Wait, flour tortillas are Jewish? That doesn’t sound right. Actually, it sounds so wrong, I couldn’t stop wondering, wondering, all thanks to this late-night stumble-upon in the Houston Chronicle. (What am I doing looking at decade-old news stories on tortillas? Oh, who knows?) I always understood flour tortillas to be a Tex-Mex staple—and they are—but apparently, they were around long before Texas (1845) or Mexico (1824). By then, people had been grinding wheat into flour, which was mixed into dough, which was pressed into patties, which was cooked into floppy, flaky tortillas, for several centuries. Who, though?
There was a small influx of Jewish immigrants to the Texas-Mexico border region in the 1500s—conversos hiding their faith to avoid persecution—then greater numbers during the Mexican independence movement in the early 1800s. The Houston Chronicle is talking about the first wave: “Since corn was not kosher and they were accustomed to eating flat pita bread, they began to make tortillas out of wheat.”
If you’re wondering why corn isn’t kosher, same. I’m Jewish but not kosher (because bacon) but some of my relatives are. Pork and shellfish: no go. Meat with milk: definitely not. But corn? Why? A little digging—and a New Yorker piece—sorted this out. Well, kind of: Ashkenazi Jews don’t eat grains (like wheat, barley, and rye) during Passover, an homage to our ancestors’ exodus from Egypt when they escaped so speedily, there was no time for bread to rise. In addition to these grains, they also don’t eat legumes and friends, like rice and corn. Ah-hah! you say. Corn! But—there’s always a but—most Jews from Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East never followed such restrictions.
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So, the Jews who could have created flour tortillas—the ones who moved to the New World in the 1500s—probably had nothing against corn. And they did have something against one of flour tortillas’ three ingredients: lard. Nowadays, you can make them with butter or vegetable shortening. At the time, though, lard was the only shelf-stable fat around. Which means, flour tortillas weren’t kosher. Which means, flour tortillas probably aren’t Jewish. Which means, what are they?
Corn tortillas’ history is clearer—and older. Flashback for a hot second to Mesoamerica: Maya civilization started around 2000 B.C. Aztec civilization started sometime in the 13th century. As Margarita Carrillo Arronte describes in Mexico: The Cookbook: “The major food that the Mayas, Aztecs, and other Mesoamerican people shared was corn.” Mayas believed that people were born from corn and, like the Aztecs—who called themselves Mexicas—they worshipped corn gods, even sacrificed humans to keep them happy. To Carrillo Arronte, corn’s cultural significance can’t be overstated:
Without corn we have no country. Corn is the staple food throughout [Mexico] and especially in the Central and Southern regions where it is consumed by all Mexicans virtually every day...Dried corn saw the people of Mesoamerica through their year. The dough or masa made from ground corn kernels was pressed flat, cooked on a small pan called a comal, and eaten daily as tortillas.
Here’s the catch, though: Those corn tortillas weren’t called corn tortillas. They weren’t, in fact, called any one term. I chatted with Pati Jinich, cookbook author and host of the Emmy- and James Beard–nominated PBS program Pati’s Mexican Table, and she referenced the Nahuatl word tlaxcalli. “But,” she said, “this was just one of many civilizations that spoke many languages.”
So where did the word tortilla come from? Follow its etymology back, back, back, and you’ll find the Spanish word torta, or cake. And the Spanish, it turns out, are the lynchpin to all of this. Their brutal New World conquest began in 1492 and reached Mexico in 1519. There were countless cultural differences between them and the native communities, not the least of which was starch preference.
Corn was crucial to the Aztecs and surrounding communities, but the Spanish were not into it. Melissa Guerra, who teaches at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, explained: “There has always been a European prejudice against corn. It was seen as junk food. There’s this quote in French: Potatoes are for pigs. Corn is for cows.”
What starch did the Spanish Catholics eat, then? You guessed it—wheat. “That was the ingredient they knew and liked,” Jinich said. “Most importantly, it was an ingredient they connected to Jesus Christ. To them, wheat was holy. And corn—they didn’t know what to make of it.” In turn, they, quite literally, didn’t make anything of it. They brought wheat to the region and used that instead.
“Wheat traditions belong to the people of the Fertile Crescent, regardless of religion,” Guerra said. “I have heard of Germans that have claimed ownership of flour tortillas in Texas, also Lebanese. All are plausible.” But none are unequivocal. Flour tortillas’ past, it seems, doesn’t belong to any one culture.
