Name change urged for gorditas: it’s discriminatory, say critics

Many of Mexico’s favorite snacks are noted for their colorful names, but one term for a stuffed corn tortilla has fallen foul of some social media users.

Gordita is the feminine form of the word for “chubby,” which some say is inherently discriminatory and should therefore be changed.

Proposals for a new name include masa con relleno (“dough with filling”) and masa frita (“fried dough”), the newspaper Proceso reported. Baked and deep-fried variants of gorditas are found all over Mexico.

Although the proposal gained some support on social media, other users considered the campaign misguided.

“They’ve been called that for a lifetime. It’s like wanting to change the name of burritos,” wrote one user, referring to another stuffed corn snack which translates literally as “little donkeys.” 

“They have been, are and always will be gorditas. If anyone is offended, lose weight,” another user crudely suggested.

It’s not the first time a snack’s name has caused controversy. In 2013, the bread company Bimbo changed the name of its cake from Negrito, a racially derived nickname common in Mexico, roughly translating to “black boy,” to the less controversial Nito. 

Faced with a similar issue last year, Swiss food giant Nestlé changed the name of a cookie from Negrita, roughly meaning “black girl,” to Chokita. 

With reports from Proceso

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
workers

Labor Ministry hails steady job growth, but economists urge against too rosy an interpretation

0
Labor Minister Marath Bolaños reported on Tuesday that 60.2 million people were employed in Mexico and 422,000 more jobs had been created during the first quarter this year than during Q1 2025.
Nassón Joaquín García, shown here welcoming guests from 54 countries to a convicatiuon of his

Judge reopens criminal case against former leader of Mexico’s Luz del Mundo Church

0
The former leader of the Guadalajara-based church, the spiritual home of some 3 million Mexicans, is serving time in California for sexually abusing children. He'll now face similar charges in Mexico.
"El Jardinero" surrounded by Mexican naval special forces

Mexican Navy captures top CJNG commander ‘El Jardinero’ in Nayarit

0
In a statement, the navy boasted its precision in locating and arresting the target — who was surrounded by at least 30 pickup trucks and 60 armed personnel — without firing a single shot.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity