From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
In Mexico, a tortilla folded around a filling of meat and/or cheese, translated literally from the Spanish as "billiard cue", but also meaning "plug" and "wad." The Tex-Mex variation is a folded, crisp-fried, filled taco shell. In the U.S., "taco" first appeared in print in 1930. In 1962, Glen Bell started the national Taco Bell chain in Downey, California; Taco Bell is now owned by Yum! Brands.