Its present, of course, does: Mexican. In the United States, there’s a fair amount of confusion, even stigma, around flour tortillas. Some assume they aren’t authentic. Others insist that they’re inferior to corn. Jinich, who grew up in Mexico, couldn’t disagree more: “Flour tortillas are very Mexican,” she says. “I don’t choose one over the other, at all, just like any Mexican.”
Flour tortillas are certainly more common in the northern part of the country, where the terroir is more suited to growing wheat than corn. But they’re both integral to Mexican—and Tex-Mex—cuisine. And Taco Bell’s Double Decker taco. Which just wouldn’t have been a thing in the 1500s. This, it seems, is the biggest difference between when flour tortillas came to be and what they are today. Centuries ago, your preference between corn or wheat revealed where you lived, where you came from, who you worshipped. But nowadays, we can have it all.
Do you have a preference between corn or flour tortillas? Tell us why in the comments.
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Written by: Emma Laperruque
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75 Comments
EmmaSUcks
January 11, 2024
Why would u write 3 whole paragraphs about how flour tortillas are jewish just to say Flour tortillas have lard and not kosher so flour tortillas "probably weren't jewish. what a waste of time im trying to write a paper about this blog for school and you make it so confusing you have no idea the anger you have made me bottle up inside. I hate this blog with a passion and severely ruined my day and stripped any enjoyment i have for the next days of my class learning about flour tortillas. bad blog
Rosalind P.
January 11, 2024
Actually there's a lot of interesting historical information here, although if you started out needing to prove that tortillas are Jewish...not so interesting to you. However, you sound like a young person (high school?) and if you slowed down on your anger you could learn some interesting stories here. There is, however, a small error, typical of someone who tries to write about a subject she isn't all that familiar with. She says Jews "avoid" (i.e., don't eat) certain grains at Passover, and then lists them. She includes wheat among them which is absolutely incorrect. Wheat may be, and actually is, eaten at Passover but its growing and preparation is strictly regulated so that absolutely no leavening occurs -- meaning contact with water, which is interpreted in Jewish law, as making wheat leaven. So the rules say that the wheat may be in contact with water for no more than 18 minutes before it is baked. Thus, Jews can and do eat wheat, only carefully regulated. As for the other grains, rules vary. Some sub-groups of Jews do eat rice. Why other grains are prohibited is a long story. But do curb your anger and open yourself up to wider perspectives. This blog, which may be mistaken sometimes, is NOT weird.
[email protected]
February 15, 2023
I know this is an old article but l would love to clear something up. Corn is kosher. There’s nothing in kosher about corn. The reason the Jewish people made the flour tortillas was because they had escaped the Spanish Inquisition to mexico. But eventually, the inquisition reached mexico and they were again not allowed to practice Judaism. So they invented the flour tortilla as a secret way of being able to fulfill the commandment of eating matza on Passover. Unleavened bread made of… flour and water. In making it something they ate all year round, they were able to eat it on Passover too without raising suspicion that they were practicing Judaism. If you’re Jewish and don’t know about the Spanish Inquisition, I suggest you learn about it. It is a very big part of our history.
Alex
September 5, 2022
Ahh. What would any reference to Spanish colonization of the New World (aka America) be without the obligatory descriptives, such as “brutal”. Such self-serving bunk from *some* Anglophones. I suppose the English way of conquering America by simply annihilating the natives outright would be more civilized and less “brutal”? Can we dispense with the Black Legend, already?
Rosalind P.
September 5, 2022
Rules of logic, Alex. Stating a fact does not negate other facts. So if I'm referring to the Spanish as brutal in their colonialism enterprise that doesn't mean that other nations weren't brutal. Now whataboutism rears its ugly head on wonderful Food52. Take it somewhere else.
Alex
September 9, 2022
“Whataboutism”? I see. Clever buzzword. But it fails to excuse or divert attention from your vulgar piling on the Spaniards. Maybe you should stick to listing recipes and their techniques, instead of venturing into matters where you are patently incapable of being objective and impartial.
Rosalind P.
January 11, 2024
I just came back to this page to see a new posting, and then saw this, which I missed when it was originally written. I wasn't the post-er who made any comments about Spaniards in the first place, and I don't understand her (his?) vehemence about a historical narrative that is fairly well settled. I had no dog in this hunt, and actually "whataboutism" is brilliant new coinage that takes the place of a whole lot more words. Basically, it's not a real defense against an argument to just avoid the argument by saying, well -- what about? Don't know how that makes me not "objective" or not "impartial". And I don't list recipes or their techniques.
