International Nachos Day is Thursday. Nachos were invented at the Old Victory Club in the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras in 1943 by Chef Ignacio Anaya. The Club was situated across the border from an American military base. One day, a group of American military wives went on a shopping trip and ended up at the Old Victory Club. As it was late in the day the kitchen was short on ingredients so Ignacio, also known as “Nacho” to friends, offered the group whatever he could find. Ignacio sliced and fried some tortilla chips, covered them with shredded colby cheese, added pickled jalapenos, and put the concoction in the oven for a couple of minutes. He presented it to the ladies as a new Mexican hors d’oeuvre, a “Nacho special” he coined after himself. The dish became an essential part of the Victory Club menu, and a fixture on others in the region. Eventually, Ignacio moved to Eagle Pass and opened a restaurant called “Nacho’s”.
Not to overshadow Ignacio but I would be derelict in my duties if I let the story end there. Almost as equally important to the story is Frank Liberto who was a concessionaire at Arlington Stadium in Texas in 1976. He wished to add nachos to his menu but was stymied by the amount of time it took to melt cheese in an oven. Mr. Liberto invented two things: an emulsified cheese sauce that required no refrigeration and stayed melted without heat, and a pump for the cheese so the nachos could be assembled as fast as people could order them. They were a monster hit at Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys games and had spread to every sports venue in the country by the end of the 70s.
Thank you Ignacio and Frank!