Vegan Tacos Win Food Battle Against Fish Tacos

Vegan eatery Taqueria La Venganza recently became the first vegan competitor to defeat meat-based opponents in the ninth annual Taco Madness, a competition in Los Angeles hosted by local media outlet L.A. Taco. The competition began with 32 competitors, and based on fan votes, Taqueria La Venganza advanced into the current round of eight finalists. Raul Medina founded the vegan taqueria in 2015 and has served his winning tacos—which include vegan versions of carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, barbacoa, and chorizo—at sidewalk events, fundraisers, vegan festival Circle V, and last year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. “It means an immense amount to me to finally be in the playing field with the rest of the taco community,” Medina told VegNews. “We’ve elevated the vegan taco from a mere novelty to an actual culinary-school experience.” Voting on the third round of Taco Madness 2018 ends Sunday, and the results of this round will determine the final four.