Who asked Ignacio Anaya what his new snack was called?

Mamie Finan asked Ignacio Anaya what his new snack was called.

The episode is part of the origin story of nachos. In 1943, Finan and a group of U.S. military officers’ wives crossed from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Piedras Negras, Mexico, and visited the Victory Club. When Anaya could not find the cook, he improvised a dish from fried tortilla pieces, cheese, and sliced jalapeños.

After tasting the snack, Finan asked for its name. Anaya reportedly called it “Nacho’s Special,” using “Nacho,” a familiar nickname for Ignacio. The apostrophe and the word “Special” eventually disappeared, leaving the everyday name “nachos.”

The story is sometimes simplified or retold with different dates, restaurant names, or descriptions of Anaya’s job. The core attribution, however, consistently connects the dish’s name with Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya and identifies Mamie Finan as the customer who asked what the creation was called.