Good Food Pilot: Taco Trucks

If Los Angeles had an official food, it would undoubtedly be the taco. And to feed LA's incessant need for 24/7 snack-sized meat-filled tortillas, there are seemingly thousands of mobile taco delivery vehicles (aka "taco trucks") across the megalopolis, each with its own interpretation of the classic dish. For those on a budget, taco trucks make for cheap, recession-friendly but delicious eats—usually not much more than a buck per item. And for food lovers everywhere, the lively online and offline discussion among aficionados shows that taco truck culture is about being part food critique and part political activist with just a little bit of hungry thrown in.

Highland Park, in the northeast part of the city near Eagle Rock and Mount Washington, is the city's proverbial taco capital, and that's where we start this episode of Good Food. Join our host, Evan Kleimain, to learn about the most common taco flavors—from the classic "al pastor," to the more adventurous cabeza (beef head and cheeks) and lengua (tongue). Then we head west to Venice Beach with Eddie Lin to sample the ultra-trendy Kogi truck where the Shin-Manguera family and chef Roy Choi bring gourmet Korean-inspired tacos to hipsters across LA, and still at only $2 a piece. Applauded for both their stellar menu as well as their high-tech savvy, you can get up-to-the-minute location data on the Kogi fleet at http://twitter.com/kogibbq/. Or go to http://www.kcrw.com/goodfood to learn more about this episode and taco truck culture in Los Angeles.

Dive into food culture with Evan Kleiman, accomplished chef, restaurateur and host of KCRW's weekly radio program Good Food, to discover great but little-known restaurants, explore dining trends, meet dynamic food personalities, and learn about the politics of consumption.

Created by 60Frames and KCRW. Hosted by Evan Kleiman.
Good Food is a 60Frames original series. For more information, please visit us at http://www.60frames.com.