is a short explanation of why we price our food the way that we do.  

At Taco Punk, we put a lot of time, talent and treasure into what we make.  It’s not easy or cheap, but we know that it’s worth it.  Here’s why.

Our ingredients come from farms, not factories.   We have relationships with regional farmers, and buy our meat from people we know and trust.  Our chicken mole is made from whole-body chickens supplied by Amish farmers in Ohio.  We smoke the chicken ourselves, pull the meat from the bone, make it taste delicious, and serve it to you.  The ground sirloin in our Americano tacos comes from beef that’s been raised locally and grass-fed, the way Mother Nature intended.   That’s what farm to table is all about.  And what doesn’t come from local farms, like the Pacific Cod we use to make our Yucatecan style fish tacos, is sustainably caught so that the next generation of Taco Punks can grow up to enjoy it too.  

                                                     Delicious tacos, made by hand.

Is this easy?  No, it’s not.  At Taco Punk, there are no short cuts.  Every day, we create hand-made tortillas from corn, masa and flour.  We roll each one into dough balls and press them into tortillas moments before they are served to you.  All of our salsas are made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and they’re yours to enjoy whenever you purchase anything from our menu.  From the safrito black beans and saffron rice, to the guacamole and queso, it’s all made by hand, one ingredient at a time.  We know you’ll taste the difference, and we know that you’ll like it.

                                                            How we press our tortillas.

You’ll never find a $0.99 taco at Taco Punk.  There’s no such thing as a “dollar menu” in our restaurant.  That’s because when it comes to making Louisville’s best tacos, we put our money where our mouth is.  It’s worth it to us, and we hope it’s worth it to you too.  Come in and taste the difference.

-By John B., Taco Grunt and Social Media Writer