Did you know that nachos, the Mexican-style snack and appetizer, have a surprisingly specific origin story? Let's get to know this dish.

What Are Nachos?

Nachos are a Mexican-style snack: crispy tortilla chips eaten with a tangy salsa or melted cheese. They look a bit like crisps, but the chips are made from corn or wheat tortillas.

Nachos, a Mexican-style appetizer

Where Do Nachos Come From?

Although they're thought of as Mexican, the word has no meaning in Mexican Spanish, because the dish is named after a person. In 1943, during the Second World War, a group of wives of American officers were shopping in Piedras Negras, a small Mexican town on the border with Texas, and lost track of time. By the time they looked for dinner, the restaurants nearby had closed. They eventually reached the Victory Club, where the maître d', Ignacio Anaya, didn't want to send them away hungry. The chef had gone home, so he looked around the kitchen, spotted some tortillas and came up with an idea.

A tortilla is a round flatbread made from corn or wheat flour. The name comes from the Spanish "torta", a round cake. After Spain expanded into the Aztec Empire, the flatbread became part of food culture across Mexico and the Americas.

How Ignacio Anaya made his snack that night:

  • Cut the tortillas into triangles and crisp them over the heat
  • Top with cheese and sliced jalapeño peppers
  • Bake for a few minutes until the cheese melts

Nachos with melted cheese and jalapeños

He presented the plate with a flourish as "Nachos Especiales", Nacho being his own nickname. The ladies loved it and told everyone, bringing their husbands back to try it. A dish improvised out of necessity went on to become a snack known across America simply as nachos.

Sharing Plates by the River at Coco Chaophraya

Coco Chaophraya is a riverside restaurant on the Chao Phraya with Thai food, Italian food, snacks, desserts, coffee, drinks and fusion dishes, plus outdoor seating with a view of the river and Rama 8 Bridge at night. For a Mexican-inspired starter, try our quesadillas; read What is an appetizer? for more starter ideas.

  • Address: 49/1 Phra Sumen Road, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
  • Tel: 02-281-9918 · LINE: @cocochao
  • Open: daily 10:00–23:00

About us: Coco Chaophraya has been open for more than 10 years. We started at the front of Baan Chao Phraya before moving to the Chao Phraya riverside. Our chefs have more than 10 years of experience, and our professional baristas have more than 10 years of experience making coffee.