The Indo-Taco!
Out walking and far from home last weekend, I was struck by the sudden need to acquire about a thousand calories. Lucky for me, there was a Mos Burger conveniently located within staggering distance. The Japanese equivalent of McDonald’s, Mos Burger’s claim to fame is a burger topped with a sunny-side-up egg. (This is a cultural mystery on which I can offer zero insight.)
Anyway, I whipped inside, and – not exactly craving an egg-burger – I saw this month’s special was the Naan Taco! Okay, first of all, if I had to pick two cuisines that would make the world’s strangest bed partners, Indian and Mexican would have to win. Spicy, but in totally different ways, I was dying to see how a mass market burger chain would sell that to a public that doesn’t even like spicy in one way.
It was…interesting. The tortilla chip crumbs, lettuce, tomato and Cheese Wiz all pretty much tasted as expected, but the oddly dark ground meat foundation was a marvel of sweetish strangeness, revealing that Japanese focus groups apparently don’t hate cumin. I did eat the whole thing, though. Go figure.
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
The taco enthusiast within me is appalled and intrigued by this odd cultural mismatch. I think I’ll just stick with the regular taco, though…
I think that’s a decision of surpassing wisdom! I ate it but…once was enough, if you know what I mean.
Just when you think it can’t get any weirder it does. Never would I ever think of that combination.
Me neither! But it seems like Japanese consumers crave new new new all the time, so maybe they’ve used up all the obvious combos already…
Actually that sounds pretty good to me. Both Mexican and Indian cuisines use cumin, so you’ve got the meldy thing going. As well as the melty.
It wasn’t bad, just a little…sweet, if that makes sense. It didn’t taste like either Mexican or Indian food!
I wouldn’t think of it, but now that somebody else has thought of it, I like the idea.
Next time you come to Japan…!