Virginia
December 1, 2020
Right or wrong, about the origins, etc, I personally prefer corn tortillas, although a freshly made flour tortilla is delicious.
Doug S.
December 1, 2020
Wrong! Corn tortillas were a staple of the Mayans 10,000 years ago and flour tortillas were made shortly thereafter
Cristina
December 1, 2020
Doug S., corn was domesticated from a wild Mexican grain called teocintle, about 8-10,000 years ago.
Wheat, on the other hand, arrived with the Spanish invasion, about 500 years ago. Here's a link to an article (in English) published by the UNAM (the National Autonomous University of Mexico, my country's most important seat of higher education) that supports my statement.
http://www.revistascisan.unam.mx/Voices/pdfs/2919.pdf
The Spanish, who were accustomed to eating wheat-based breads, also needed wheat to make communion hosts. Roman Catholic Canon Law forbids making communion hosts from any other grain.
*In the mid-16th century, the Spanish also brought grape roots to what is now Mexico, for making wine. The Catholic Church also requires the consecration of wine during communion.
Oh, and PS: it's Maya, not "Mayans".
Wheat, on the other hand, arrived with the Spanish invasion, about 500 years ago. Here's a link to an article (in English) published by the UNAM (the National Autonomous University of Mexico, my country's most important seat of higher education) that supports my statement.
http://www.revistascisan.unam.mx/Voices/pdfs/2919.pdf
The Spanish, who were accustomed to eating wheat-based breads, also needed wheat to make communion hosts. Roman Catholic Canon Law forbids making communion hosts from any other grain.
*In the mid-16th century, the Spanish also brought grape roots to what is now Mexico, for making wine. The Catholic Church also requires the consecration of wine during communion.
Oh, and PS: it's Maya, not "Mayans".
Arturo C.
August 29, 2020
I scanned throughbthe comments and didn't any mention of the Italians. Situated in the Mediterranean, a diet rich with grain based food items, there is a bread called Piada or Piadine. It is unleavened flatbread made with flour, water, and lard or olive oil. It has been in existence since the Etruscans.
https://www.consorziopiadinaromagnola.it/en/history/
https://www.consorziopiadinaromagnola.it/en/history/
Elena D.
October 30, 2020
I'm from northern Mexico, where flour tortillas are abundant, and I can't say flour tortillas are considered to be native from here, either.
Alex
September 5, 2022
And yet wheat flour tortillas are authentic to Mexico. There is such a thing as convergent or simultaneous invention. You don’t seriously propose that people in New Spain (present-day Mexico and its former lands in the SW USA) were taking their culinary cues from Romagna in present-day Italy, do you? You might be surprised at how inventive we Mexicans can be all on our own.
Alex
September 5, 2022
Previous response was for Elena D. : You should see flour tortillas as the native Mexican product that they are.
Steeeve
April 24, 2020
I'm confused, why are you calling corn and rice legumes? They are both grass seed and therefor grains same as wheat. Legumes are peas and beans.
I love both types of tortillas. I do have some preferences depending on what type of food they are used for though. Tacos are better with flour because they tend to be softer and less brittle when unheated. Enchiladas are better with corn because it stays firm when wet. Corn is tastier when crispy in foods like tostadas and hard shell "tacos". Though both are good as fried food such as chimichangas and taquitos.
I love both types of tortillas. I do have some preferences depending on what type of food they are used for though. Tacos are better with flour because they tend to be softer and less brittle when unheated. Enchiladas are better with corn because it stays firm when wet. Corn is tastier when crispy in foods like tostadas and hard shell "tacos". Though both are good as fried food such as chimichangas and taquitos.
Smaug
April 24, 2020
The phrase was "...don't eat legumes and friends, like rice and corn..."; presumably the reference was to rice and corn being strongly associated with legumes- ie friends- and not to the actual consumption of one's friends and neighbors.
Fullmoon T.
January 21, 2020
I like both flour and corn tortillas. It depends on what I am eating that moment which I prefer and it fluctuates. Chile Verde goes well with flour. Sopa, fideo tomato soup I prefer corn tortillas. Caldo, I prefer corn. Chile Colorado, I prefer flour. I like both flour and corn quesadillas. I tend to lean more towards favoring flour tortilla because I can tote a burrito on the go. I have to sit down with tacos, because I don't want to wear my food. I like both but I have to say flour tortillas supersedes corn. My grandmother made both flour and corn. I was born in California, USA in a small town named Visalia. The article is interesting. Will we ever know who really is responsible for the flour tortilla?
