Thursday, December 25, 2008

History of Tortillas and How to Use Them

By KC Kudra

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.

Aztecs made tortillas more than 10,000 years before Christ. Aztecs ate a lot of corn, some right from the cob, and others they would save and use later. They would ground it into corn meal and later make into masa, which is corn dough. The masa is added with water. If the water is not the right temperature, the consistency will not be enough to make the tortilla. Once the masa is ready, it is placed in a ball size in the maker's hands. It takes awhile to go through the process of making the masa flat. It is patted into what looks like a think pancake. Once it is the right size, it is placed on a hot griddle. It does not take long to cook.

The tortillas of today are still made with the same ingredients as in tortilla history. Because they are very popular, most tortillas today are made in factories with machinery. They come in a lot of different flavors and you can also make homemade tortillas quite easily. A lot of Mexican foods use tortillas as an ingredient. Tacos, for example, use flour tortillas as the shell. With an enchilada, the tortilla is filled, then rolled up, and cooked. Tortillas are used as turnovers to make quesadillas, which are filled before being fried.

Tortillas are not just for eating. "Tortilla art" is when tortillas are used as a canvas. They are baked and then covered in acrylic, before they are painted. The culture of Latino artists is represented by tortilla art so this is an important part of tortilla history.

Tortilla chips are also made from tortillas. The tortilla is fried after being cut into wedges. The ingredients in corn tortillas are corn, salt, water, and vegetable oil. These tortilla chips first gained popularity in the 1940s in Los Angeles, California. These chips were mass-produced there but are still known as Mexican food.

Americans like to use tortillas in various dishes. They are commonly used in burritos, which originated in northern Mexico many years ago. Many people from the north of Mexico and the Native Mexicans in the southwestern United States eat tortillas as a food staple. Many restaurants use flour tortillas in a variety of non-Mexican and Mexican recipes. Nearly every grocery store has tortillas and you can also make homemade tortillas and experiment with the ingredients and fillings.

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! - 16650

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