Tortilla

A tortilla [ tortiʝa ], in Nahuatl Tlaxcalli, is a Mexican flatbread.

It is not to be confused with the Spanish omelette.

Corn tortillas ( Tortillas de Maiz )

For the tortillas dry, unground corn starch must first be boiled for many hours with some quick lime or wood ashes, washed, hulled and then ground while wet with special mills directly to a batter. The alkaline lime water allows only the separation of the very firm overgrown in maize with the grain husks, increases the bioavailability of proteins and vitamins contained, improves smell and taste, and makes the very hard compared to other cereals grains porous, so that the grinding is facilitated. This technique, which is referred to as Nixtamalisation was used in Oaxaca proven already by 1,500 BC and may be considerably older. Among other things, it prevents the disease pellagra, which is caused by niacin.

These crafted very laborious dough is now largely carried out industrially with machines. The dough thus obtained is often not baked immediately, but again dried and then ground into a dry flour. The resulting off-white masa harina ( " Teigmehl " ), which can be bought ready-made anywhere in Mexico today is then mixed again if necessary with a little water, pressed into thin pancakes with a special press and baked on hot plates. Nachos (corn chips) are prepared in a similar manner, only the dry quartered tortillas are then fried in a little fat.

In rural areas even today the coarse corn kernels are soaked overnight with lime and 'ground' the next day in a special mill finished Tortillateig. Since there are different colored varieties of maize in Mexico, are in some areas, especially in the north, in addition to the more common yellow and blue ( actually more grayish -violet ) tortillas popular. Its flavor, this is not significantly different from each other.

You can add about a quarter of raw corn flour masa harina to in order to achieve a stronger yellow color of the tortillas. Only from raw corn flour but can not be produced useful tortillas because the corn can not cook enough during the short baking time in the relatively dry dough. The tortilla would be almost indigestible. It is possible to cook from raw corn flour a thick maize porridge and these then mix after cooling with additional cornmeal into a usable Tortillateig, but flavorful and healthy the Nixtamalisation is preferable.

Often tortillas are busy or with meat, vegetables, sauces, cheese or the like filled. In the U.S., they are also often served with chili con carne.

Wheat tortillas ( Tortillas de harina )

In northern Mexico and the U.S. wheat tortillas are common. They are usually larger and brighter than corn tortillas and are also cold soft and pliable because they contain much more lard or other fat than corn tortillas. Tortillas are the base for soft tacos.