National Quesadilla Day

National Quesadilla Day, founded by V&V Supremo Foods, Inc.—a producer of Mexican foods, including their award-winning Chihuahua® brand Quesadilla Cheese—aims "to bring people together to enjoy authentic and delicious quesadillas." Upon the day's creation, Gilberto Villaseñor II, one of V&V Supremo's second-generation owners, put out the following statement:

The quesadilla is an amazing symbol for the American ‘melting pot.’ This country is a blend of cultures and it’s exciting to see a traditional Mexican dish like the quesadilla become such an American standard. We want to celebrate the way the quesadilla brings cultures together, all while honoring our Mexican heritage and the Latino community.

V&V Supremo placed the holiday during National Hispanic Heritage Month. During some celebrations, they've held sweepstakes, and for some, they've raised money. During their inaugural celebration, they donated $1 to Chicago's United Neighborhood Organization for every photo of a quesadilla made with Chihuahua® brand Quesadilla Cheese that was shared on social media with the company tagged and the hashtag #NationalQuesadillaDay used. They have organized other events in Chicago, where their headquarters is located, such as free quesadillas from a traveling food truck and partnering with restaurants that use Chihuahua® brand Quesadilla Cheese to offer quesadilla specials.

Quesadillas are a Mexican dish. They consist of a tortilla filled with cheese, and sometimes other ingredients like meat and vegetables, that are cooked on a griddle or stove. Corn tortillas are the traditional way to make them, but flour may be used too. Quesadillas have transformed over time, but their roots are in Mexico, where they developed after Spanish settlers arrived in the sixteenth century. In the homeland, filled pastries called turnovers had regularly been eaten. Foods from the new land, namely tortillas, were added with old standbys like cheese and chicken or turkey to create the quesadilla.

Quesadillas are prepared in unique ways throughout Mexico. One way—and the most common in central and southern Mexico—is to take a tortilla made of corn masa and warm it so it can be softened and folded, and to fill it with queso Oaxaca (Oaxaca cheese). Strips of peeled poblanos and a couple of fresh leaves of epazote, a pungent Mexican herb, may be added. Other common fillings are vegetables like potatoes, mushrooms, or squash blossoms, meat like chorizo, cooked pork, chicken or beef tinga, or chicharron. It is cooked on a comal, which usually is not oiled, to help keep the quesadilla crisp. The quesadilla may be topped with avocado or guacamole, tomato, onion, serrano chiles, and cilantro, and is often served with green or red salsa.

In the United States, quesadillas are a favorite in the Southwest but are eaten throughout. A tortilla is heated on a griddle and is flipped and topped with grated cheese—usually Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Colby Jack. Another common cheese is queso Chihuahua (Chihuahua cheese), a type of Mexican melting cheese with a rich and buttery flavor, and a specialty of the founders of National Quesadilla Day. Following the melting of the cheese, other ingredients may be added, like peppers, onions, meat, and guacamole. It's then folded and served. Quesadillas may also be prepared by sandwiching cheese and other ingredients between two tortillas. It is placed on an oiled griddle and flipped so that both sides and the ingredients inside are cooked and so that the cheese melts. It is often cut into wedges before being served.

There are many variations of quesadillas and many different ingredients that may be used to prepare them. There even are breakfast and dessert quesadillas. Regardless of which way they are prepared, people come together on National Quesadilla Day to enjoy them!

How to Observe National Quesadilla Day

Celebrate by enjoying quesadillas! Make your own, perhaps by using a recipe from V&V Supremo Foods, Inc., along with their Chihuahua brand Quesadilla Cheese. You could also have one at a local or chain Mexican restaurant. V&V Supremo has held sweepstakes and organized other specials for the day, so make sure to check for them too.

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