We might not think twice about it, but there's a lot in the name of a dish. Take the ubiquitous Caesar salad, for instance. To the surprise of many, it wasn't named after Julius Caesar.
It originated in Mexico and was named after an Italian immigrant who settled there. Similar things can be said about eggs Benedict, which has been linked to Pope Benedict XIII , who had a certain affinity for eggs. The name of every dish is steeped in culture, history, and sometimes pure whim – like the hot dog – and the story behind the traditional Mexican delight chilaquiles is equally fascinating.
A bundle of golden, slightly charred, crispy tortilla chips bathed in simmering red or green salsa and luscious crema fresca, chilaquiles are the perfect balance of crunch and cream. The crumbly, salty topping of queso fresco and sunny-side-up eggs or tender shredded meat adds extra layers of indulgence to this dish beloved across Mexico and parts of the U.S.
But did you know its name comes from a Mesoamerican language spoken by the Aztecs? While the dish as we know it today came along after the Aztec Empire, the word "chilaquiles" (chee-luh-KEY-lays) is derived from the Nahuatl words "chílítl," which means chili, and "quíllté," which means greens or herbs. According to a vocabulary book written by the Spanish priest Alonso de Molina in 1571, the combination word "chīlaquīlli" means "something that is covered in chili." Chilaquiles as we know them today The dish that inspired today.
