The history of the Burrito

Burritos are a popular dish in pubs, restaurants and even supermarkets. However, their origins are obscure, and their roots may even be more American than traditionally Mexican.

What is a burrito?

This Mexican dish consists of a soft-shelled tortilla wrap filled with rice, beans and a variety of other ingredients such as vegetables and meat, usually chicken or beef. They're often topped with sauces such as guacamole, salsa or sour cream. Unlike a taco or fajita, both ends of the burrito are closed whereas they are left open when making tacos.

Where was the burrito invented?

Burritos have mostly been created to fuel tourism in Mexico and are actually better thought of as a Tex-Mex or Mexican American dish. Burritos were officially invented in 1895 when they appear in the dictionary as a rolled tortilla. Some say that they were invented during the problems between Mexico and America in the early 1900s when they were then brought into America. The word was popular in the state of Guanajuato, so it is likely that the burritos that we eat in the UK were first made there.

What is the difference between a burrito and a wrap?

A wrap is a key ingredient in a burrito but a burrito is made from a selection of other ingredients such as rice and beans. A wrap doesn't have to have these extra ingredients or even meat and they're normally filled with salad and are much less spicy than the salsa of a burrito. Burritos are also often much larger than the classic wrap.

Related content

If you enjoyed this article and would like more info on travel to Mexico, check out our other posts on the topic

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 828848.

Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is provided by Taurus Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary licenced and authorised in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission under Permission Number 5566 and authorised to passport general insurance intermediary services into the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under registration number 444830.

The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE. Great Lakes Insurance SE is a German insurance company with its headquarters at Königinstrasse 107, 80802 Munich. UK Branch office: 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3M 5BN, company number SE000083. Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK Branch, is authorised and regulated by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number: 769884. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.