Joy
January 21, 2020
Fullmoon T.!! OMG! I was born and raised in Exeter (11 miles east of Visalia). Small world, huh? Are you still there?
Smaug
January 21, 2020
Probably whoever first milled flour, but it's about the most basic and obvious thing you can do with flour and, basic flatbreads have no doubt been invented independently by many. In fact, I invented them myself yesterday- I was messing around with some experiments with a basic flour dough, and ended up with some crackers and a couple of quesadillas.
Russ
November 9, 2019
Loved this article and all the readers’ and author’s comments, suggestions, personal memories, cultural insights, corrections, amendments .. even a wonderful recipe! .. As for my own .. I would encourage everyone to have a go at “making your own” .. whether flour, corn, or a combination .. the flavor, texture and aroma are incomparable .. particularly if you can get hold of heirloom varieties of flour and/or corn .. With just a tiny bit of practice you will delight family and friends, and question how on earth did you ever eat store bought?!:)
Saul
August 26, 2019
Interesting subject. I personally don’t think they have anything to do with Jewish culture. If people were making corn tortillas someone it is just possible that someone just thought “hey let’s make wheat tortillas.” It isn’t that complicated. Mexico’s first cookbook in 1831 had a included a recipe for Wheat flour tortillas.
Another thing is that until the first half of the 20th Century, the vast majority of wheat production was in central and southern Mexico; places like Jalisco, Hidalgo, Mexico State, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Oaxaca and Michoacán. Northern Mexico did have wheat production until the late 19th century. At that time Hispanic people in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas were eating Corn tortillas, they had no idea what a wheat flour tortillas was. Also that first Mexican cookbook from 1831 just had recipes from central and southern Mexico. Which would probably mean that the flour tortilla is from Southern Mexico.
Another thing is that until the first half of the 20th Century, the vast majority of wheat production was in central and southern Mexico; places like Jalisco, Hidalgo, Mexico State, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Oaxaca and Michoacán. Northern Mexico did have wheat production until the late 19th century. At that time Hispanic people in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas were eating Corn tortillas, they had no idea what a wheat flour tortillas was. Also that first Mexican cookbook from 1831 just had recipes from central and southern Mexico. Which would probably mean that the flour tortilla is from Southern Mexico.
Steeeve
April 24, 2020
This makes more sense. It would take less for someone used to making tortillas to try making them out of wheat than someone used to wheat to try wheat tortillas. I'll bet the first wheat fields were tended to by enslaved natives who likely would have used some wheat to make tortillas.
Christina R.
May 5, 2019
I grew up in El Paso, Texas which is lies in the border of Juarez, Mexico. We had a mix of delicious authentic Mexican food and the more southwestern style Mexican food- both being pretty good. It would be hard for a nonlocal to discriminate between the two. Some things were set in stone such as street tacos always had corn tortillas, burritos always had flour tortilla and enchiladas had corn as well. Tacos were either flour or corn and flautas were always corn.
Quesadillas could be made with either one.:)
I'm seriously starving now that I've written all this! Ha!
Quesadillas could be made with either one.:)
I'm seriously starving now that I've written all this! Ha!
Lorian F.
November 23, 2018
There's a long history of "flour tortillas" in Norway, too. What we think of as lefse today includes potatoes, but lefse was made with just wheat flour for centuries prior to the introduction of potatoes to northern Europe.
Joy
January 21, 2020
Since my m-I-l passed away, I have missed my Lefse fixes. I would love to find a great recipe to make them for my grandkids.
Laura
October 26, 2018
I enjoyed reading this.
Tonight at a Mexican restaurant I sat next to a family with a member who couldn’t eat corn. They were surprised that the restaurant didn’t offer flour tortillas. No surprise to me. This is a legit place. But instead of acting like I knew about the origin of corn tortillas, I wanted to read something about it. Thank you!
Tonight at a Mexican restaurant I sat next to a family with a member who couldn’t eat corn. They were surprised that the restaurant didn’t offer flour tortillas. No surprise to me. This is a legit place. But instead of acting like I knew about the origin of corn tortillas, I wanted to read something about it. Thank you!
ER
September 11, 2018
Actually, the crypto-Jews avoided pork and still do. They made wheat tortillas with milk for softer ones or just water, and if available, used beef suet and much later, vegetable oil.
Raul M.
