Machaca vs. Barbacoa — What's the Difference?

Machaca Spanish: [maˈtʃaka] (listen) is a traditionally dried meat, usually spiced beef or pork, that is rehydrated and then used in popular local cuisine in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. It is also readily available in many groceries and supermarkets in these areas.

Barbacoa (Spanish: [baɾβaˈkoa] (listen)) is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, who called it by the Arawak word barbaca, from which the term "barbacoa" derives, and ultimately, the word 'barbecue". In contemporary Mexico, it generally refers to meats or whole sheep or whole goats slow-cooked over an open fire or, more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with agave (maguey) leaves, although the interpretation is loose, and in the present day (and in some cases) may refer to meat steamed until tender.

A dish of meat baked, simmered and then dried, originating from north Mexico.

Meat slow-cooked over an open fire, characteristic of Latin American cuisine.

A type of planthopper from Central and South America, taxonomic name Fulgora laternaria