Korean-Mexican fusion

Korean tacos
Korean burrito

Korean–Mexican fusion is a type of fusion cuisine originally from Los Angeles that combines traditional elements of American-style Mexican and Korean foods.[1] The earliest Korean-Mexican fusion featured Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes such as tacos or burritos filled with Korean-style barbecued meats and kimchi. Typical dishes include Korean tacos and bulgogi burritos.[1] Food critics Jane and Michael Stern state that Korean–Mexican fusion is a growing food trend that has steadily gained in popularity since 2009.[2]

Restaurants serving Korean tacos have existed in the United States at least since 1996, with a restaurant in Santa Monica, California called "2424 Pico" using the name for Korean fillings inside of a lettuce wrap.[3] The proprietors of the Kogi Korean BBQ, a food truck in Los Angeles, California, used Twitter to announce their schedule and itinerary.[4][5] In the following years, food trucks serving Korean–Mexican fusion opened in several cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Portland, Seattle and Washington.[2][6] after the first food truck serving Korean tacos, Kogi Korean BBQ, opened in Los Angeles in late 2008.[6]

Several restaurants serving Korean–Mexican fusion exist in Seoul, South Korea[7][8] and Beijing, China.[9] Unlike in the United States, Korean-Mexican fusion exists in the casual dining segment, while street food trucks continue to dominate in the US.[10]

Typical dishes include tacos or burritos prepared with Korean barbecue, such as kalbi or spicy chicken, and American foods such as french fries with kimchi.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Jennifer Steinhauer (2009-02-24). "For a New Generation, Kimchi Goes With Tacos". New York Times.
  2. ^ a b Jane & Michael Stern (2009-11-15). "In Search of American Food".
  3. ^ S. Irene Virbila (1996-09-01). "New Kids on the Block". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  4. ^ John Birdsall (2009-11-23). "Indian Taco Truck Curry Up Now Headed for San Francisco". SF Weekly.
  5. ^ Andrew Romano (2009-02-28). "Now 4 Restaurant 2.0: Thanks to Twitter and the Web, L.A. is obsessed with the Korean tacos of America's first viral eatery". Newsweek.
  6. ^ a b John T. Edge. "The Tortilla Takes a Road Trip to Korea". New York Times.
  7. ^ "Restaurant Write Up: Vatos Urban Tacos in Itaewon". Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  8. ^ "Eating fajitias & enchiladas at a Korean Mexican Restaurant (Julio) located in Jongno, Seoul, Korea". Feb 18, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "First Glance: Mexican-Korean Fusion at Palms LA Kitchen and Bar". www.thebeijinger.com. Mar 14, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Jyoung-ah Kim (February 28, 2012). "A Mexican Food Fiesta: Korea's Top 10 Mexican Restaurants".