March 14, 2018
I was blessed with a nana who made both corn and flour tortillas. Corn tortillas were for enchiladas, enfrijoladas (bean sauce), and entomaladas (spicy tomato sauce). Flour tortillas were either "Sonorenses" (large and thin) or "gorditas" (small and thicker--good with soup). A special treat was "mayos." A food of necessity developed during WWII when lard and shortening were rationed and the government distributed coupons for a monthly allotment of mayonnaise. My family never ate mayonnaise, but recognized its high fat content and used it to make tortillas. They were soft and tangy, like sourdough.
Cynthia
March 13, 2018
Rprp -- can't find any other comment from Rprp -- but that's good to know. Thanks.
Rebecca F.
March 13, 2018
Much prefer corn, and for tacos and enchiladas it is imperative. Prefer the nutritional profile of corn to flour tortillas also, but am liking some of the whole grain flour tortillas for quesadillas or the occasional breakfast wrap.
Rprp
March 12, 2018
Cynthia..corn was not ever considered not kosher. That's an error. See my earlier comment
Cynthia
March 12, 2018
Fun article -- I appreciated the information on why corn was viewed as non-kosher by some Jews. I'm the author of the book "Midwest Maize," which covers a lot of corn history, but being about corn, didn't examine flour tortillas -- so glad to learn that part of the story.
Sadly, the Spanish and Portuguese did find a use for corn -- they took it all over the world (back when the whole world had been declared equally divided between the two countries), introducing it to a wide range of people, though usually the poor or potential slaves. Sad, because they didn't learn anything from the indigenous people of the Americas about how to process the corn/maize, so the niacin-deficiency disease pellagra came into existence. But the movement of food around the world is a big topics. Lovely to get one more part of the picture in focus.
Sadly, the Spanish and Portuguese did find a use for corn -- they took it all over the world (back when the whole world had been declared equally divided between the two countries), introducing it to a wide range of people, though usually the poor or potential slaves. Sad, because they didn't learn anything from the indigenous people of the Americas about how to process the corn/maize, so the niacin-deficiency disease pellagra came into existence. But the movement of food around the world is a big topics. Lovely to get one more part of the picture in focus.
Anne-Marie
March 12, 2018
Emma, thanks for the food history lesson; fascinating!
Personally, I prefer flour tortillas (fresh whenever possible) over corn (unless the tortillas are of the crunchy variety) because of texture issues - I'm one of THOSE people who can't eat food that feels weird to them - ha, ha. My husband prefers the corn tortillas - because flour can be too mushy. We have interesting taco nights, for sure! In the end, does it really matter? We're all one, united by our love of all things taco (or burrito).
Personally, I prefer flour tortillas (fresh whenever possible) over corn (unless the tortillas are of the crunchy variety) because of texture issues - I'm one of THOSE people who can't eat food that feels weird to them - ha, ha. My husband prefers the corn tortillas - because flour can be too mushy. We have interesting taco nights, for sure! In the end, does it really matter? We're all one, united by our love of all things taco (or burrito).
Emily S.
March 12, 2018
Wow, I read this article thinking this was a lot of info about food--which, to be honest I just like to eat. And then I read the comments, proving some people wanted even more info! Lol. In seriousness though, it was an interesting read even if there seemed to be no major conclusion. I think corn and flour each have their places, but you can't add sugar and butter to a warm corn tortilla and make one of my [Asian] dad's favorite fast treats. ;)
Linda C.
March 12, 2018
When I was little corn tortilla was the only one used in our house and in resturantx and now the flour ones are more prominent and I have to ask for the corn ones which I prefer I seem to find them more tasty.
deborah
March 12, 2018
Hello Emma: I recommend that you read our take on Corn and Flour tortillas in our book, The Tacopedia. best Déborah Holtz
Virginia
March 12, 2018
I like both corn and flour tortillas, but prefer corn, love the taste of corn. Born and raised in Latin America, not Mexico, I grew up eating both.
Rosalind P.
March 12, 2018
Cristina -- thanks for the history overview. Real history is more interesting than, well, not real history, and it seems that on the questions you write about as well as the other errors (about grains and Jewish practice), there was a lot of misinformation (although, as you noted, cleverly written). The silver lining is that those errors brought your clarification, as well as clarification on other points, so we all got to learn a lot and appreciate an aspect of Mexican culture. Thanks for taking the time to sort that out.
Cristina
March 11, 2018
It's great to have a sense of humor, and great to have a swingy kind of writing style--but when it comes to scholarly information, it's far better to have the facts.
A. There were no "Aztecs" till the mid-1820s; the people the author writes about regarding the tortilla were in fact the Mexica.
