Monday, December 22, 2008

History of Tortillas and How to Use Them

By KC Kudra

Tortillas got its name from the Spaniards. The word "tortillas" comes from the Spanish word "torta" with the meaning being round cake. Tortillas are eaten everyday not just in Mexico but also in America. Americans put just about anything they can in the tortilla from meat and beans to apples and brown sugar. Ever try peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla? Many eat it that way; also, the tortillas are used with hot dogs, casseroles, and sandwiches.

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

More than 10,000 years before Christ, the Aztecs were already making tortillas. The Aztecs used a lot of corn, both eaten straight from the cob and in recipes. They would grind corn into cornmeal and from this they would make a corn dough called masa. Water is added to the cornmeal to make the dough but the temperature of the water is very important. If it is too hot or too cold, the dough will not be the right consistency to roll out. When the masa is ready, it is made into a ball and then rolled out into a thick pancake shape. It is then placed on a hot griddle for a minute or so to cook. It is important to keep an eye on the tortillas because they do not take long to cook.

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.

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 many different recipes available to search, so join in on a tasty convenient food that many Americans have already discovered. - 16463

About the Author: