Timeline of the burrito

The timeline of the burrito documents the use of the burrito, a food made with tortillas and filling found in Mexico and the United States. Hand-held take-out foods like the burrito have a long history. Before the Spanish colonization of the Americas, indigenous peoples were eating hand-held snack foods like corn on the cob, popcorn and pemmican. In Mexico, the Spanish observed Aztecs selling take-out foods like tamales, tortillas, and sauces in open marketplaces. The Pueblo people of the desert Southwest also made tortillas with beans and meat sauce fillings prepared much like the modern burrito we know today. [cite encyclopedia
last = Keoke
first = Emory Dean
coauthors = Kay Marie Porterfield
title = Snack foods, American Indian
encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations
publisher = Facts On File, Inc.
location = New York
date = 2001
accessdate = 2007-08-17 ]

16th century

Cuisine preceding the development of the modern taco, burrito, and enchilada was created by the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Aztec peoples of Mexico, who used tortillas to wrap foods, with fillings of chile sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, squash, and avocados. Spanish missionaries like Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about Aztec cuisine, describing the variety of tortillas and their preparation, noting that the Aztecs not only used corn in their tortillas, but also squash and amaranth, and that some varieties used turkey, eggs, or honey as a flavoring.cite encyclopedia
last = Keoke
first = Emory Dean
coauthors = Kay Marie Porterfield
title = Tortillas, American Indians and
encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations
publisher = Facts On File, Inc.
location = New York
date = 2001
accessdate = 2007-08-17 ]

19th century

;1840: Burrito created in 1840s American Southwest/Northwestern Mexico. Spiced meat wrapped in flour tortillas made popular by gold miners who worked with burros. Janey M. Rifkin in "Hispanic Times Magazine" claims this was the original source of meat. [Rifkin, Janey M. (March, 2001). [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FWK/is_2_24/ai_73325316. A View of Acculturation. Mexicans in California] . "Hispanic Times Magazine".] If true, it would be out of desperation; burro meat is not considered palatable