B. Corn tortillas have been eaten in what is now Mexico for approximately two to three thousand years; tamales were eaten for several thousand years prior to the tortilla.
C. It's Maya, both for the name of a language and the name of a people.
D. The Spanish brought wheat and planted it in order to make Communion hosts, which by canon law cannot be made from any other grain.
E. By 1533, the Spanish were harvesting wheat in the areas of Texcoco and Puebla, neither of which is in northern Mexico. Texcoco is just north of Mexico City, and Puebla is southeast of Mexico City. The place that today is Mexico City was, in the 1500s, the center of Spanish population in the so-called new world. The Jesuits later took wheat to northern New Spain and taught the indigenous people there how to cultivate it.
F. Nixtamalization (the process by which the pericarp is removed from each individual grain of corn) was originally done using a mix of wood ash and water. Today, the majority of corn is nixtamalized using calcium hydroxide, a naturally-occurring chemical that performs the same function as wood ash.
G. Corn tortillas--if they are truly tortillas, and not some pre-packaged brand on your supermarket shelf--contain only three ingredients: actual dried corn, calcium hydroxide (that's the lime that removes the pericarp), and water. Next time you're thinking of buying a package, read the ingredients list. Anything else in them? They aren't true tortillas. Look around in your town or city to see if there's a tortillería that still uses nixtamalized corn prepared on the premises. They're scarce here in Mexico, and even scarcer in the United States.
http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com
A. There were no "Aztecs" till the mid-1820s; the people the author writes about regarding the tortilla were in fact the Mexica.
B. Corn tortillas have been eaten in what is now Mexico for approximately two to three thousand years; tamales were eaten for several thousand years prior to the tortilla.
C. It's Maya, both for the name of a language and the name of a people.
D. The Spanish brought wheat and planted it in order to make Communion hosts, which by canon law cannot be made from any other grain.
E. By 1533, the Spanish were harvesting wheat in the areas of Texcoco and Puebla, neither of which is in northern Mexico. Texcoco is just north of Mexico City, and Puebla is southeast of Mexico City. The place that today is Mexico City was, in the 1500s, the center of Spanish population in the so-called new world. The Jesuits later took wheat to northern New Spain and taught the indigenous people there how to cultivate it.
F. Nixtamalization (the process by which the pericarp is removed from each individual grain of corn) was originally done using a mix of wood ash and water. Today, the majority of corn is nixtamalized using calcium hydroxide, a naturally-occurring chemical that performs the same function as wood ash.
G. Corn tortillas--if they are truly tortillas, and not some pre-packaged brand on your supermarket shelf--contain only three ingredients: actual dried corn, calcium hydroxide (that's the lime that removes the pericarp), and water. Next time you're thinking of buying a package, read the ingredients list. Anything else in them? They aren't true tortillas. Look around in your town or city to see if there's a tortillería that still uses nixtamalized corn prepared on the premises. They're scarce here in Mexico, and even scarcer in the United States.
http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com
Smaug
March 12, 2018
Most historians consider Aztec culture and Mexica culture as synonyms; either one is a rather loosely defined conglomeration of various peoples.
Emma L.
March 12, 2018
Hi Cristina, thanks for reading and sharing these notes. Here are some responses—I hope they help clarify what I was thinking here!
A: There are alternate names and, during the time period discussed, the self-name was Mexica. We use the term Aztec in alignment with contemporary publications, but have added this additional detail for clarification.
C: We have adjusted the spelling. Thanks for pointing this out!
B, D-G: These points don't appear to contradict anything in the piece, but I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and further backstory on this topic.
A: There are alternate names and, during the time period discussed, the self-name was Mexica. We use the term Aztec in alignment with contemporary publications, but have added this additional detail for clarification.
C: We have adjusted the spelling. Thanks for pointing this out!
B, D-G: These points don't appear to contradict anything in the piece, but I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and further backstory on this topic.
Cristina
March 12, 2018
Smaug, the Mexica, self-named from pre-history, were re-named "Azteca" by the founding fathers following Mexico's independence from Spain. When the founding fathers were debating a name other than "New Spain" for the fledgling country, they decided on México and gave the name "Azteca" to the indigenous people formerly known as Mexica--because those people were from the area around Lake Aztlán.
