COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Love nachos? Today is the day to celebrate!
Today is National Nachos Day. Before you start chowing down, here are some facts about the classic snack that you might not know:
- Nachos were invented by accident – Rumor has it that a Mexican man inadvertently created the dish when his restaurant ran out of food, leaving only tortillas and cheese in the kitchen. After some creative thinking, tortilla frying and cheese melting, the dish we all know and love was born.
- The original recipe is simple – The creator of the dish simply cut tortillas into triangles, fried them and melted cheese on top and added jalapeños. Today, there are countless varieties, including dishes that add refried beans, various meets, hot sauces, chili con queso, guacamole and many more toppings.
- Different regions put their own spin on the dish – Although nachos follow a fairly simple recipe, local versions of the dish vary from region to region. For example, barbecue nachos are popular in Memphis, Tennessee, while kalua pork and pineapple nachos are staples in Hawaii.
- Monday Night Football popularized the snack – Frank Liberto introduced sports broadcaster Howard Cosell to the dish, and Cosell sang its praises during a football game, turning nachos into a household name.
- The order in which you place the toppings matters – You can’t just slap some melted cheese on a pile of chips and toppings and call it a day. To get the perfect nachos, start with the base layer of chips, add the meat and refried beans, melt the cheese on top and then add the cold toppings like lettuce, salsa and onions.