20th century

;1923: Alejandro Borquez opens Sonora cafe in Los Angeles (later renamed El Cholo Spanish Cafe) [cite journal |last=Shindler |first=Merrill |year=2001 |month=Feb |title=Comfort Food |journal=Los Angeles Business Journal |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_8_23/ai_70885200] ;1934: Burrito mentioned in U.S. media for first time. :Restaurente del Bol Corona opens in Tijuana, Mexico.;1939: Restaurant Xochimilco opens in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico;1954: Burritos appear on menu at El Tepeyac in East Los Angeles. They are served on plates and offered smothered (with sauce);1956: At the age of 19, Duane R. Roberts invents the first commercial frozen burrito for Butcher Boy Food Proudcts;1961: :Sept. 26: Febronio Ontiveros offers the first retail burrito in San Francisco at El Faro ("The Lighthouse"), and is credited with inventing the "super burrito" style leading to the early development of the San Francisco burrito: the addition of rice, sour cream and guacamole to the basic meat, bean and cheese burrito. Originally a corner grocery store located at 2399 Folsom Street, El Faro got its start when firemen from a nearby station requested sandwiches. Unable to make them, Ontiveros offered burritos instead. Large tortillas were unavailable in the early 1960s, so three six-inch tortillas were used to hold the filling, and sold for one US dollar.cite news
last =Addison
first =Bill
title =In search of the transcendent taqueria / Our critic puts 85 beloved Bay Area burrito joints to the test
publisher ="San Francisco Chronicle"
date =Sept 13, 2006
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] ;1964: Butcher Boy Food Products begins selling frozen bean and beef burritos, first to American Drive-in restaurants with deep-fryers; then later to school districts, food-service companies, and convenience stores;1965: Mi Rancho market sells burritos in the deli in SF;1969: Raul Duran opens La Cumbre taqueria and offers the first assembly line burrito in SF;1973: La Taqueria opens in SF;1975: Tia Sophia's in Santa Fe, New Mexico credited with inventing the breakfast burrito [cite news
last =Anderson
first =Judith
title =What's Doing In; Santa Fe
publisher =The New York Times
date =May 24, 1998
url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E5DD1639F937A15756C0A96E958260&sec=travel&pagewanted=print
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] ;1980: Butcher Boy Food Products producing over one million frozen burritos a day ;1982: Gary Espinoza opens Taqueria Pancho Villa in SF, notable for featuring four distinct salsas: red (secret recipe) and green (cilantro, jalapeño and tomatillo blend) on the tables, and hot and mild salsas added to the burrito itself behind the counter (tomato, onion, cilantro, green jalapeño and salt).;1987: Santana's Mexican Grill opens; invents San Diego-style "California burrito":Freebirds World Burrito opens in Santa Barbara, California [cite news
last =Hawkins
first =Lori
title =Wrap it up: Freebirds World Burrito bought
publisher =Austin American-Statesman
date =July 25, 2007
pages = D01
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] ;1989: Inspired by San Francisco "Mission-style taquerias", Peter Fox and Eric Sklar open Burrito Brothers in Washington D.C. [cite news
last =Coeyman
first =Marjorie
title =Mr. Sklar goes to Washington
publisher =Restaurant Business
date =Oct 10, 1996
Volume = 95
Issue = 15
accessdate =2007-08-19 ] [cite news
last = Woods
first = Bob
title = Washtech.com Movers And Shakers - Tuesday 02/01/00 - Company Operations
work = Newsbytes PM
publisher = Newsbytes News Network
date = Feb 1, 2000
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HDN/is_2000_Feb_1/ai_59173890
accessdate =2007-08-19 ] ;1990: Taco Bell, Carl's Jr. add breakfast burrito to morning menu;1991: 100 burrito establishments in Mission District:Skyline Chili adds burritos to menu:Food editor Patti Jean Birosik publishes "The Burrito Book";1992: Taqueria Pancho Villa begins offering "tofu burrito";1993: SF Weekly publishes John Roemer's influential essay, "Cylindrical God". Roemer estimates 25,000 burritos consumed daily in San Francisco's Mission District.cite news
first = John
last = Roemer
title = Cylindrical God
url =
publisher = SF Weekly
date = 1993-05-05
accessdate = ] :Influenced by San Francisco taquerias and burritos, Steve Ells founds Chipotle Mexican Grill in Denver, Colorado. :Taco Del Mar opens in Seattle. Popularizes 1.5 lb "mission-style" burrito";1994: World Wrapps opens:CSPI analyzes fat content of burritos:Author Hillary Davis publishes the "International Burrito" cookbook;1995: Anna's Taqueria opens in Brookline, MA.;1997: World's largest burrito stretches 1.09 km, weighing 2041 kgDuggan, Tara. (Apr. 29, 2001). ( [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/04/29/CM162769.DTL The Silver Torpedo] . "San Francisco Chronicle".] ;1998: "Washington Post" sends Peter Fox to search for origins of burrito [cite news |last=Fox |first=Peter |date=1998-11-04 |title=Burritos-A Search for Beginnings|publisher=Washington Post] ;1999:Aug: Comic strip cartoonist Scott Adams, CEO of Scott Adams Foods, launches the Dilberito line of frozen, vegetarian burritos [cite news
title = A better burrito - Scott Adams Foods introduces first vegetarian burrito
publisher = "Prepared Foods"
date = Aug, 1999
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_8_168/ai_55778127
accessdate =2007-08-19 ]

