Tex-Mex Chalupa

History & Origin

The chalupa is a Mexican snack with a long history in the states of Puebla and Guerrero, where it is made with maize dough formed into a small boat shape (hence its name, meaning small canoe in Nahuatl). In Puebla the traditional chalupa is elongated, small and topped with red or green salsa, shredded chicken or pork, onion and cheese. The Tex-Mex version that developed in Texas in the 20th century is radically different: flat, round like a large tostada, crispy after deep frying, and loaded with a combination of ingredients reflecting the Texan taste for intense flavours and generous portions. Taco Bell popularised its own version of the chalupa in the 1990s with a thicker, hollow dough, creating confusion about what a chalupa authentically is, but independent Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas have been preparing the flat, crispy version for decades. The most Tex-Mex characteristic of the Texan chalupa is the use of yellow grated cheddar cheese, commercial refried beans and pickled jalapeños as standard toppings, elements that appear in no traditional Mexican chalupa.