A History of Mexican Tortillas

by: KCKudra
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The word "tortillas" originates from the Spanish word "torta," meaning round cake. Tortillas are very popular in Mexico and also in the United States. Americans like to be imaginative when it comes to preparing their tortillas and combinations such as beans and meat, apple, cinnamon and sugar or peanut butter and jelly are favorites. Flour tortillas are also used to make sandwiches, casseroles and stews, hot dogs and there are plenty more uses too. You can even make homemade tortillas, since the recipe is quite straightforward.

Tortillas have been used for thousands of years but without the exotic, imaginative flavors and fillings of today.

Tortilla history tells us that the Aztecs were making flour tortillas over 10,000 years before Christ. They ate a lot of corn, either direct from the cob or used as an ingredient in another recipe. The Aztecs would grind the corn into cornmeal and make corn dough, or masa, out of it. This was done by mixing the cornmeal with water, which had to be exactly the right temperature; else, it would be the wrong consistency to make a dough. When the masa was ready, the Aztecs would shape it into a ball and then flatten it into a type of thick pancake. When it was the right size and thickness, the masa dough would have been placed on a hot griddle and cooked quickly.

Modern tortillas are made the same way as those in tortillas history. A lot of tortillas are mass-produced in factories with machinery these days since the demand for them is very high. You can get tortillas in various flavors or even make your own homemade version and experiment with the flavors. Various Mexican foods use tortillas. One example is enchiladas, where the tortilla is filled and rolled up and then cooked. Tacos use tortillas for the shell. Tortillas are used as turnovers when making quesadillas, before being filled and fried.

If you think that tortillas are just for eating, think again. There is a type of art that is called "tortilla art." It is a fine art that uses tortillas as the canvas. First, the tortillas are baked and then covered with acrylic. After that, they are painted. Tortilla art is made to represent the culture of Latino artists.

Tortilla chips are made from flour tortillas. The tortilla is cut into wedges and these wedges are fried. Corn tortillas are made from vegetable oil, corn, water, and salt. These chips became popular in Los Angeles, California, in the 1940s because they were mass-produced there, but they are still thought of as a Mexican food.

Americans like to use tortillas in a lot of different foods and recipes. Tortillas are used in burritos, which originated in northern Mexico. Native Mexican tribes in the southwestern United States and people from the northern states of Mexico enjoy tortillas as a staple food. A lot of Mexican and non-Mexican restaurants have tortillas on the menu or use them as an ingredient in their dishes. You can buy them at the grocery store and even make homemade tortillas.

There are a lot of different tortilla recipes if you want to try this exciting food in various ways and create your own delicious dishes with flour tortillas!

About the Author

Mexican recipes are easier than you might think find out just how easy it is to make your favorite Mexican food recipes at home in your own kitchen.  

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