Every day is a party when tacos are involved, but now tacos
are making a play to replace birthday cakes. Cake, watch your back.
On Instagram, gigantic platters of tacos are trending with
the tag #BirthdayTacos. What makes these tacos special and birthday-worthy is
that they aren’t just ordinary plates of tacos. The tacos, filled with veggies,
meats and cheeses, are arranged in the form of the birthday person’s age, with
all the taco fixings decorating the tray. For those of us with a savory tooth
who never really liked cake in the first place, we say, “Finally!”
We know -- it’s bold of tacos to assume they can claim cake’s
place as the official birthday food. But cake has held this spot for too long, and
it’s worth it for another food to at least try. In our humble opinion, layers
of frosting can’t hold a candle to a pile of spicy carnitas.
Taquerias are now offering these custom birthday platters
across the county. All the taco ingredients are up to each individual
restaurant, so call around to see what’s available -- but it’s the numerical
pattern the tacos form that makes them special. Suddenly, they go from plain ol' taco tray to
birthday tacos. Casa De Reyes Mexican Kitchen in Oklahoma even goes so far as to call it a Taco Cake -- see? Total taco birthday takeover.
If you’re feeling ambitious, birthday tacos are not hard to make at
home, either. You just need a lot of tortillas, your favorite fillings, a big
platter or a board and a little bit of time. A pitcher of margs would really
throw the whole thing over the top. If all else fails, there’s probably a Taco
Bell near you willing to sell you 40 or so tacos to arrange at your discretion.
OK, fine. Cake doesn’t need to leave entirely, because we
need something to chase the tacos with. Maybe tacos are the new first course in
a multi-step birthday menu? No matter how you eat your birthday meal, remember
to spring for guacamole. Even if it’s your birthday, guacamole is still
extra.