The Quesalupa's warm, crispy-on-the-outside-warm-and-gooey-on-the-inside shell gave way to luxuriously melty cheese that added a layer of sheer decadence to Taco Bell's standard melange of beef, cheese, lettuce, and onions.

The Quesalupa, which a different DMI food scientist helped create five years ago, features a flaky flatbread shell that is now stuffed with a whole-milk mozzarella and Pepper Jack blend. The shell is deep-fried before traditional taco fillings, including sour cream and cheddar, are added.

According to the fast-food chain's fact sheet about this mysterious culinary creation, the quesalupa is “the first time in Taco Bell history that a quesadilla and chalupa are coming together.” OK, so that explains the name.

2016 2016. In February, Taco Bell launched the Quesalupa - a shell stuffed with melted pepper jack cheese.

2016 The Quesalupa was originally launched with a star-studded campaign titled, “Bigger Than” in 2016.

Turns out, Taco Bell received its name from the owner's name, Glen Bell. According to Taco Bell's website, Glen Bell originally created Bell's Drive-In and Taco Tia in San Bernardino, California, in 1954. It wasn't until 1962 when the name was changed to “Taco Bell” after Bell opened a restaurant in Downey, California.

Ingredients: whole grain corn masa flour, sunflower, safflower and/or canola oil, seasoning (spices, tomato powder, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, salt, garlic powder, maltodextrin, onion powder, citric acid, jalapeno pepper powder, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, extractives of paprika [color]).

Taco Bell is making changes to its menu once again. This time, the Mexican-inspired chain is saying goodbye to the popular Quesalupa for the second time in several years.

But even if you know your Chalupas from your Gorditas, there are still a few things you probably don't know about Taco Bell.

• IT'S NAMED AFTER THE FOUNDER.
• THE TACOS WERE ORIGINALLY 19 CENTS.
• THE FIRST LOCATION FEATURED FIRE PITS AND MARIACHI BANDS.
• THE FIRST FRANCHISEE WAS A FORMER L.A. POLICE OFFICER NAMED KERMIT.

Taco Bell is making changes to its menu once again. This time, the Mexican-inspired chain is saying goodbye to the popular Quesalupa for the second time in several years. The quesadilla-chalupa hybrid returned to Taco Bell menus in March 2021 after it debuted in 2016.

(March 10, 2021) – Taco Bell® is no stranger to rocking the quick-service restaurant industry with its innovative menu items, and the 2016 introduction of the Quesalupa was no exception. After years of perfecting the recipe, the geniuses behind Taco Bell's test kitchen are finally bringing it back.

But apparently, the rest of the US is picking favorites. By analyzing Google Trends data from October 2020 to October 2021, apartment group The Waycroft has rounded up the most popular Taco Bell orders based on state. The Crunchwrap Supreme won favor in 70% more states than the second-place Quesarito.