PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Whether it's a result of the city's Quaker roots or its working-class character, Philadelphia has always cooked up a cuisine that's more meat and potatoes than experimental. Even the city's signature snacks - cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and water ice - appeal more to a sense of hometown pride than to an adventurous palate.
But under this bland exterior, a flavour revolution has been brewing in South Philly. It's one that's fed by national immigration trends, the changing face of a neighbourhood and, most delectably, tacos.
Jesus Mozo opened his Taqueria La Veracruzana in the heart of the Italian Market - the city's cheesesteak stronghold - nearly five years ago, not knowing he was at the forefront of a trend that may have yet to peak.
The dozen or so taquerias that have popped up since La Veracruzana's opening are signs of a community that is beginning to establish itself, he said. They are also a scrumptious way for residents and visitors alike to get a bite-sized look into a new culture, perfect for those who like their lessons in diversity served by the platter.
For Mexican-food novices, tacos provide a classic and easy-to-pronounce introduction to the fare. The generic word for "sandwich" in Mexico, tacos in South Philly offer diners a wide variety of fillings wrapped in two soft flour tortillas and topped with onions and cilantro - all for about US$2 a wrap.
At La Veracruzana, which bills its spread as "Los Originales Tacos Mexicanos," a taco filling of choice is chorizo. The spicy Mexican sausage is probably the greasiest taco option, but also has one of the most outstanding tastes, not to be approached without a cooling glass of water, or bottle of mango juice, close at hand.
Past the bodegas and money-sending businesses now intermingled with the neighbourhood's more long-standing Italian delis is La Lupe, which turns out some of South Ninth Street's most authentic Mexican cuisine.
Daring diners will want to order the barbacoa taco, a meal of oven-roasted goat meat with a taste that's akin to lamb, but gamier. The queso taco, a hearty handful of melted queso blanco, presents a safer, yet still exotic, choice. Its salty, grilled white cheese absorbs its guacamole garnish and picks up a crispy texture from the cucumbers around it.
For a more local flavour, Prima Pizza Taqueria Mexicana across the street serves both traditional Mexican fare and the hoagies, cheesesteaks and pizzas that have been attracting the hungry to the neighbourhood for decades.
Displaying their edible offerings on a menu that has photos of both Philadelphia and Veracruz, Mexico, Alicia Mozo, sister of La Veracruzana's Jesus, said she wanted to try something different with her restaurant.
"A lot of people are surprised that a place can sell pizza and tacos," she said. "But for me it wasn't hard because in Mexican culture we are used to having a little bit of everything."
Guadalupe Garcia, Alicia's daughter, said customers appreciate that the taqueria's Mexican food is "prepared on a real grill," unlike in some well-known chain restaurants, although they sometimes just come for the hoagies.
At another Mozo family restaurant, El Jarocho, South Philadelphia resident Craig Mimms, 34, said his tastes run definitively south of the border.
"I'm from the West Coast, so I've been on a search for good Mexican food out here," he said over a well-stuffed burrito. "(Downtown) is seriously lacking, but I'm starting to appreciate the authenticity in South Philly."
As for tacos, El Jarocho's carnitas feature pork tenderized right off the bone.
Monica Orozco, of the Mexican Cultural Center, estimates there are about 18,000 Mexican immigrants in South Philadelphia.
She said a new wave of taquerias has sprung up in recent months, showing that "people who have been working hard here for years are starting to be settled with enough money to open their own businesses."
Like the Italian immigrants who developed the area before them, Orozco said the Mexican community brought knowledge of family recipes and traditional cooking methods to the neighbourhood, which can translate into marketable skills for serving compatriots in a new country.
After working six years as a butcher in an Italian deli, Raul Castro noticed a property for rent down the street and decided to open a Mexican restaurant of his own.
Now the co-owner of Plaza Garibaldi, arguably the most upscale of the neighbourhood's Mexican eateries, Castro said coming up with a workable menu was one of his biggest challenges.
"We had to cut our original menu in half because it was too overwhelming and play with some of the recipes, so we served what people liked but stayed authentic," he said.
One of the recipes he developed was for tacos tinga de pollo, a dish that's festive in presentation, with bright red marinated chicken served in open tortillas, and zesty in flavour. The chipotle pepper sauce is the eye-watering, nose-running kind of spicy, but the restaurant's impressive selection of Mexican sodas can help offset moments when the tacos bite back.
Now a four-year veteran of the area, Plaza Garibaldi, named for a square in Mexico City, still occasionally draws customers expecting a pizzeria from the restaurant's Italian-sounding name.
"At first we didn't think this would work, but American people are starting to get used to what we serve and ordering more spicy things," Castro said. "I think it's good for the (Mexican) community to see us doing well, and for everybody else, we add a little more flavour to what was here before."
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This spicy dish was traditionally prepared as tostadas, with the chicken filling set atop a layer of refried beans on a hard tortilla. Due to its popularity, Plaza Garibaldi modified it for tacos, and it can be served either way. For those without access to Mexican groceries, sour cream can replace the queso fresco and the goya seeds may be omitted.
Tacos Tinga de Pollo
Tinga Sauce
1 can (250 ml/8 oz) chipotle pepper, finely chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
Tacos and Filling
1 whole chicken breast
Salt
1 yellow onion, diced and divided into three equal piles
15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
1/2 tomato
5 ml (1 tsp) goya seeds
1 bay leaf
Pinch black pepper
Pinch garlic powder
45 ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro
Queso fresco or sour cream, to garnish
12 soft small flour tortillas (about 15 cm/6 inches round)
Tinga Sauce: In a small bowl, combine chipotle pepper, tomato and onion. Mix well and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, place chicken breast, pinch of salt and one-third of the diced onion. Add just enough water to cover, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Remove chicken from saucepan and allow it to cool to the touch, several minutes. Use your fingers to tear chicken into fine strips. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tomato and one-third of the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add tinga sauce and stir well.
Stir in goya seeds, if using, bay leaf and a pinch each of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring sauce to a simmer, then add shredded chicken and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick.
To serve, stack two tortillas, then spoon chicken and sauce over them. Garnish with queso fresco, cilantro and remaining onions. Fold before serving.
Makes 6 tacos.
