Rants and Ramblings: random commentary about culture, media, politics, technology and whatnot.

where do chimichangas come from?

Today’s edition of The Arizona Republic features an attempt to puzzle out the origin of the chimichanga, the meat-filled deep-fried burro commonplace at Mexican restaurants (and my favorite dish at said restaurants). (“2 Arizonans say crusty Mexican burro is their creation” - 05/02/03)

The common origin story is that sometime in the 1940s (or maybe even before), someone dropped a burro into a deep-fryer. The owners of Arizona restaurant chain Macayo’s claim the chimi as theirs, while the owner Tucson’s El Charro credits her aunt.

Jim Peyton, who has written three books on Mexican cooking and lives in Texas and California, also thinks the chimichanga has its roots in Arizona or northern Mexico. One reason is that Arizona flour tortillas are bigger than tortillas from other regions, which is why a chimichanga is usually defined as a fried burro, rather than a burrito.

Whoever says he or she invented the chimi probably does think he or she invented it, but it could actually have been arrived at by multiple people, Peyton says.