Nachos Near You

What Are Nachos Made Of?

A true staple of Mexican cuisine, nachos are one of the best snacks you could have.

This versatile appetizer is great for when you're watching a game or a movie, or simply want to satisfy your taste buds with something exquisite.

The two basic ingredients of nachos are tortilla chips and cheese. The tortilla chips are fried whereas the cheese could be melted or in the form of a sauce. And the type of cheese is usually cheddar cheese but also Monterey Jack or White American among others.

In addition, there's a whole range of delicious toppings that go well with this snack:

• Ground beef
• Grilled chicken
• Chilli peppers
• Olives
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Ground turkey
• Pulled pork
• Jalapeños
• Corn
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes

Regardless of the exact combination, your nachos will taste fantastic. Of course, this is something you already know.

However, what you may not know is the history of this famous appetizer and who actually invented it. So, to learn more about it, do keep reading below.

What Country Invented Nachos?

As mentioned earlier, nachos were invented in Mexico. And the exact place of their origin is Piedras Negras in Coahuila.

The person who first created them was Ignacio Anaya. This took place in 1941 in a restaurant called Victory Club. In fact, Nacho is a typical moniker for Ignacio, so the food bears the name of its inventor.

As for how this occurred, the story goes that one of Ignacio's customers asked him to create something special. This lady's name was Mamie Finan and she was a frequent visitor at the restaurant.

Thus, Ignacio headed to the kitchen and that's when creativity struck him. He saw some fried tortillas and came up with the idea to cut them into pieces and top them with shredded cheese and jalapeno peppers.

Later on, Ignacio opened his own place which he named Nacho's Restaurant. And his nachos recipe was featured in a notable cookbook from 1954.

Consequently, this snack started to become increasingly popular. In the US, it first hit Texas and then it spread to other places such as Los Angeles. This was during the 1950s.

Fun Facts

The inventor of Nachos, Ignacio, passed away in 1975. To honor him, October 21 was proclaimed the International Day of the Nacho.

There's also a National Nacho Day here in America but it is on November 6.

What's more, people in Piedras Negras host an annual festival in October to celebrate this snack.

Following a football game in 1978, broadcaster Howard Cosell further popularized nachos by talking a lot about them.

Prior to that, in 1976, Ricos Products advertised their nachos product with a cheese sauce. This was during baseball games in Texas. And their version of the appetizer got the name ballpark nachos.

In April 2012, the record for the biggest nachos to date was set in Kansas. Its weight was measured at 4,689 lb.

What Are the Different Types of Nachos?

Depending on the ingredients, there are quite a few variations of nachos. Some notable ones include:

• Irish
• Barbecue
• Poutine
• Tot-Chos
• Dessert
• S'more

How Many Calories Is a Full Plate of Nachos?

In a serving of 275g, nachos contain about 617 calories. This includes 48g of total fat or 62% of the daily value based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Additionally, the amount of cholesterol is 141mg (47%), sodium 872mg (38%), total carbohydrates 13g (5%), and protein 33.5g.

What's more, we got Vitamin D (1%), Calcium (35%), Iron (15%), and Potassium (13%).

Where Can I Find Nachos Near Me?

This popular appetizer is available all around the country. Still, we at Slice are here to offer some specific recommendations.

Hence, if you're in New York, we suggest La Amistad on 2nd Ave. They're open 7 days a week, offer takeout and delivery, and you even get 5% off on all online orders via the Slice app.

And for those of you in Philly, we recommend Shef's Pizza on Sheffield Ave. This popular place is also open every day and has pickup and delivery available.

Of course, for any other city, just check the listings on this page.