Uniquely Texan

Posted by Melanie in Branding, Family, Foodie, Recipe, Travel | 1 comment

A few years ago I spent 10 days in Texas with my 98-year old grandfather, Bubba.  “Bubba?” you ask. Yes, that’s what we called him. It’s a nickname he got many years ago when his sister couldn’t say brother. I was in Texas because Bubba spent some time in the hospital and I needed to visit him and the rest of the family.

Since we were eating out a lot I got to have some pretty tasty Texas-style food.  The Tex Mex Chile Rellanos and BBQ brisket were good, but by far my favourite–for culinary and sentimental reasons–was a nifty little corn tortilla sandwich called a “Chihuahua.” Don’t be thinking dog.   “Chihuahua”, to Mexicans and those from the south-west U.S., is also an expression akin to “Oh my gosh!” or “Wow!”.  A “Chihuahua” also happens to be a fantastic form of fast food with a family connection. If kinship doesn’t come easily to you, get ready to draw a diagram!

The “Chihuahua” was created by my great-uncle Skeet’s father Ed Noret (my 70-year old mother still refers to him as “Mr. Noret”) at a small town drive-in movie theater in Lamesa, Texas in the 1950’s.  This unique sandwich is a juicy, delicious, and addictive chili-and-cheese-in-a-tostada-shell creation. You can still only get them at a Noret theater in West Texas.  At my cousin Ryan’s drive-in theater in Lubbock they sell over 25,000 Chihuahuas over the summer season.

Chihuahuas work because they are unique and can’t be reproduced by the local competition. I think there is even a registered patent on them.

Unique products are what make a brand special. What unique products do you or your business offer to the market that customers or clients can’t get anywhere else? Creating unique products that people love distinguishes a brand and helps build and perpetuate brand loyalty.

Are you unique enough in your business?  If not, what can you do to differentiate yourself  from the competition?

As for Chihuahuas, I’m including the recipe below. Don’t worry, Mr. Noret wouldn’t mind that I’m sharing the family secret outside Texas. He knew that simply reproducing the sandwich at home didn’t create a truly “Chihuahua” experience, even though the end result is darn yummy.

CHIHUAHUA SANDWICH
Yield: one
Ingredients:
2 fried corn tostada shells
2 tbsp. chopped onions
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chili, no beans
1/2 cup pimiento cheese spread
Directions:
Warm chili in a saucepan or microwave. Spread chili on one tostada shell. Top with onions and cabbage. Spread pimiento cheese on the other tostada shell. Put shells together and serve.
from the Sky-Vue Drive In—Lamesa, TX.