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North Korea has been accused of “appropriating Latino culture” by taking credit for the invention of the burrito.
Recent propaganda from the secretive state featured a suspiciously burrito-like dish called a “wheat wrap”, allegedly invented in 2011 by Kim Jong-il – the current leader's father and predecessor.
Kim Jong-un was also said to take a “meticulous interest” in the foodstuff, whose popularity was reportedly “booming” in Pyongyang.
But now a civil rights group representing Latin Americans has blasted the oppressive regime for the boast, warning “don’t mess with our burritos”.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the largest and oldest Latino civil rights group in the US, said there had been an “explosive reaction” ranging from Texas to California.
“Kim Jong-un is feeding into a delusion if he thinks North Korea can wake up one morning and appropriate our Latino cultural identity,” said LULAC boss Domingo Garcia.
“The fact is Mexicans have been building and eating real burritos for hundreds of years.”
He continued: “The origin of burritos is steeped deep in our history back to the days of the tamal in the Aztec civilisation.
“The women would place pieces of dried meat inside a moist ball of cornmeal and wrap it in a cornhusk.
“In time, the cornmeal masa was replaced by a corn or flour tortilla, which evolved into the modern-day burrito.
“You might call it the first take-out food of the Americas.”
Mr Garcia rounded off by saying North Korean burritos were no match for the real thing.
“Imitation is the best form of flattery,” he said.
“But there's no way that a street vendor in Pyongyang who has never even seen a tortilla comal is going to be able to compete with Abuelita's [granny’s] best, made-from-scratch, piping hot burritos.
“They look pretty skimpy from the television footage, and real burritos are bursting with all the meat, rice, beans and avocado packed into them.
“North Korean and Mexicano burritos aren’t even in the same class.
“Sorry Kim Jong-un, you don’t get a free pass on this one.”
The outburst comes after the Kim regime broadcast propaganda showing North Koreans devouring wheat wraps at a stand outside the Kumsong Food Factory in Pyongyang.
The broadcast also showed a mural of Kim Jong-il grinning in a kitchen where the burrito-like wraps were being prepared.
However there are some differences between the North Korean dish and its Tex-Mex cousin.
For example, the Pyongyang version seems to contain some kind of doner meat, with what appears to be a mix of cabbage and carrot.
Kim Jong-il advised that they are best accompanied by mineral water in the summer and hot tea in the winter, according to North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
The original, meanwhile, typically contains beef, chicken or pork alongside rice, beans and other ingredients.
The exact provenance of the modern burrito is unclear, however the word burrito appears in an 1895 Mexican dictionary, where it is described as a foodstuff.
North Korea accused of cultural appropriation by claiming to have 'invented' burritos
A civil rights group representing Latin Americans has blasted the oppressive regime for the boast about the popular food and warned 'don’t mess with our burritos'North Korea has been accused of “appropriating Latino culture” by taking credit for the invention of the burrito.
Recent propaganda from the secretive state featured a suspiciously burrito-like dish called a “wheat wrap”, allegedly invented in 2011 by Kim Jong-il – the current leader's father and predecessor.
Kim Jong-un was also said to take a “meticulous interest” in the foodstuff, whose popularity was reportedly “booming” in Pyongyang.
But now a civil rights group representing Latin Americans has blasted the oppressive regime for the boast, warning “don’t mess with our burritos”.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the largest and oldest Latino civil rights group in the US, said there had been an “explosive reaction” ranging from Texas to California.
“Kim Jong-un is feeding into a delusion if he thinks North Korea can wake up one morning and appropriate our Latino cultural identity,” said LULAC boss Domingo Garcia.
“The fact is Mexicans have been building and eating real burritos for hundreds of years.”
He continued: “The origin of burritos is steeped deep in our history back to the days of the tamal in the Aztec civilisation.
“The women would place pieces of dried meat inside a moist ball of cornmeal and wrap it in a cornhusk.
“In time, the cornmeal masa was replaced by a corn or flour tortilla, which evolved into the modern-day burrito.
“You might call it the first take-out food of the Americas.”
Mr Garcia rounded off by saying North Korean burritos were no match for the real thing.
“Imitation is the best form of flattery,” he said.
“But there's no way that a street vendor in Pyongyang who has never even seen a tortilla comal is going to be able to compete with Abuelita's [granny’s] best, made-from-scratch, piping hot burritos.
“They look pretty skimpy from the television footage, and real burritos are bursting with all the meat, rice, beans and avocado packed into them.
“North Korean and Mexicano burritos aren’t even in the same class.
“Sorry Kim Jong-un, you don’t get a free pass on this one.”
The outburst comes after the Kim regime broadcast propaganda showing North Koreans devouring wheat wraps at a stand outside the Kumsong Food Factory in Pyongyang.
The broadcast also showed a mural of Kim Jong-il grinning in a kitchen where the burrito-like wraps were being prepared.
However there are some differences between the North Korean dish and its Tex-Mex cousin.
For example, the Pyongyang version seems to contain some kind of doner meat, with what appears to be a mix of cabbage and carrot.
Kim Jong-il advised that they are best accompanied by mineral water in the summer and hot tea in the winter, according to North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
The original, meanwhile, typically contains beef, chicken or pork alongside rice, beans and other ingredients.
The exact provenance of the modern burrito is unclear, however the word burrito appears in an 1895 Mexican dictionary, where it is described as a foodstuff.
