The strip introduced America to such now-popular words and phrases as "hasta la vista," "amigo," "piñata," "compadre," "muchacho" and "hasta mañana," as well as Mayan, Aztec and Mexican customs, history and folklore. Periodically, Arriola also included traditional Mexican recipes in "Gordo" that proved popular. He told one interviewer, "In 1948 we ran Gordo's recipe for beans and cheese—which got me into 60 extra papers, by the way." Although not overtly political, "Gordo" was one of the first pop culture works that regularly raised environmentalist concerns.