Korean-Mexican fusion

Korean–Mexican fusion is a type of fusion cuisine originally from Los Angeles that combines traditional elements of American-style Mexican food and Korean food.[1] The earliest Korean-Mexican fusion featured Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes such as tacos or burritos filled with Korean-style barbecued meats and kimchi. Typical dishes include Korean tacos and bulgogi burritos.[1] Food critics Jane and Michael Stern state that Korean–Mexican fusion is a growing food trend that has steadily gained in popularity since 2009.[2]

Korean tacos

Korean burrito

Restaurants serving Korean tacos have existed in the United States at least since 1996, with a restaurant in Santa Monica, California called "2424 Pico" using the name for Korean fillings inside of a lettuce wrap.[3] The proprietors of the Kogi Korean BBQ, a food truck in Los Angeles, California, used Twitter to announce their schedule and itinerary.[4][5] In the following years, food trucks serving Korean–Mexican fusion opened in several cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Portland, Seattle and Washington.[2][6] after the first food truck serving Korean tacos, Kogi Korean BBQ, opened in Los Angeles in late 2008.[6]

Several restaurants serving Korean–Mexican fusion exist in Seoul, South Korea[7][8] and Beijing, China.[9] Unlike in the United States, Korean-Mexican fusion exists in the casual dining segment, while street food trucks continue to dominate in the US.[10]

Typical dishes include tacos or burritos prepared with Korean barbecue, such as kalbi or spicy chicken, and American foods such as french fries with kimchi.[1]