Nachos Are Named After the Man Who Invented Them
Nachos are tortilla chips with cheese. They are named after Ignacio Anaya, who improvised them in Mexico in 1943.
Nachos are tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and other ingredients. They have a named inventor and a date: Ignacio Anaya, a maître d' in Piedras Negras, Mexico, improvised them in 1943 for a group of American customers arriving after the kitchen had closed. *Nacho* is the standard Spanish nickname for Ignacio, and he called the dish *nachos especiales*. Few dishes can be traced so precisely to one person and one evening.
- Tortilla chips with cheese. *A plate of nachos.*
- Ignacio Anaya — the inventor. *Ignacio Anaya.*
- Nacho — the nickname for Ignacio. *Nacho.*
- Tortilla chip — the base. *Tortilla chips.*
- Piedras Negras — where they were invented. *Piedras Negras, 1943.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | nacho | One nacho. |
| Plural | nachos | A plate of nachos. |
| Spanish | nachos especiales | The original name. |
| Person | Ignacio Anaya | The inventor. |
| Related | tortilla | A tortilla. |
- They shared a plate of nachos.Food.
- Anaya invented them in 1943.History.
- Nacho is short for Ignacio.Naming.
Foods named after people
- Nachos — Ignacio Anaya
- Sandwich — the Earl of Sandwich
- Pavlova — the ballerina Anna Pavlova
- Beef Wellington — probably the Duke of Wellington
- Caesar salad — Caesar Cardini, a restaurateur, not the emperor
From *Nacho*, the Spanish nickname for Ignacio, after Ignacio Anaya, who created the dish in Piedras Negras in 1943.
Who invented nachos?
Ignacio Anaya, a maître d' in Piedras Negras, Mexico, in 1943. Nacho is the usual nickname for Ignacio.
Is Caesar salad named after Julius Caesar?
No. It is named after Caesar Cardini, a restaurateur in Tijuana who created it in the 1920s.