Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack

 


 By Sandra Nickel

Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez

 

 

Grade Level : Kindergarten - 5

Item Weight : 14.7 ounces

Hardcover : 32 pages

ISBN-10 : 1620143690

ISBN-13 : 978-1620143698

Publisher : Lee & Low Books

 

 

Celebrating 80 Years of Nachos with NACHO'S NACHOS! In Nacho's Nachos, Sandra Nickel and Oliver Dominguez introduce young readers to Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya and tell the true story of how he invented the world's most beloved snack in a moment of culinary inspiration.

 

Ignacio Anaya was born in Mexico in 1895, and like a lot of Ignacios, he was nicknamed Nacho. Young Nacho loved to eat and cook, and when he grew up, he found a job in a restaurant. Eventually he became head waiter at the Victory Club, a popular restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico, right across the Rio Grande river from Eagle Pass, Texas.

 

One afternoon in 1940, during the Victory Club's quiet hours between lunch and dinner, Mamie Finan, a regular customer from the US, walked in with three friends. They wanted a snack--something new, something different. Nacho rushed to the kitchen and improvised with what was on hand: corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, and jalapeño peppers. In that moment, Nacho's Special, the dish that later became known simply as "nachos," was born!

 

Word of this delicious new snack spread quickly. Soon restaurants all over Mexico, the United States, and later the world, were serving nachos. Little did Nacho know that his name would one day be a household word around the globe!

 

Review

 

"Nickel's thorough research, including communications with the descendants of the principals, brings to life the man behind the world's favorite cheesy bites. . . . Nickel's homage to this congenial, hardworking man and his renowned snack is a celebration of ingenuity and kismet." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review

 

"This tale of the humble origins of nachos, bolstered by vivid and period-specific illustrations, will whisk young readers away to a different time and place." --BOOKLIST

 

"VERDICT A unique biography read-aloud title for younger kids." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

 

 

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