In 2015, the taco – a staple foodstuff for millions of people; a morning meal, easy lunch, Tuesday dinner and late-night bite – got its own emoji. But that first draft, with its yellow, crunchy-looking tortilla, layer of brown meat, shredded orange cheese and red and green pixelated garnish, was the subject of much disdain.
“While Emojipedia describes the new character as ‘a Mexican food item,’ the taco depicted by Apple isn’t Mexican at all,” journalist Caitlin Dewey wrote in 2015. “Crispy taco shell, strips of lettuce, shredded yellow cheese: this is the stuff of American fast-food chains, not Mexican cuisine.”