Roslyn
March 11, 2018
Native San Antonio, Texan here. What a wonderful history lesson! I happily live in a place where both types of tortillas are honored & revered, so this really hit home. Yes, flour is king for Tex-Mex. There's no way someone could "properly" eat a carne guisada taco on corn tortilla. The darned thing would fall apart! And I can't imagine truly enjoying a al pastor taco on flour-it just doesn't work. Wish there were an entire course dedicated to this topic. We'd learn so much. Maybe another topic could be burritos? I can't stand them, but my California friends were born on bred on them. To me, the tortilla becomes too soggy and the burrito is always overly stuffed. I've never had a pleasurable burrito experience. Also, is a burrito truly Mexican or something born from the US? Hmm...
noah
March 12, 2018
Burritos are Mexican-American. In Mexico, they are not eaten frequently just like Fajitas also more American than Mexican.
Smaug
March 12, 2018
The burrito is indeed a North American invention. I eat Carne Guizada on corn tortillas often- you do have to move fairly fast.
Smaug
May 5, 2019
Fajitas originated with Tejano cowboys as a campfire dish using skirt steak, which was generally little thought of and was left to the cowhands.. Like a great number of food-related terms it's lost most of it's meaning through ever more generalized applications.
Saul
August 27, 2019
Fajitas are called Arrachera in Mexico; Pulgarejo in Colombia; Fraldinha in Brazil and Churrasco in Ecuador. Fajita or Arrachera is common in Latin America and Europe, far from Tejanos, under different names.
Stephan
March 11, 2018
When my kid brother attended Johnson and Wales to study to become a chef, he did his master's thesis on this very subject i.e. how Jews influenced Mexican cuisine. He even went so far as to interview rabbis in Mexico. Needless to say, he got an A for his work.
Patricia R.
March 11, 2018
We have the Olmecas to thank for making tortillas higher in protein and more nutritious. They are the ones who discovered that the pericarp (the thin covering over each kernal of corn) needed to be removed to release the nutritional value of corn. They soaked the corn overnight with lime water made from snail shells or lime when they could find it. This is what fueled Mesoamerica and made the indigenous cultures stronger. Patricia Rain
Phyllis
March 11, 2018
I prefer corn.... Only use flour for quesadillas.... The reason may be that I have American Indian roots
Vivienne
March 11, 2018
When I read the title, I thought that perhaps it was going to go in the direction of what in some Asian cuisines are called "pancakes" as in the style of Peking Duck. The hoisin sauce is smeared on a "pancake" and green onions and pieces of duck are added then wrapped up to be eaten. The pancake is very like a flour tortilla.
Anna C.
March 11, 2018
Thank you for an interesting article! Here in South Africa many of our people have for generations eaten samp (dried, broken corn kernels) and dried beans - a combination found in the cuisine of many indigenous cultures across the globe. What is interesting is that this combination provides the full suite of essential amino acids needed by our bodies to make proteins - provided that they are eaten at the same time :).
Joy
March 11, 2018
If I’m making an enchilada or tamale or tacos, I want corn tortillas. If I’m making quesadillas or burritos or just some warm, buttery tortillas give me flour. No one tortilla fits the need. And where did those weird tomato/spinach/whatever things come from?
Joycelyn
March 11, 2018
"And where did those weird tomato/spinach/whatever things come from?"
To make the health addicts think they're eating a more nutritional food product.
Couldn't agree more with your "no one tortilla fits the need" comment btw.
To make the health addicts think they're eating a more nutritional food product.
Couldn't agree more with your "no one tortilla fits the need" comment btw.
Sandra
March 11, 2018
Being born in Mexico City, I definitely prefer Corn tortillas. ;-) But, Also my grand mother being born in Coahuila (up North) she used to make flour Tortillas, and truly love them. She used to make them every time we visited them, and love to speed butter on them, also made scrambled egg tacos for breakfast, or with Chorizo!!! Flour tortillas are special to me, bc they bring me great memories of family together!!
[email protected]
March 11, 2018
I had my first Burrito so far back it's hard to "date". But I was hitch-hiking from east to west( I must have been returning from somewhere as I started in Sacto. and that also tells you how old I am....:O)))). I was in the middle of nowhere, I walked into this small cafe, hungry(as always, could never get enough to eat), in need of some smokes. I had enough for a pack of Marlboros(.35) Which left me with a quarter(.25) in my pocket and as I spied a sign that said "Burrito, .05". I ask, what's a Burrito? I forget exactly what I was told but I ordered one, took a bite as I was walking out, stopped, finished my bite, ordered 4 more, finished my first, took my four very warm burrito's, empty pockets, the fresh deck of smokes and continued west. That was my first flour Tortuites and I have been in love ever since, corn is always too dry, chewy, never warm and comforting.
