A burrito is the best breakfast in Colorado for many of us, but how did it get that way?
If you’ve lived in Colorado for long, particularly Denver, no doubt you’ve noticed that we kind of have a love affair with burritos. And that love is especially strong for the breakfast burrito. So, if you were to poll the locals and ask them what is the best breakfast in Colorado, you can bet that burrito is going to be at the top of the list.
It’s probably hard for most people to think of a time when burritos weren’t in our culinary lives. But do you know the history of this humble, but delicious, dish? Many people agree that the burrito is actually an American invention, specifically Tex-Mex. While the big, rice-and-bean filled burritos that we know and love are certainly a home-grown dish, something called a burrito has been served in Mexico for a long time.
The term burrito, meaning “little donkey,” has been in the Dictionary of Mexicanisms since 1895. Long before the modern burrito, Mesoamerican people in Mexico were wrapping up food inside corn tortillas. And the Pueblo people of the Southwestern U.S. wrapped up beans and sauces in tortillas as well. While we can’t pinpoint the exact invention of the burrito, it is likely that the modern burrito that we know evolved through cowboys in northern Mexico in the 19th century and farm workers in California.
The breakfast burrito is the product of regional cuisines including New Mexican, Southwestern and Tex-Mex. Naturally it has become one of the best breakfast in Colorado due to our location. And while Denver loves a wide variety of breakfast dishes, the burrito certainly holds a special place in our hearts.