Fajitas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas etc. are delicious food items from Mexican cuisine that is so very popular all over the world, leave alone the southern state of Texas where these and many more Mexican dishes make up what is referred to as TexMex, an abbreviation to refer to the cultural influence of Mexican Americans over the natives. Fajitas and Tacos look very similar, being sizzling meat preparations wrapped inside tortillas. Many people think they are one and the same though, in reality, there are differences between Fajita and Taco that will be enumerated in this article.
Fajita
Fajita is a Spanish word that literally translates into little belts. However, in Mexico, the term is used to refer to a cut of beef, specifically the steak portion of the cow that is served grilled. This cut of meat is long and narrow, just like a little belt, hence the name. This grilled meat can be served inside a wrapping of flour tortilla or it can be served with onions and pepper straight from a sizzling fry pan. As the piece of meat is not tender, it is first marinated in spices, then barbecued, and finally served with onions and pepper as it is or the filling goes inside a flour tortilla, to be finally called a fajita.
Taco
Taco is a very popular Mexican dish that consists of a corn tortilla that has been filled with meats or vegetables. This tortilla can also be made of wheat flour. Tacos are crispy having been made on a fry pan. They are filled with minced beef along with lettuce and cheese. To make a taco, it is not necessary to have beef as one can use any meat of his choice be it chicken, beef, or even pork. While, in Mexico, tacos contain beef and are garnished with vegetables, in US, grated cheese is also used as an ingredient.
What is the difference between Fajita and Taco?
• Fajita is a term used to refer to a cut of beef that is served after carination and grilling whereas taco refers to a corn or wheat flour tortilla that contains filling inside.
• A fajita can be served wrapped inside a tortilla, to be called a taco. This means that a fajita can be a taco though a taco cannot be called fajita.
• A taco can have many different fillings from beef to chicken to even pork along with cheese and vegetables.
• Fajita can be without an outer shell that is a must in a taco. This crispy shell is characteristic of a taco.
• Taco is made with a palm sized tortilla that is filled with various ingredients and served to people along with condiments.