Tacos Al Pastor: Lebanon’s Role in Mexican Gastronomy
An image depicting Mexico’s ultra-famous tacos al pastor on a trompo (meat spit).
Written by: Sarah Behjet
When strolling down the bustling streets of Mexico City during lunchtime, a melody of flavors permeates the air. Taquerias and food stalls churn out tacos al pastor at remarkable rates to cope with the demand from tourists and workers alike. When observing the work that goes into making tacos al pastor, it is impossible to forsake the shawarma-like meat spit that is the crux of Mexico’s popular lunchtime specialty. It nods towards the decades-old relationship between Lebanese and Mexican cultures, and the resemblance is not coincidental in the slightest.
Mexico’s culinary transculturation is largely attributed to the influx of Lebanese immigrants beginning in the 1880s. Lebanese immigrants initially retreated to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula after the economic hardship inflicted by the Ottoman Empire. However, the greatest wave of Lebanese immigration to Mexico began in 1948 amidst the Lebanese Civil War and the South Lebanon conflict. Veracruz, Mexico welcomed Lebanese immigrants fleeing from said violence, opening the doors to cultural influences. During the mid-20th century, Lebanese-Mexican culture had already made major imprints in Mexico’s greater gastronomic culture. In Yucatan, Taquitos de Parra is sold, mirroring the Middle East’s beloved waraq enab. Yucatan’s Taquitos de Parra substituted Middle Eastern grape leaves with the more accessible cabbage, then filling it with contents like beef, rice, and garlic. Similarly, the Lebanese fattoush salad ultimately became Mexico’s ensalada árabe, consisting of lettuce, cucumbers, parsley, toasted pita bread, and sumac.
However, none can deny the indelible impact of tacos al pastor, with many arguing that it is Lebanon’s greatest influence on Mexico. Tacos al pastor has become “tropicalized” according to Marco Antonio Buendia Gonzalez. Mexico’s take on the Middle Eastern shawarma not only swaps lamb for pork, but additionally garnishes the tacos with pineapple. Despite this cultural intermingling, many food historians caution against discarding the Middle Eastern DNA that is infused in tacos al pastor. Rachel Laudan, the author of Cuisine and Empire, opined, “The contribution of 20th-century immigrants to Mexico which has been unbelievably strong is just wiped out of Mexican record. Most Mexicans now think this is a traditional Mexican dish.” Laudan went on to credit the United States’ efforts of identifying “immigrant foods as immigrant foods,” while Mexico fails to meet the mark in this regard.
Aside from ushering in a current culinary staple in Mexico, Lebanese-Mexicans faced acute amounts of xenophobia during the early 20th century. During this time, the Mexican government harshly emphasized homogeny in Mexico’s broader demographic, not boding well for the swath of Lebanese newcomers. Theresa Alfaro-Velacamp, the author of “Immigrant Positioning in Twentieth-Century Mexico: Middle Easterners, Foreign Citizens, and Multiculturalism” perceives the dent made by Lebanese-Mexicans as an act of self-resistance. Adapting to the pressures of homogeny through culinary resistance allowed Lebanese culture to thrive in the diaspora. This feat was something incredibly unique in the lens of culinary history. As Alfaro-Velacamp put it, “They [Lebanese immigrants] were both victims and victors, targets of xenophobia who also profited from local conditions. It is within this context that the Mexican “Lebanese” community emerged. This community emerged in self-defense but also with cognizance of its importance to economic growth.”
While some argue otherwise, tacos al pastor does not have the earmarks of a dish that lacks external cultural influences. From the spit of pork that closely resembles Middle Eastern shawarma, to the diaspora community of Lebanese-Mexicans, tacos al pastor is a dish steeped in immigrant resistance and culture. Jeffrey Pilcher, the author of Planet Taco, encourages the dish’s label as Mexican while still honoring its Middle Eastern roots. To Pilcher, “Authenticity isn’t always something that dates back to the ancient Aztecs and Mayas. That meaning of Mexico is continually being recreated in every generation.” Mexico’s heavy culinary transculturation speaks to the cultural melding that occurs in nearly every corner of the globe. Rather than shying away from the exchange of cultures, we should welcome cultural coalescence that creates lasting impacts for generations to come.
With the arrival of Lebanon’s hallmark shawarma, Mexicans have found immense pride in pushing the envelope of innovation. Regino Rojas, a culinary mastermind at the Revolver Taco Lounge, coined the “octopus trompo”-- think tacos al pastor but tentacle-filled. Since its inception in 2013, the octopus trompo has been both implemented and admired by restaurants in Los Angeles and Mexico City. Rojas described his inspiration for the octopus trompo by saying, “I need to push myself. I need to experiment.”
Mexico’s culinary scene is so deeply rooted in tacos al pastor and other dishes of Lebanese origin, necessitating proper education about the origins of these dishes. Out of strife arose the tantalizing tacos al pastor, lending to the unspoken beauty of culinary syncretism.
