KJZZ

The taco-- the ultimate Mexican comfort food has become a staple in American cuisine and reigns supreme as a popular meal in many different forms and flavors.

In this delicious, sound-rich summer series, Fronteras: The Changing America Desk reporters investigate the transformation of the taco in the Southwest--  from cheap street eats to gourmet delights, from a Mexican mainstay to an All-American breakfast classic.

KJZZ reporters will wrap up the series with a Taco Tuesday meet and greet on Aug. 27 at America's Taco Shop in Tempe and you're invited!  Learn more.

 Tune in for these mouth-watering stories on the new American taco,
Aug. 19-26 during Morning Edition on 91.5 KJZZ
or check back here to listen online.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE TACO - Mon., Aug. 19
In San Antonio, there is a taco test kitchen where they’re cooking up what might be the next step in the taco’s evolution. Johnny Hernandez is a local chef who was trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and he wants to launch the next mega-taco chain, but he’s looking to the taco’s past for inspiration. David Martin Davies reports.

KOSHER TACO – Tue., Aug. 20 
In El Paso, the taco is undergoing a kosher transformation. A local artist has paired a unique kosher taco truck with an exhibit on crypto Jews/Hispanics who trace their heritage back to Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition centuries ago. Monica Ortiz Uribe reports. 

BREAKFAST TACO – Wed., Aug. 21
Fronteras reporter Joey Palacios takes you to a San Antonio institution, a place where he's been eating breakfast tacos since he was a toddler. 

THE NAVAJO TACO – Thu., Aug. 22
The Navajo Nation has its own version of the taco: fry bread stuffed with ground beef, cheese and a mild salsa. Join a group of high school students for a lesson on how this taco came to be and how it's made. Anne Hoffman reports.

RUBIO'S AND THE ORIGINS OF THE SAN DIEGO FISH TACO – Fri., Aug. 23 
Legend has it that the founder of San Diego's quintessential fish taco restaurant learned his craft at a seaside taco stand in San Felipe, Baja California. Adrian Florido reports. 

KOMEX, KOREAN MEXICAN FUSION – Mon., Aug. 26 
Many people may not know that Las Vegas boasts a substantial Chinatown, and that its Asian influence rivals the city's vibrant Mexican culture. The restaurant KoMex is a result of those two cultures coming together. This Las Vegas hot spot is serving up Korean/Mexican tacos with a kick.  Kate Sheehy reports.