What pita-style bread is used for tacos árabes?

Tacos árabes use pan árabe, a pita-style bread, as their traditional wrapper.

This Puebla specialty developed from Middle Eastern shawarma traditions brought to Mexico by Arab immigrants. Unlike tacos al pastor, which are generally served in corn tortillas, tacos árabes preserve the flatbread idea of the shawarma-style original. The meat is commonly cooked on a vertical spit and sliced into the bread.

The dish is strongly associated with Puebla and is usually made with pork today, although early versions used lamb. Pork became more common because it was less expensive and suited local tastes. Typical accompaniments include chipotle-based salsa, onions, and citrus.

A common mix-up is calling the wrapper simply “pita.” That description is understandable in English, but pan árabe is the more specific culinary name used for the bread in this taco tradition. Flour tortillas may appear in modern variations, but they are not the classic answer to this question.