21st century

;2002: University of Texas Press publishes Daniel D. Arreola's "Tejano South Texas", a cultural geography of Tejano South Texas. The book delineates the South Texas Mexican food region using a "taco-burrito" and "taco-barbecue" line of demarcation. To the west of this line, Mexican food served in a flour tortilla is often called a burrito, due to the influence of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. To the south and east of this line, the same food may be simply called a taco, showing a "Texas Mexican" influence. To the north, the food gives way to barbecue sandwiches reflecting the influx of European, Southern Anglo, and African Americans. [cite book
last =Arreola
first =Daniel David
title =Tejano South Texas: A Mexican American Cultural Province
publisher =University of Texas Press
date =2002
pages =174-175
url =http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/arrtej.html
isbn =0292705115 ] ;2003: Charles Hodgkins begins gathering data from 170 taquerias in San Francisco for Burritoeater.com [cite news |last=Whiting |first=Sam |date=2006-04-02 |title=Burrito purist Charles Hodgkins on how gristle can ruin a man's day |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/02/CMGU9GJ0Q51.DTL] cite news
work =Food
title =Dinner to go, courtesy of Berkeley
publisher =San Francisco Chronicle
date =Jul 25, 2007
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] ;2005: Burritophile.com launches:Freebirds World Burrito (TX) starts online orders:May: A Clovis, New Mexico Middle school student creates a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapeños for an extra-credit assignment project. The large, foil-wrapped burrito is mistaken as a weapon, and armed police officers are sent in, closing down streets and locking down the school. [cite news
title =Steak burrito puts N.M. school on lockdown
publisher ="Chicago Sun-Times"
date =May 2, 2005
url =http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20050502/ai_n14621913
accessdate =2007-08-19 ] :Jul: Rubio's (CA) Lobster Burrito lawsuit. Rubio's is accused of selling a "lobster burrito" that contains langostino meat from the squat lobster, an edible crustacean but not a lobster, raising questions about labeling lobster meat. [cite news
last =Thorn
first =Bret
work =Ray E. Gallo, Rubio's Restaurants Inc.
title =Attorney sues Rubio's over 'lobster burrito'
publisher =Nation's Restaurant News
date =Jul 11, 2005
volume=39
issue=28
pages=82
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] ;2006:Jan: The Burrito Project begins in Los Angeles, California, feeding burritos to the homeless. [cite news
last =DeWolfe
first =Chris
title =The MySpace Generation
work =Special Report
publisher =Forbes
date =May 7, 2007
url =http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/0507/072.html
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] In November, the project takes off on MySpace and spreads around the world, and in early 2007, the group is awarded a $10,000 MySpace Impact Award for serving "as an instrument of community action on behalf of the needy." [cite news
title =MySpace Gives $10,000 to Skid Row ‘Burrito Project’
publisher =The Los Angeles Garment & Citizen
date =Jan 26, 2007
url =http://garmentandcitizen.com/category/archives/archived-news-stories/2007-01-26-0_1254.php
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] :Mar:Chipotle Mexican Grill starts "Don't Stand in Line " online burrito ordering system [cite news
last =Philipps
first =Dave
title =Get burrito the way you like it -- from your desk
publisher ="The Gazette"
date = Mar 17, 2006
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20060317/ai_n16221080
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] :Jun: Ryan Daniel Goff gets prison term for Taco Bell burrito extortion" [cite news
title =Burrito Extortion Boy Jailed
publisher =World Entertainment News Network
date = Jun 5, 2006
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] [cite news
title =Jail time for man who put dead mouse in burrito
publisher ="Chicago Sun-Times"
date = Jun 3, 2006
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060603/ai_n16459760
accessdate =2007-08-19 ] :Jul 29: Moe's Southwest Grill (FL) starts annual competitive burrito eating contest [cite news
last =Stinson
first =Lashonda
title =Burrito battle
publisher =Ocala Star-Banner
date =Jul 30, 2006
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] :Rosemary Gonzales arrested for smuggling drugs inside Taco Bell burrito:Oct. 30: After hearing expert testimony, Massachusetts judge rules that a burrito is not a sandwich [cite news
last =Thorn
first =Bret
work =Panera Bread Co., Qdoba Restaurant Corp.
title =Burrito not a sandwich, judge rules in Panera-vs.-Qdoba tiff
publisher =Nation's Restaurant News
date =Nov 13, 2006
volume=40
issue=46
pages=4
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] [cite news |date=2006-11-10 |title=Is a Burrito a Sandwich? Judge Says No. |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/11/10/national/a122244S39.DTL] ;2007:Jan: In honor of Elvis Presley, Taco Villa offers peanut butter and banana burritos. [cite news
last =Foran
first =Casey
title =Hunka, hunka burning burrito.
publisher =Odessa American
date =Jan 13, 2007
accessdate =2007-08-18 ] :Jul: Charles Hodgkins completes his 495th burrito review:Sept. 22: Competitive eater Tim "Eater X" Janus eats 10.75 burritos in 12 minutes, beating out Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas and winning US$3,000 at the Costa Vida World Burrito Eating Championship in South Portland, Maine. Costa Vida's "Big Kahuna" burritos weighed 18 ounces, consisting of rice, beans, cheese and sweet pork in a flour tortilla. Eric "Badlands" Booker previously held the world record (15 burritos in eight minutes) but did not return to defend his title. [cite news
last = Hersey
first = Linda
title = Burrito battle – Professional eaters take on Costa Vida's Big Kahuna
publisher = keepMEcurrent.com
date = 2007-09-22
url = http://www.keepmecurrent.com/Business/story.cfm?storyID=43017
accessdate = 2007-09-22 ] [cite news
title = New Yorker Wins World Burrito-Eating Championship
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2007-09-22
url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297722,00.html
accessdate = 2007-09-22 ]

ee also

*Timeline of agriculture and food technology

References