A LITTLE MEXICAN FOOD KNOW-HOW
Taco or tostada? Meet your tortilla.
One folds around the filling. The other puts the crunch underneath it.
A taco usually starts with a pliable tortilla that folds around its filling. A tostada has a crisp, flat tortilla with toppings piled on top. Look at the base first. Mexican food reference: Secretaría de Cultura.
Taco
Carnitas tacos with pork, onion and cilantro.
Photo: Padaguan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · original on Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted to WebP; no crop. This adapted image is available under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tostada
A tinga tostada with lettuce, cheese and crema.
Photo: German matus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original on Wikimedia Commons. Converted to WebP; no crop. This adapted image is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The difference at a glance
| Look for | Taco | Tostada |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Folded or rolled around a filling | Flat, with toppings above it |
| Texture | Usually soft and flexible | Crisp and rigid |
| Preparation | A tortilla used to wrap food | A tortilla fried, toasted on a comal, or baked until crisp |
Choose the filling, then the format.
La Floresta’s photographed menu offers both tacos and tostadas de camarón. “Camarón” means shrimp; “taco” or “tostada” tells you the format.
Tacos can use corn or wheat tortillas. Diccionario del español de México.
Try ordering one of each.
A shrimp taco
Un taco de camarón, por favor.
One shrimp taco, please.
Say it approximately: oon TAH-koh deh kah-mah-ROHN, pohr fah-VOHR
A shrimp tostada
Una tostada de camarón, por favor.
One shrimp tostada, please.
Say it approximately: OO-nah tohs-TAH-dah deh kah-mah-ROHN, pohr fah-VOHR
These English spellings are pronunciation guides. For takeaway, add “para llevar” — pah-rah yeh-VAHR.
Sources & photo credits
- Secretaría de Cultura · Las tostadas — tortilla preparation and the basic distinction.
- Secretaría de Cultura · Los tacos — taco varieties, fillings and fried flautas.
- El Colegio de México · Taco — definition and tortilla types.
La Floresta’s example comes from my photographed menu. Photo authors, sources and reuse licenses are credited above.
