Happy National Nacho Day! It's a food a LOT of us are crazy about. Although the depths of our love are... well, NACHO BUSINESS! Sorry, it's Friday. The cheese jokes are already melting.
A new poll found that 82% of Americans enjoy nachos, while just 3% say they don't like them. Another 14% are somewhere in the middle.
That's an impressive approval rating, enough to make nachos America's favorite Mexican food. There's just one little problem with the rankings: TACOS WEREN'T EVEN AN OPTION! How do you have a Mexican food popularity contest without tacos? That's nacho right!
Here's how the nine dishes ranked:
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Nachos: 82% love them.
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Salsa and burritos: Tied at 80%.
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Fajitas: 79%.
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Quesadillas: 77%.
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Guacamole: 70%.
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Chimichangas: 62%.
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Chili con carne: 59%.
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Huevos rancheros: 53%.
Nachos aren't just winning in the Mexican food department, either. They also landed in the top five most popular dishes overall, according to the survey.
Chocolate chip cookies took the top spot at 85%, followed by eggs and bacon at 83%. Lasagna and nachos tied at 82%, with spaghetti and meatballs right behind at 81%.
Mac and cheese came in at number 13 with 77%. Sorry, mac and cheese fans. Looks like nachos have you beat!
A Little Nacho History
Nachos actually have a pretty interesting origin story. They were invented in Mexico back in 1943 by a man named Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, who worked as a maître d' at a restaurant called the Victory Club.
According to the story, a group of women walked into the restaurant. Their husbands were officers stationed at nearby Fort Duncan, a U.S. Army base.
Ignacio wanted to get them something to eat quickly, but couldn't find the chef. So he improvised, cutting fried tortillas into triangles, topping them with shredded Colby cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños, then heating everything up.
The women loved it and asked what the dish was called.
His answer? "Nacho's Special."
And just like that, a snack legend was born!
So today, whether you're loading yours up with cheese, jalapeños, salsa, sour cream, guacamole or pretty much everything in the refrigerator, enjoy National Nacho Day.
And remember, if somebody asks how many nachos you've eaten, that's NACHO BUSINESS!
