The word Tapatio comes from the Nahuatl (Native language of the Indians of that region) "Tapatiotl', which means "is worth three times as much." The "Tapatiotl" consisted in three small bags containing ten cocoa beans each. During the XVII century these cocoa beans were used as coins. "El Tapatiotl" was a commercial system that the natives used in the markets of Guadalajara for the exchange of products. In a certain moment people from outside Guadalajara heard the word "Tapatiotls" so much during their visits to the city that they believe that the "Tapatiotls' were actual people. So they started to refer to the habitants of Guadalajara as 'Tapatiotls.' For the Spanish people it was very difficult to pronounce the word correctly, so they kept changing it until it became Tapatio. People from Guadalajara were supposed to be referred to as 'Guadalajarenses', but this word was substituted in the XIX century with the word Tapatio as a way to call all people native, born or living in Guadalajara, Jalisco. This is the reason why people from Guadalajara, "Los Tapatios" are "worth three times as much." (Photo: Cathedral of Guadalajara, Ja/isco. Source: adobephoto)