No one questions that Juárez is the birthplace of burritos, though there are competing origin stories. Some attribute their creation to Juan Mendez, who sold guisados wrapped in flour tortillas from a donkey-pulled buggy — a burrito — during the Mexican Revolution. Others say they were born of the workers who took these wraps on the go and then called them burritos because they resembled the rolled blankets that sat atop donkeys in the fields. Some say they were named after children who helped women carry their shopping — endearingly nicknamed burritos — and paid with these wraps.
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On both sides of the Rio Grande, the love for and dedication to the craft of making what they consider true burritos are perhaps what define the style most. Making them, Mr. Vasquez said, “has to come from the heart.”Ms. Covarrubias echoed that sentiment. “The main ingredient is mucho amor.”
On the Border, the Perfect Burrito is a Thin, Foil-Wrapped Treasure
Despite a culinary rivalry, the sister cities El Paso and Ciudad Juárez can agree that a simple burrito is the best burrito.
Pati Jinich