North Korea claims Kim Jong Il invented the burrito

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Ay, Dios mio! 

Halfway around the world from Mexico, North Korea – known for its food shortages – is now claiming the burrito was invented by Kim Jong Un’s late father, according to reports. 

Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011, created the savory staple, which was called "wheat wraps," a North Korean state news agency recently claimed.

A video accompanying the story showed citizens of the Hermit Kingdom devouring the food. Kim suggested enjoying the burritos with tea in the winter, the news story said. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is seen in Russia, Aug. 24, 2011.  (Getty Images)

But the story has obviously drawn skepticism.

"I have never seen any burritos or wraps on sale in North Korea," defector Hyun-seung Lee said, according to the Washington Examiner. "The penetration rate of Western food in North Korea is extremely low, because there are very few restaurants where you can eat it, and the food ingredients are not diverse."

He said North Korea doesn’t even have the ingredients to make burritos nor the ability to supply them to citizens. 

"Various cooking ingredients such as milk, cheese, and spices are absolutely lacking," he attested. 

A North Korean outlet has claimed Kim Jong Il Invented the burrito more closely associated with Mexican culture.  (iStock)

The Western understanding of the history of the burrito, while shrouded in some spicy mystery and folklore, likely began in pre-colonial Mexico when indigenous Mexicans filled corn tortillas with meat and cheese - and with the Pueblo people native to the southwestern U.S., according to Britannica. 

Pyongyang, North Korea - May 5, 2019: Street scene. Woman buys groceries in a small shop on the street. (iStock)

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The word "burrito" first appeared in a Mexican dictionary in 1895 that said it was a regional food from Guanajuato in the central part of the country, according to the New York Post. 

The dictatorship has also claimed in the past that Kim invented the hamburger, the Examiner reported.