What type of cheese did Ignacio Anaya use in the original nachos?

What type of cheese did Ignacio Anaya use in the original nachos? The answer is Colby cheese.

Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya created nachos in 1943 at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. He prepared them for American customers who had crossed the border from nearby Eagle Pass, Texas.

According to the documented account, Anaya cut fried corn tortillas into triangles, topped them with shredded Colby cheese, added sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, and heated the dish briefly. The snack was then called “Nacho’s Special,” after Anaya’s nickname.

Cheddar is commonly used in modern nachos, especially in American restaurant and stadium versions, but it was not the cheese identified in the original recipe history. The original recipe was later printed in the 1954 St. Anne’s Cookbook, helping preserve the preparation’s ingredients and name.