How A 361-Foot Taco Made History In One Mexican City
Humans are always trying to push the boundaries of world records, and food is no exception. Whether it's making the world's biggest curly fry or the world's largest lollipop, we keep finding novel ways to outdo ourselves when it comes to sheer size. Some foods get measured in length rather than weight or volume because of their shape, such as the world's longest hot dog, but they're still just as impressive.
Few things are as stunning, in terms of length, as the world's longest taco. Measuring just under 361 feet (110 meters), this massive taco was created in the city of Berriozábal, Chiapas, Mexico. The event was orchestrated by the Chiapas State Tourism Secretariat, the government of Chiapas, and the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry in an effort to promote and showcase the region's cuisine.
The enormous taco not only celebrated local food, but also brought together multiple restaurateurs in the area. Local business owners helped promote the effort, while citizen participants, chefs, and 200 culinary students worked together to build the taco. In a beautiful moment of community spirit, the municipality of Berriozábal set a new world record.
How the world's longest taco was made
The world's longest taco was created on September 18, 2024. In addition to its unparalleled length, it weighed 162.5 pounds, or 73.7 kilograms. This beats out the previous record held by the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico, by almost 100 feet.
The taco shell was created by the Chiapas State Dough and Tortilla Association, a process which involved a little over 551 pounds, or 250 kilograms, of dough. A special machine had to be made and installed in order to make the extremely long taco shell.
As for what is actually in the taco, most of the filling is made from a traditional Chiapas dish known as cochito al horno (roast pig), not to be confused with the Yucatán dish cochinita pibil. It is unclear what specific recipe for cochito was used in the record-breaking taco, but in general, the dish is made with seasoned pork and ancho peppers slow-cooked in an oven along with a sauce made of oil, herbs, spices, and vinegar. Whatever went into the particularly large quantity of cochito al horno used in the record-breaking taco, the people of Berriozábal have much to be proud of.