National Burrito Day on the first Thursday in April celebrates the tasty and versatile Mexican dish wrapped in a tortilla.

A burrito is a heavy tortilla wrapped around meat, cheese, tomato, rice, beans, vegetables, and sauces. Like many other tortilla dishes, the burrito is flexible. The cook chooses the meat fillings from ground beef, shredded chicken, shredded beef or shredded pork. The same applies to the bean choices, often ranging from black, red, whole or refried beans. Once again, the flexibility of choice applies to the vegetables allowing the cook to grill the vegetables or keep them fresh. Spices such as cumin, chilli powder, and oregano give the burritos an authentic Mexican flavour. For added crunch, chimichangas are burritos that have been deep-fried.

The word burrito first appeared in the Dictionary of Mexican isms in 1895. The Guanajuato region of Mexico uses the term and means little donkey in Spanish. It is possible that it stems from the appearance of the packs and bedrolls donkeys used to carry. In other regions of Mexico, similar types of food are known as flauta.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL BURRITO DAY
  • Call some friends and go out for burritos or make some at home.
  • Who makes your favourite burritos? Be sure to tag someone who prepares the best burritos, whether it’s mom or the local Mexican restaurant.
  • If you make the best, you might be getting some love today.
  • Use #NationalBurritoDay to post on social media.