Tacos, as far as can be determined, were eaten by Native Americans residing in the Valley of Mexico around the time Cortes and his men showed up. The original tacos contained Fish wrapped in flatbread. Almost five centuries later, tacos have outgrown their Native American and Hispanic roots and have become one of the favorite handheld food in the Americas, rivaling the simple hamburger. So, how does one make the perfect Taco?

Selecting the tortilla

First, you should avoid the hard shells that some people use to build tacos. They tend to crumble and get the ingredients on your shirt.

Instead, choose a tortilla made of maize. Flour tortillas are alright, but too many of them bought at the store taste like rubber, so you should be very careful when buying them.

Choosing the ingredients wisely

Some people like to coat the tortillas with pasty refried beans or guacamole -- a confection that has the appearance and taste of something that comes out of the back end of a baby. Instead, coat your tortillas with sour cream, dropping it and then spreading it with a spoon. Next, put some shredded greens on the tortilla. You can afford to be creative, but the best is something that comes out of one of those salad bags.

The protein comes next. Most stores sell spice packets that can be combined with ground beef or pork to make taco meat.

Recipes exist that allow you to do it yourself, but frankly, that seems like a lot of wasted effort. Be sure to stain the meat before putting it in your tortilla. Liquid spilling out and onto your clothes is not a pleasant sensation.

If you happen to be a vegetarian, black beans work just as well. Some people will also substitute sliced chicken or fish for the beef or pork, which is entirely acceptable.

Next, some shredded onion goes on. Some people will also add chopped up tomatoes, but frankly, the salsa has enough of that already. Add some shredded cheese. Some people like cheddar for that purpose, but for authenticity’s sake, Monterey jack works better. If you’re feeling brave, some jalapeno slices can go on as well. Top with some tomato salsa.

The heat level is up to you, but for me, the hotter the better.

One final tip

Try not to overload your taco. You should put just enough ingredients inside it so that the tortilla will wrap all the way around and hold them in place while you eat. Nothing is quite as embarrassing as taco ingredients dripping out onto your shirt.