Celebrated on November 6th every year, National Nachos Day is a holiday designed to celebrate a dish that’s enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and at tailgates all over the U.S. It’s a day when people can grab their favorite types of tortilla chips and cover them with their favorite salsa, cheese, and other toppings.

Although nachos are traditionally made according to a Mexican food theme, the ingredients of this dish can be altered to make a variety of other types of nachos, including Irish nachos, Italian nachos, and Asian nachos.

The History Of Nachos

National Nachos Day is another food-related holiday that no one knows who invented. Although nachos have been around for a long time, their origins aren’t as clear as some other food dishes. It’s believed that they were created in 1943 by Ignacio Anaya, a maître d’ who worked at the El Moderno Restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico.

After the restaurant had closed, some wives of U.S. Army soldiers came into the restaurant looking for a snack. To satiate them, Mr. Anaya served them tostadas cut into triangles, topped with shredded cheese and jalapeños. The women loved it so much they named it “Nacho’s especial.” They gave it this name because ‘Nacho’ was the hypocoristic form of Ignacio. Although the ‘especial’ part was later dropped, the term ‘nacho’ remained with the dish.

The Different Types Of Nachos

As we’ve mentioned earlier, there are a variety of different types of nachos available. We know because we’ve researched some of the dishes that are currently sold as nachos. Some of them use tortilla chips with different toppings, and other types of nachos may not even use tortillas at all but may substitute other “bases” such as rice or potatoes.

• Irish Nachos: Made with potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and pico de gallo.
• Breakfast Nachos: Made with tortillas, cheddar cheese, eggs, and sour cream.
• Asian Nachos: Made with wontons, mozzarella, sriracha, and teriyaki sauce.
• Italian Nachos: Made with wontons, Alfredo sauce, black olives, and mozzarella cheese.

Facts About Nachos:

• Nachos were invented in Mexico.
• The first U.S. restaurant to sell nachos was El Cholo in San Antonio, Texas.
• The recipe for nachos was first mentioned in a book in the U.S. in 1949.
• Tortilla chips are an American invention.
• Nacho cheese was invented in the U.S. as well.

Celebrating National Nacho Day

The best way to celebrate the delicious dish created by Ignacio Anaya on this day is by enjoying your favorite type of nachos. You can make nachos for dinner or as a snack. You can also use the hashtag #NationalNachoDay to spread the news far and wide about this holiday.