Taco tales
Spanish-language Netflix series is back with Season 2
While Food Network seems to have gone allin with its Halloweenthemed programming this month, Netflix has been busy serving up new installments of returning favorites — such as the new season of “The Chef Show” that drops this week.
If you like to browse the Recently Added row, you might have already come across the “Chef’s Table” barbecue spinoff or Season 9 of “MeatEater” — both were added this month. But right now, taco lovers only have eyes for one Netflix series, and that’s “Taco Chronicles,” the subtitled version of the Spanish-language series “Las Crónicas del Taco” from Netflix Latin America, available now on the streamer.
“Taco Chronicles” is a superbly shot journey across Mexico (and beyond) to uncover the history, culture and people behind this beloved street food. It’s a must-watch if you love gorgeous food shots wrapped in a compelling story, kind of like “Chef’s Table” — just make sure you don’t watch it on an empty stomach.
The James Beard Award-winning series debuted last July, and fans have been eagerly waiting for a second season, which just rolled out on Sept. 15 (yes, on Taco Tuesday, but also the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day).
Season 1 introduced viewers to six different tacos: Mexico City’s popular tacos al pastor; braised pork carnitas; tacos de canasta sold by bicycle vendors; meaty carne asada; barbacoa, the breakfast taco; and, finally, guisado, the stew taco.
That journey continues in Season 2, and this time we’ll learn the history of tacos de suadero, cochinita pibil, cabrito, burrito, birria, taco de pescado (fish tacos), and, as a bonus, the all-American hard-shell taco. To get all the shots (and the full story), the crew had to travel to 18 different regions across Mexico, with additional stops in the United States and Japan.
More than a quest to seek out the best tacos, taqueros or taquerias, “Taco Chronicles” is a sampling of the stories behind each dish and different personalities who view tacos as both art and a labor of love. So how do they choose which people and places to feature? The enviable task falls to the show’s producers and directors, and to food writer-turned-taco scout Javier Cabral, who revealed that his field work involved eating at up to 18 taquerias in a single day.
Speaking of binging, each episode of “Taco Chronicles” has a run time of less than 30 minutes, so you could potentially watch an entire season in one evening. Seasons 1 and 2 of “Taco Chronicles” are currently available on Netflix.