Joycelyn
March 11, 2018
Ah, I remember the 15 - 30 cent deck of smokes days. Also the 50 cent flat fifty tins ( Black Cat ) which was easily purchased at the corner grocer at age 12 as no age restrictions in those days. Nowadays where I am, a deck of smoke sell for 11 - 12 bucks depending on store and cannot be purchased without producing ID to show you're 19.
Ironic in a way as at age 17 youth can enlist, learn how to kill or be killed.
Love your Burrito story btw, what a neat memory to have.
Ironic in a way as at age 17 youth can enlist, learn how to kill or be killed.
Love your Burrito story btw, what a neat memory to have.
catalinalacruz
March 11, 2018
Corn tortillas are always "dry, chewy, never warm or comforting" when they come packaged from the grocery store. Who knows how old they are. But hot off the press, fresh from a tortilleria, they are sublime. No self-respecting Mexican would eat a corn tortilla made the day before. They don't like tortillas dry and chewy either.
Irv
March 11, 2018
Major error: "By then, people had been grinding wheat into flour, which was mixed into masa,"
"Definition of masa. : a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution" --Merriam-Webster
"Definition of masa. : a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution" --Merriam-Webster
Joycelyn
March 11, 2018
But then again there's this recipe from Breadtime book by Susan J Cheney via vegkitchen.com : )
Tortillas
Makes: 6 (10-inch) tortillas
Preparation Time: About an hour, plus a minimum of 30 minutes to rest the dough
1/2 cup cornmeal (yellow or blue)
1 tablespoon sesame, corn, or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup spring water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the cornmeal and oil. Heat the water to boiling; add the salt and pour over the cornmeal. Wait a few minutes, until the cornmeal has absorbed the water and has cooled to lukewarm.
Stir in the flour to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Wash the bowl and lightly grease it. Thoroughly knead the dough, lightly sprinkling flour under it only as necessary to keep it from sticking. When it is smooth and resilient, form a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and plate, and set it aside for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours or overnight.
Tortillas
Makes: 6 (10-inch) tortillas
Preparation Time: About an hour, plus a minimum of 30 minutes to rest the dough
1/2 cup cornmeal (yellow or blue)
1 tablespoon sesame, corn, or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup spring water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the cornmeal and oil. Heat the water to boiling; add the salt and pour over the cornmeal. Wait a few minutes, until the cornmeal has absorbed the water and has cooled to lukewarm.
Stir in the flour to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Wash the bowl and lightly grease it. Thoroughly knead the dough, lightly sprinkling flour under it only as necessary to keep it from sticking. When it is smooth and resilient, form a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and plate, and set it aside for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours or overnight.
Smaug
March 12, 2018
Maybe in an English language dictionary- in Spanish masa is a general term for dough- among other meanings.
Shelly
March 11, 2018
Thank you for this article! Besides being informative, I love your writing style! I found it to be quite humorous and kept me entertained whereas usually I would have quit reading a food article within the first paragraph!
Sandra
March 11, 2018
I can't survive without corn tortillas; I'm from California and when I moved to Baltimore, people would recommend "Mexican" restaurants that served all tacos on flour tortillas. Yuck -- that's just a folded burrito. But a burrito on corn? I can't imagine that, either. Each has its place, but supposed Mexican restaurants that have nothing on corn tortillas just don't seem like true Mexican restaurants. On the writing -- I enjoyed it for the most part, but I almost quit reading with the trendy phrases, "because bacon" and "flashback for a hot second." "Because x" can be really funny, but this wasn't a particularly humorous article so it just seemed trendy for no reason. It doesn't help that Urban Dictionary says a "hot minute" is a long, long time, and Wiktionary says it means a very short time. It's one of those new phrases, like "hot mess," that's undoubtedly a pet peeve of mine, because they don't seem to add any clarity to anything. I'd put both phrases on a stale flour tortilla and throw them into the compost pile. Despite all that, I am glad to find an article about the corn/flour situation, with some interesting research to back it up.
Smaug
March 4, 2018
This doesn't actually tell you much about where they came from, but I'm not sure it's much of a question. You can actually make a perfectly serviceable tortilla with just flour and water; they're an invention so simple that, once you have flour, they hardly need inventing. As far as uses, they're good for quesadillas and for burritos or, I suppose, other sorts of wraps. Otherwise, corn (by which I mean yellow corn) all the way.
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