Ignacio Anaya
Ignacio Anaya | |
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Born | Ignacio Anaya García 15 August 1895 San Carlos, Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico |
Died | November 9, 1975 Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico | (aged 80)
Occupation | Chef, restaurateur |
Known for | Inventor of nachos |
Spouse(s) | Marie Antoinette Salinas |
Children | 9 |
Ignacio Anaya García (15 August 1895 – 9 November 1975) was a Mexican executive chef[1][2] and restaurateur,[2] who invented the popular snack nachos.[1][2][3]
His nickname was Nacho, derived from the Spanish Ignacio, the Spanish version of Ignatius.[4]
Life and career[]
Born in San Carlos, , Chihuahua, Mexico[2] on 15 August 1895,[5] he worked at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, and later owned his own restaurant, Nacho's Restaurant, in Piedras Negras.[2][6] Anaya created nachos at the Victory Club in 1940[1][2][7] when Mamie Finan, a regular customer, asked if Anaya could bring her and three other women a different snack than usual.[2] Anaya went to the kitchen and spotted freshly fried pieces of corn tortillas.[1][2] In a moment of culinary inspiration, he added melted cheese and pickled jalapeño strips.[1][2] After tasting the snack Anaya created, Finan asked what it was called.[1][2] Anaya responded, "Well, I guess we can just call them Nacho's Special."[2][1] The dish was so popular, the owner of the Victory Club, Roberto de los Santos, put Nacho's Special on the menu.[2] When the Victory Club closed in 1961, Anaya opened his own restaurant, Nacho's.[2]
Anaya married Marie Antoinette Salinas, with whom he had 9 children.[8]
Death and legacy[]
Anaya died on 9 November 1975,[5] leaving a son Ignacio Anaya, Jr who went into banking,[9] and 5 other surviving children.[8] Posthumously, he was honored with a bronze plaque in Piedras Negras.[10] To celebrate Anaya's invention, the city of Piedras Negras holds a three-day Nacho Fest every year around October 21, the International Day of the Nacho.[2]
Smithsonian Magazine ranked nachos as a sports stadium favorite in 1976, following the invention of a processed cheese sauce by Frank Liberto.[10] Howard Cosell added to the popularity of nachos during a September 4, 1978 NFL game by weaving "nachos" into his commentary.[11] Although the original nachos contained only three ingredients, nachos can now be found with a wide variety of toppings, reflecting the enduring popularity of Anaya's contribution.[12][13]
On 15 August 2019, Google honored Anaya with a Doodle celebrating what would have been his 124th birthday.[14][15]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g LaRoche, Clarence J. (May 23, 1954). "Nacho's? Natch!". San Antonio Express and News.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Nickel, Sandra and Oliver Dominguez (2020). Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack. New York: Lee and Low. ISBN 9781620143698.
- ^ Andrew F. Smith (March 2009). The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press. pp. 209–10. ISBN 978-0195387094.
- ^ "Nach derivation". latina.com. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio, the Spanish form of Ignatius.
- ^ a b Berrueto, Gonazález (1999). "Anaya Garcia, Ignacio". Diccionario biográfico de Coahuila. Gobierno del Estado. ISBN 9789687568287.
- ^ Salter, Bill (June 15, 1969). "'Nacho' Inventor Hasn't Profited". San Antonio Express and News.
- ^ "Action Line". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. March 25, 1974.
- ^ a b Jiménez 2008.
- ^ Ellerbee 2005, p. 74.
- ^ a b Andrew, Scott (15 August 2019). "Thursday's Google Doodle honors the man who invented nachos". CNN. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ Munsey; Suppes. "Arlington Stadium". Ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "History". Originators of Concession Nachos. Ricos Products Co., Inc. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ Sokolov, Raymond (2006-02-06). "The Search for the Perfect Nacho". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
- ^ Young, Sarah (15 August 2019). "Ignacio Anaya García: Google Doodle honours the man who invented nachos". The Independent. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ Brett Molina (15 August 2019). "Chips and cheese: Google's latest doodle honors Ignacio Anaya García, the inventor of nachos". USA Today. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
Sources[]
- Berrueto González, Arturo (1999). "Anaya Garcia, Ignacio". Diccionario biográfico de Coahuila. Gobierno del Estado. ISBN 9789687568287.
- Browning-Blas, Kristen (May 11, 2005). "Ellerbee's looking forward to next bite". Denver Post. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- Nickel, Sandra and Oliver Dominguez (2020). Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack. New York: Lee and Low. ISBN 9781620143698.
- Ellerbee, Linda (2005). Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399152689.
- "Ignacio Anaya García's 124th Birthday". Google.com. 15 August 2019.
- Herrera-Sobek, Maria, ed. (2012). "Nachos". Celebrating Latino Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Cultural Traditions. ABC-CLIO. p. 825. ISBN 9780313343407.
- Jiménez, José Luis (2008-11-01). "Honran a don Ignacio Anaya en universidad". ZÓCALO.
- Orr, Adriana P. (July 1999). "Nachos, anyone?". OED News. Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- Walsh, Robb (2004). The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos. Broadway Books. ISBN 9780767914888.
Further reading[]
- "Everyone Knows His Name…". Hispanic Link Weekly Report. Hispanic Link News Service Incorporated. 2006. p. 2.
- Nickel, Sandra and Oliver Dominguez (2020). Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack. New York: Lee and Low.
- Mexican inventors
- People from Piedras Negras, Coahuila
- 1895 births
- 1975 deaths
- Restaurant staff
- People from Acuña, Coahuila
- 20th-century inventors
- Mexican restaurateurs
- 20th-century Mexican businesspeople
- Restaurant founders