Crazy Fries (Papas Locas)

History & Origin

Papas locas are the epitome of Mexican street food: a dish without academic pretensions, without pre-Hispanic tradition, without Michelin-starred chefs behind it, but with overwhelming popularity on every corner, market, park and fairground in Mexico. They were born sometime in the nineteen eighties and nineties on the food carts of Mexican cities, when vendors began experimenting with increasingly wild ingredient combinations to attract customers. The name says it all: locas - crazy - because the combination of ingredients is completely outrageous from a haute cuisine perspective but absolutely irresistible to anyone who tries them. The base is chips, cut in the Mexican style and fried until crispy. On top accumulate layers of ingredients: fried sausage slices, pickled pork crackling (cueritos) that add acidity and a chewy texture, soured cream for freshness and richness, grated cheese that melts slightly with the heat, hot sauce and, as a final flourish, Tajín chilli powder with lime - the signature of practically every Mexican street snack. The result is a dish that combines textures (crunchy, soft, chewy, creamy), temperatures (hot and cold) and flavours (salty, sour, spicy, creamy, spiced) in every bite. Served in a polystyrene cup or on a plastic plate, eaten standing in the street with the noise of the city as backdrop.