Nachos originated in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, just over the border from Orejas pan Pass, Texas. Anaya also opened his own restaurant, Nacho’s Restaurant, in Piedras Negras. Anaya’s original recipe was printed in the 1954 St.

The popularity of the dish swiftly spread throughout Texas and the Southwest. The first known appearance of the word “nachos” in English dates to 1950, from the book A Taste of Texas. A modified version of the dish, with cheese sauce and prepared tortilla chips, was marketed in 1976 by Frank Liberto, owner of Ricos Products, during Texas Rangers baseball games at Arlington Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In his honor, a bronze plaque was erected in Piedras Negras, and October 21 was declared the International Day of the Nacho. Most typical corn tortilla chips contain about 15 calories per chip.

Baked corn tortilla chips have about 6 calories per chip, making them a healthier alternative option to the usual fried chip. Mexican-style cheddar cheese contains about 110 calories per ounce. A single serving of nachos also contains significant amounts of fat, sodium, and calcium. There are around 16 grams of fat, 816 mg of sodium, and 272 mg of calcium per serving of nachos. A variation consists of a quartered and fried tostada topped with a layer of refried beans or various meats and a layer of shredded cheese or nacho cheese, topped with habanero hot sauce. Although those variations use nontraditional ingredients, these versions are still classified as nachos.

In the US Southeast, pulled pork nachos, also called barbecue nachos, are very popular. Traditional nachos consist of the tortilla chips topped with cheese and jalapeños, as done by Anaya. The modern form of nachos has several possible ingredients with the most common toppings being cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, olives, refried beans, ground beef, chicken, and sometimes lettuce. Lettuce is a less common topping, if added at all. Toppings may be served buffet-style to allow diners to create their own nachos. Nachos vary from the modern style served in restaurants to the quick and easy nachos sold at concession stands in stadiums.

The nachos commonly sold at concession stands in the US consists of tortilla chips topped with pump-able cheese sauce. The cheese sauce comes in condensed form to which water or milk and pepper juice are added. What is contained in the condensed form itself is a trade secret. Nachos with an abundance of toppings are sometimes called “loaded nachos”.

This type of dish is usually served as an appetizer at bars or restaurants in the United States and elsewhere. Typically, the tortilla chips are arranged on a platter, meat and refried bean toppings are then added, and the entire platter is smothered with shredded cheese. In Memphis, Tennessee, barbecue nachos are served in most barbecue restaurants, and also at sporting events. Generous portions of barbecued pork shoulder are placed atop tortilla chips, then covered with melted cheese or nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, and sliced jalapeño peppers. In Hawaii, kalua pork and pineapple nachos are served in many restaurants and bars. Generous portions of kalua pork and pineapple bits are placed atop tortilla chips, then covered with melted cheese or nacho cheese, and varied toppings. A similar dish that involves tortilla chips and cheese is found in Tex-Mex restaurants.

Small bowls of chili con queso or, more commonly, salsa are served with baskets of warm tortilla chips as appetizers. A form of processed cheese sauce mixed with peppers and other spices is often used in place of freshly shredded cheese in institutional or large-scale production settings, such as schools, movie theaters, sports venues, and convenience stores, or wherever using freshly grated cheese may be logistically prohibitive. In the United States, National Nacho Day is celebrated on November 6. On April 21, 2012, the world’s biggest serving of nachos was made by Centerplate at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. My father was maître d’ and he said ‘Let me go quick and fix something for you. He pulled them out after a couple of minutes, all melted, and put on a slice of jalapeño. Ignacio Anaya, el mexicano que inventó los nachos”.