Traditional taco trucks and roadside pop-ups have a long history in Los Angeles. But the idea of what a taco is has changed dramatically.

Korean influences are the most recent, but the notion of what a taco is was up for grabs decades prior to its acceptance in the United States. Similar to the United States, Mexico is a melting pot with influences ranging from Asian to Middle Eastern. Al Pastor is a great example of this; it’s actually a Lebanese dish that over a couple generations morphed from lamb cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served on a pita-like bread into a pork dish made with pineapple. So the fact that we are seeing the concept of a taco being pushed even further here in Los Angeles, where we have a rich and diverse population, is only to be expected.

The complete article can be found in Issue #277 of the Tokyo Journal. Click here to order from Amazon.