Difference Between Taco and Burrito

Mexican dishes emerged in the 16th century when the Spanish conquest of the Aztek Empire occurred. Food such as corn, bean.

Squash, chili papers, meat from domesticated animals, herbs, spices and dairy products such as cheese are the basic staples since then. Although the key spices of Mexican cuisine are also native to Mesoamerica such as a large variety of chili peppers.

Key Takeaways

1. Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla filled with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and salsa; burritos are a larger, more filling dish originating from northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, featuring a flour tortilla wrapped around a variety of fillings, including rice, beans, and meat.
2. Tacos usually use corn tortillas, while burritos are made with larger flour tortillas.
3. Tacos are typically open and easier to eat by hand, whereas burritos are fully enclosed, making them more portable and less messy.

Taco vs Burrito

The difference between Taco and Burrito is that tacos are much smaller than burritos, as in one would have to consume several tacos to be able to feel that he or she had a meal. In the case of burritos, one single piece of it comprises a whole meal.

Taco is a Mexican traditional dish consisting of hand size corn or wheat folded or rolled tortilla filled with various mixtures including meat such as beef, chicken, beans, mince, vegetable salsa salads and spices such as chili peppers and herbs. A Burrito is a dish in Mexican, which is made with cylindrical shape rolled tortilla filled with various ingredients such as beans, meat, tomatoes, black olives, cheese, and onions.

It is lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, allowing it to adhere to itself when wrapped. They are also served wet, covered in savory or spicy sauce.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Taco	Burrito
Definition	Taco is a folded thin, flat bread filled with meat, cheese and vegetable salad that is fried and served with various sauces.	Burrito is a type of food originally from Mexico that is made by folding a thin, round piece of bread and putting meat or beans inside of it.
Size	Tacos are small in size. They are light snacks.	Burritos are large in size. It is a full meal.
Origin	Tacos are Mexican cuisine that emerged in the 16th century.	Burrito emerged in the 19th century as a Mexican Dish.
Garnishing	Tacos are generally served with salsa, sour cream, sauce, onion and cilantro.	Burritos have no specific garnishing when it is served.
Ingredients	The main ingredients used to make tacos are tortilla, meat, vegetables and vegetable.	The main ingredients used in burritos are tortilla, refried beans or meats, rice and cheese.

What is Taco?

 A taco is a corn or flour tortilla filled with meat such as beef or chicken and vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, onion, and peppers. There are two kinds of tacos.

Soft tacos made with flour tortillas, and crisp tacos that are usually corn tortillas deep fried in oil to make them crisp.

Toppings include cheese, guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomato, onion, Serrano peppers with salt, lime juice, and cilantro. The tortillas for the Mexican tacos are made from a dough of maize flour and a little plain flour, which are then rolled into small thin circles and then deep fried.

Taco emerged after the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico. There is evidence that the indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate tacos filled with small fish.

What is Burrito?

A burrito is a large flour flat bread filled with rice, beans and some kind of meat, like ground beef or shredded beef, pork or chicken. It is also filled with different things such lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, cheese, and onions.

Burritos can be topped with guacamole, sour cream, tomato, onion, Serrano peppers with salt, lime juice, and cilantro, or salsa. The origin of the burrito is not known. In 1895 Feliz Ramos, identified burrito as a regional item from the Mexican state of Guanajuato. 

Some have speculated that in the 19th century, it may have originated with vaqueros, the cowboys of northern Mexico.

Main Differences Between Taco and Burrito

1. The Burrito is never considered to be a snack. The size of burrito is much larger than that of a taco. Therefore, a burrito is normally eaten more as a whole meal. On the other hand Taco is simply a snack and one has to eat several of them to substitute for a full meal. Hence, there is a distinct difference in the size.
2. The basic constitution of both Taco and Burrito is roughly the same. They both are made up of fillings wrapped up in tortilla. However, there are distinct differences in their wrap as in a taco is smaller and trimmer in size and has a soft corn tortilla for the wrap. The Burrito on the other hand is much thicker and large. Therefore, thick flour made tortillas are used for burrito wraps instead. They are also flavored, like tomato, spinach, etc.
3. The filling of both the taco and burrito are essentially different. The taco is a single filling item making it a light snack to munch on. The burrito is a whole meal supplement and provides huge double filling, many enough to completely fill up the large wheat tortilla.
4. The ingredients used in both taco and burrito are different from each other. The taco generally has some kind of meat filling, wrapped in a warm corn tortilla. The meat could be of pulled pork, or chicken, but it’s essentially only one kind of meat. On the other hand, burrito offers a healthy mix, there can be rice, beans, meat, vegetable, cheese, all wrapped up in a huge flour tortilla.
5. Tacos are an ancient food item and have been around for centuries. Some believe that tacos were innovated in the early 16^th century, whereas burritos are a relatively recent arrival. It is believed that it emerged in the 19th century as a Mexican cuisine.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=avFXqIIomuwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=taco+and+burritos&ots=ms_SxYglW5&sig=9hmGeK1UcZ-K0nxoqwvMB2UQVqA
2. https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/title/535816#page=245