My Burrito is a What?!

Call it what you want, I’ll call it lunch Burrito means “little donkey” in Spanish, but no one knows for sure where the Mexican dish got its name. One possible origin is because burritos look like the packs carried on donkey’s backs—or donkey’s ears. —theplazarestaurant.com

You read it first in this week’s The Factory in Guide magazine.

Little is known about the true origin of how the burrito came to be, or got its name, but the most commonly accepted tale is about a man named Juan Méndez. As a street vendor in Chihuahua, Mexico, during the Mexican Revolution, Méndez and his little donkey cart, in the hopes to keep his food warm longer, wrapped it in flour tortillas. Easy to hold and eat on the go, his “burritos” became very popular among soldiers and common folk alike. 

Do you like burritos? These delicious bundles can be made to order, so whether you prefer the traditional style of cheesy beans and rice, a breakfast style with cheesy eggs and potatoes, or a more adventurous style with pineapple in it, you can have your burrito any way you’d like. For breakfast, lunch, supper, or even dessert, a burrito is a great choice for any meal. 

Because of the burrito’s versatility, it has crossed into the cuisine of other cultures. However, being heavily Americanized, most, if not all, of the varieties influenced by outside cultures are mixed with American fusion and are mainly found only in the United States. One variety–San Francisco’s sushirrito, created and trademarked in 2011, is a Japanese-American fusion of sushi and burritos.

Jumping over to the animal side of things, burros (Spanish name) are actually domesticated donkeys and are used by people mainly for the transport of various cargo and people, just like Méndez had with his little donkey cart. But did you know that donkeys can also be used as protectors for sheep to help guard against coyotes and other members of the canid family? As farm security, they will take their job seriously to keep their territory free from any dog-like intruders. 

Do you remember our “burrito”–Jenny the Jennet–from our very own Discovery Mountain Season 24 Episode 2? Just as Chaplin Jake told the account of Balaam and his talking donkey, there is another special story in the Bible that mentions a “burrito”. In fact, it is mentioned in all four gospels! Check out Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19 to read about the young “burrito” that carried Jesus for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem!