Tuesday, July 8, 2025

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.
Texas flooding

Mexico aids 30 citizens, celebrates heroic counselors following deadly Texas floods

0
The president said the Mexican Consulate in San Antonio is in communication with Mexican families affected by the floods and will visit shelters as soon as possible.
Anti-gentrification protest Mexico City

Hundreds protest gentrification in Mexico City’s Condesa and Roma neighborhoods

6
Most of the protesters were young people, including residents and former residents of inner-city Mexico City neighborhoods that have seen rents triple since the COVID-19 pandemic.
light phenomenon in the sky

NASA astronaut captures glimpse of mysterious ‘sprite’ over Mexico

0
The atmospheric phenomenon is rarely seen from the ground. But astronauts on the International Space Station have the best seat in the universe, especially when hovering over Mexican skies.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity