The Historic Meaning Behind The Name Chilaquiles

We might not think twice about it, but there's a lot in the name of a dish. Take the ubiquitous Caesar salad, for instance. To the surprise of many, it wasn't named after Julius Caesar.

It originated in Mexico and was named after an Italian immigrant who settled there. Similar things can be said about eggs Benedict, which has been linked to Pope Benedict XIII , who had a certain affinity for eggs. The name of every dish is steeped in culture, history, and sometimes pure whim – like the hot dog – and the story behind the traditional Mexican delight chilaquiles is equally fascinating.



A bundle of golden, slightly charred, crispy tortilla chips bathed in simmering red or green salsa and luscious crema fresca, chilaquiles are the perfect balance of crunch and cream. The crumbly, salty topping of queso fresco and sunny-side-up eggs or tender shredded meat adds extra layers of indulgence to this dish beloved across Mexico and parts of the U.S.

But did you know its name comes from a Mesoamerican language spoken by the Aztecs? While the dish as we know it today came along after the Aztec Empire, the word "chilaquiles" (chee-luh-KEY-lays) is derived from the Nahuatl words "chílítl," which means chili, and "quíllté," which means greens or herbs. According to a vocabulary book written by the Spanish priest Alonso de Molina in 1571, the combination word "chīlaquīlli" means "something that is covered in chili." Chilaquiles as we know them today The dish that inspired today's chilaquiles seems to have gradually come into place as a way to repurpose leftover tortillas.

Fried tortilla strips were simmered in a sauce made from chiles. The protein from eggs or beans, which were eventually added to the dish, also provided a healthy balance of nutrition to the Indigenous people. However, that dish might have looked like a far cry from the modern version of chilaquiles, which gained European influences after the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 16th century, when ingredients including garlic, onions, and tomatoes were added.

One of the earliest known mentions of a dish resembling modern chilaquiles can be traced back to the 1828 cookbook, "Arte Nuevo De Cocina Y Repostería Acomodado Al Uso Mexicano." The dish is described as a preparation of fried tortillas combined with clemole — a rich tomato-and-chile broth popular in central Mexico — enhanced with pork or chorizo and a sprinkling of sesame seeds for added flavor, a version quite different from the one we know today. A recipe closer to the modern chilaquiles appeared a decade later in the book "El Cocinero Mexicano o Colección de Mejores Recetas Para Guisar al Estilo Americano.

" In the U.S., the dish first appeared in a cookbook by the renowned Mexican-American chef Encarnación Pinedo in 1898.

Entitled "The Spanish Cook," it was the first cookbook published by a Latinx author in the country. Today, this historic food (available in versions with red or green chile salsa) has made its way into the hearts of millions of Americans, joining the ranks of some favorite Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas..