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He found out that tacos are more than just the common man and woman's culinary delight, they have a culture and mystique unto themselves:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
When we arrived at the Banquitas House of Culture, the 5th Annual Tacos Festival was in full swing.

Hundreds of people had come out, all sampling the creations of different vendors, who were all hard at work.

And, as you would expect, it was the mecca of tacos, vendors making them, people lining up to buy, and still others eating and enjoying all the different flavors and styles.

For the organizers, it worked out once again just as they had envisioned it.

Dillon Jones - Organizer, Tacos Festival
"How did it go? One way - successful. It started early this morning from around 6:30 - 7:00. We had an influx of people coming in. There were already vendors out here. I would say we started with around 70-80 people and from there it just picked up on and off and as you hear in the background, some of the vendors already sold out."

To make things interesting for the vendors who signed up, the organizers set up a competition where only the best tasting tacos, both in the pork and chicken categories - would be awarded.

Robert "Checkie" Usher - Organizer, Tacos Festival
"Will be going in the category of pork tacos at this time. And in 3rd place, we would like to call on Margarita. So we will going in the 2nd place for the pork tacos and today we are going to check with brothers Baiza's - come on down."

Margarita
"I am very happy. I did 2nd place again."

Reporter
"How do you feel that you've made 2nd place again?"

Margarita
"Very happy."

Robert "Checkie" Usher - Organizer, Tacos Festival
"We continue in the category of pork tacos and today we would like to call on a new comer once again. It looks like the new comers they are taking away the prizes. We would like to call on Maria Briceno. Once again congratulations to you."

Maria Briceno
"Thank you very much to everybody that buy my tacos today."

Robert "Checkie" Usher - Organizer, Tacos Festival
"Participating for the first time and making 1st place - Lance. Come on down Lance."

Reporter
"Are you encourage to come back next year Lance?"

Lance Pelayo - Chef, Lamanai Riverside Retreat
"Definitely because I have a title now and I will defend it."

Tacos can be bought all over the country, but for some still unknown reason, Orange Walk Tacos reigns supreme.

The culture of the Town is to make sure that visitors stop and buy at the different vendors. We're told that the tacos tradition in this district has its own history created from the blend of the Mestizo and Maya cultures.

Lance Pelayo - Chef, Lamanai Riverside Retreat
"Orange walk tacos is because the people of Orange Walk have a different type of culture. The Mestizo people tend to always love tacos because of the corn, because of the history of the Mayans - passed down to us and it's always been a generation for the Orange Walk people to have this in their minds for breakfast basically. A lot of people don't see tacos as a breakfast, but when you actually prepare it right, it's a really delicious breakfast."

So, what makes Orange Walk Tacos so irresistible? Well, if you ask these taco chefs, they won't give you a straight answer. After all, that's classified information, since they would be revealing trade and familial secrets.

Lance Pelayo - Chef, Lamanai Riverside Retreat
"I don't want to give away my secrets. That's why I am not really getting into it. I am trying to avoid your questions, but......[laughs]"

We did find out from talking informally to a number of vendors that slow heating, preferably over a fire hearth, and then, there's that special ingredient and or step that is added to the preparation.

Lance Pelayo - Chef, Lamanai Riverside Retreat
"A good tacos actually in everybody's mind is preparation, hard work, long hours, because I haven't slept as yet. Because all my tacos were cooking from last night. So I would say a good tacos is the preparation and the time."

"I have a couple secrets that I put into my tacos. I can't tell you exactly what I did, because it's my secret or eventually somebody else might take away my prize next year."

"The chicken, the flavors it's really what you put into it from the heart."

In each of the categories, a best new vendor was chosen for their unique and impressive taco creations.