Taco Bell is bringing back the Mexican pizza — and South Asians are rejoicing

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/ [login to see] /taco-bell-is-bringing-back-the-mexican-pizza-and-south-asians-are-rejoicing
Taco Bell has announced the return of the Mexican pizza, a favorite for South Asian communities across the country.

Like many children in Indian families, Krish Jagirdar was raised vegetarian, meaning most fast food joints were off the table.

"The one place that we were allowed to go to, that we did often go to, was Taco Bell," he said. "The Mexican pizza was the item that I gravitated towards again and again. Hugely, hugely popular amongst Indian Americans."

Jagirdar said he would swap out meat for beans. But it wasn't just vegetarian options that drew Jagirdar's family to Taco Bell — he says the flavors and emphasis on spice appealed to Indian Americans because they're similar to food at home.

"They have a heavy emphasis on spice," he said. "So I think in a lot of ways, it's kind of as close as they can get to, like, Indian fast food while still being obviously part of American culture."

Despite the name, the Mexican pizza is a distinctly American concoction. No such thing exists in true Mexican cuisine, and some might argue the snack doesn't really even look like pizza either.