October 4th, 2016 is National Taco Day.

Today’s Taco Day and it’s a Tuesday? I think we’ve better taco-bout this– there’s a lot more to our little fried-tortilla friend than simply meat, beans, and a side of guac.

Believe it or not, the taco’s origins predate European arrival in Mexico (though the first taco-party was held in 1520 by Hernan Cortez… True story), as some anthropologists speculate that the wrapped snack had initially been a mealtime favorite of the Valley of Mexico’s natives. Alternative theories include the proposition that the term “taco” is derived from “the little charges they would use to excavate the ore [in Mexican silver mines]. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face.” Wrapped structure? Dynamite-hot? Sounds a lot like the modern taco– perhaps a chicken-taquito with a side of hot-sauce? The tacos we know and love today are the result of generations of working-class migrant women, flocking to certain regions Mexico in search of job opportunity that sprung up out of the rise of industry.

In the brief amount of time existing between the glorious birth of our friend the taco, to the contemporary era dominated by big name brands like Taco Bell, getting your paws on a crunchy hard-shell tortilla has become exceedingly easy. ¡Muy rapido! In the past year alone, over 4.5 billion tacos have been consumed by the American population. To put this delicious statistic into perspective, this equates to the weight of two Empire State buildings, and nearly 500,000 miles of tacos– enough to make it to the moon and back!

Rich in history? Colorful cultural significance? You can have it crunchy or soft? With fish or beef? Sides of salsa or guacamole? From a taco truck? What’s not to love?

As so eloquently put by Kevin, an Office favorite, we all have only one problem with the taco: