You know, I never thought that when Texas became my home, one small facet of my life would be so drastically changed as a result of some sort of prejudice against a beloved condiment.

Here in Texas, we love our tacos. We do them better than just about anywhere else (although there was a taco truck in California that knocked my socks off until the owner went into politics).

Image: Lance Ballance-Townsquare Media
Image: Lance Ballance-Townsquare Media
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Yeah, he should have stuck with his day job.

On that taco truck, the sauce that was offered was the one that I grew up with and will always associate with the taste of homemade tacos: Ortega, the official taco sauce of Taco Tuesday, according to me.

 

Image: Lance Ballance-Townsquare Media
Lance Ballance, Townsquare Media
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I have perused the shelves of our local grocery concerns for some time now, peering up and down the aisles, my gaze fixed on finding just one bottle of this precious liquid. The taste of the taco nights of my childhood.

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Every time I seek out this great white whale, I come up short in my quest, presumably due to the fact that there are upwards of 47,000 different brands of salsa available on the shelf at any given time. Yes, salsa may be the number one condiment in the world (your actual mileage may vary), however, it is not my preferred taco topping.

Salsa is for chips, taco sauce is for tacos.

But, what about the original Ortega? It's nowhere to be seen. Not here in West Texas, anyway. The bottle that I have, sitting unopened in my pantry, was found on a clearance rack, along with the leftover Christmas candy and discounted candles. It was like finding the Holy Grail in a pawn shop.

I did, however, locate Ortega's Street Taco Sauce on the shelves, which I have yet to try.

Image: Lance Ballance-Townsquare Media
Lance Ballance, Townsquare Media
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Is it the same? We shall find out, but I hesitate to break the seal on my precious, solitary bottle of original Ortega. mostly because I'm not certain that I will ever find one again here in the Hub City.

However, if you are interested in buying it from me, let's talk. The bidding starts at $10,000.

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