Birria Tacos: A history and taste test

Arushi Mukherjee and Fiorella Robinson

The Story Behind Birria

By Arushi Mukherjee

Every other swipe on my “For You” page is a recipe for birria tacos, the new internet food trend that TikTok has catapulted to fame. Although many people know it as a fad, birria is a richly cultural dish with an intricate history.

What is Birria?

Birria is essentially a meat stew, which can be served as a stew or as a taco filling. It can be made from a variety of meats but is most traditionally made from goat meat. Substitutes for goat include beef, lamb, or chicken. The meat is seasoned with salt, cumin, guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, bay leaves, garlic, a little bit of vinegar, and more spices that vary on the recipe used. The meat is marinated before cooking “low and slow” and served with or without tortillas. It is a spicy, warm, and decadently meaty, perfect for a Chicago winter like this one.

Where is Birria From?

The steamy meat dish hails from Jalisco, Mexico, more specifically the town of Cocula, located southwest of Guadalajara. Jalisco is the second largest urban area in Mexico and was home to many nomadic tribes between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago. Jalisco is also the birthplace of Mariachi, tequila, and the wide-brimmed sombrero. In the 16th century, during the Spanish “Conquista,” Spaniards and Mexicans exchanged spices and animals in Jalisco in a way that changed both cuisines permanently.

How Was Birria Created?

During the cultural exchange of the Conquista period, the Spaniards introduced goats to Mexico. However, the goats reproduced quickly and ate much of the crops and seeds that the indigenous people traditionally relied on for sustenance. Many native Mexicans experienced a famine during this time, as the goats were introduced to an unnatural habitat. As the native people suffered from hunger, they began using the goats for meat. To cut through the gamey smell and texture of goat, the people added herbs, fragrant spices, and cooked it in kilns or in the earth, underground, to soften and flavor the meat.

What Has Birria Become Today?

Birria can found at celebrations like weddings and quinceañeras or being sold by street vendors and small family-run restaurants. It is usually eaten in the mid-morning to early afternoon and often topped with diced onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime. It gained popularity on TikTok in late 2020, early 2021. The Internet’s latest obsession with it will become another chapter in its long, robust history, a history that fuses two populations, many flavors, and, now, internet users everywhere.

Birria tacos, rice, refried beans, and consommé from Birria Huentitan

Taco Takeover: A review of Birria Huentitan

By Fiorella Robinson

Given the recent craze in birria tacos, many people in Chicago, myself included, want to know where you can get them. I traveled to Birria Huentitan in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of northwest Chicago to see if the surge in popularity was truly earned. Although I ordered takeout for safety reasons, indoor dining was readily available with spaced seating. I could see that this spot definitely had a reputation -- a good one that has lasted them over twenty years! --  since there was a line of customers eagerly waiting for their orders. When placing my order for two birria tacos and a side of rice and beans, the employee on the line was clear, concise, and quick. I finished my order in less than three minutes with my food ready as soon as I arrived.  

The goat meat of the birria tacos was encased with two homemade flour tortillas, that each blended perfectly with the savory filling. I already knew my meal would be worth it from the jaw-dropping cheese pull from each bite of the taco. Each bite was moist and evenly combined the meat with cilantro, onions, and mozzarella cheese. Of course, birria tacos would not be complete without consommé, the richly flavored stock of a soup-like consistency. I repeatedly dipped my tacos into the consommé and added some of the chile verde sauce to create a combination of flavors and textures to fill my mouth.To prolong my enjoyment of the birria tacos, I ate the refried beans and rice -- which were above and beyond my expectations. The rice was soft and had an almost buttery taste. I returned to my birria tacos and sadly finished them in minutes, making me wish I ordered three times the amount I initially asked for. I am surprised that birria tacos have just started to gain popularity, but that may be due to social media influences. Birria Huentitan is an excellent representation for birria tacos, and anyone in Chicago should swing by for some casual dining for low prices.