This week, we're talking to José Ralat, the taco editor at Texas Monthly and author of the forthcoming book, American Tacos: A History and Guide. It sounds like arguably the best job in the country (and yes, it is), but it's not just about eating great tacos. José has committed the position to being as much about the history, the culture, and real voices as it is about the food itself. Juan and José chat (for a long time) about what makes for the perfect taco, the gentrification of tacos in the U.S. as well as the cost and labor behind them – which is why they deserve all the respect.
And if you contribute to our Patreon at the $15/month level or higher, you can listen to a bonus minisode (we told you they talked for a long time) on the great "Burrito vs. Taco" debate.
Produced by Juan Ramirez and Stephanie Kuo. Music by Brad Turner and Blue Dot Sessions.
E47: Bird’s Nest (w/ Liana Aghajanian)
E46: Kitchen Spanish (w/ Emily Hunsberger)
E45: Becoming an American Writer (w/ Alexander Chee)
E44: Hell in a Bread Basket (w/ Samin Nosrat)
E43: Eat Pickles Get Ripped (w/ Carmen Maria Machado)
Bonus Episode: Ohio Against the World (with Hanif Abdurraqib)
E42: Break Time
E41: Only White Men Get to Be Geniuses (w/ Jen Agg)
E40: The Pav to Success (w/ Preeti Mistry)
EP39: Namaste Motherfucker (with Mitali Desai and Naben Ruthnum)
EP38: Ice Cream vs Anti-Semitism (w/ Jared Goodman)
Bonus Episode: F**k the Patriarchy
EP37: Minnesota Nice (w/ Amalia Nicholson, Aubry, and Kale Walch)
EP36: Eating Big Macs in Qatar (with Omar El Akkad)
EP35: Puchica in the Midwest (w/ Victor Interiano & Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik)
Bonus Episode: Waking Up From The Dream; A Post DACA Conversation
E34: Queering and Melanating the Comic World (w/ Taneka Stotts)
E33: Southern Food and the Table of Brotherhood (w/ John T. Edge and Amanda Yee)
E32: Because I Don't have Papers (w/ Armando Ibañez)
E31: Lose Hate, Not Weight (w/ Virgie Tovar)
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