NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tortilla

In Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize (corn) or wheat flour. A similar bread from South America is called arepa (though arepas are typically much thicker than tortillas). This form of bread predates the arrival of Europeans to America, and was called "tortilla" by the Spanish from its resemblance to the traditional Spanish round unleavened cakes and omelettes (originally made without potatoes, which are native to South America). The Aztecs and other Nahuatl-speakers called their tortillas by the name “tlaxcalli”: these have become the prototypical tortillas. The maize version is the original North American tortilla and is regarded by many as the "authentic" tortilla. Flour tortillas originated in regions of Mexico unsuited for growing corn. A portion of tortilla Full tortilla de patatas Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Spanish Omelette Tortilla de patatas (Spanish for potato omelette, but sometimes also referred to as Spanish omelette in English) is a popular dish in Spain that can be served either cold or hot. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 767 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2153 Ã— 1684 pixel, file size: 272 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tortilla ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 767 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2153 Ã— 1684 pixel, file size: 272 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tortilla ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... West Indies redirects here. ... A leavening agent is an organism or substance that when added to a dough of flour and water causes it to rise by evolving carbon dioxide or other gases that become trapped as bubbles within the dough. ... For other uses, see Bread (disambiguation). ... This article is about the maize plant. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References: ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat Wheat For the indie rock group, see Wheat (band). ... For other uses, see Flour (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Arepa from Venezuela filled with cheese The arepa is a corn-based bread from the northern Andes in South America, now spread to other areas in modern Latin American countries. ... An omelette Ham, cheese, and vegetable omelette served with fresh fruit. ... The word Aztec is usually used as a historical term, although some contemporary Nahuatl speakers would consider themselves Aztecs. ...

1 Different meanings of tortilla
2 Tortilla making
3 See also
4 Etymology
5 References
6 External links

Different meanings of tortilla

The Spanish word tortilla ([t̪oɾˈt̪iʎa], [t̪oɾˈt̪iʝa], [t̪oɾˈt̪iʒa]) denotes two different classes of foods, depending on where the term is encountered. Etymologically, it is derived from the word torta, meaning a plain round cake.^[1]

In Spain and South America, a tortilla is any omelette, often a round, layered omelette (i.e., not folded over), most typically made with layers of eggs, very thinly sliced potatoes, such seasonings as the chef desires, and cooked in vegetable oil. It is usually served cold as an appetizer or bar snack. The terms Spanish tortilla, tortilla española or tortilla de patatas all refer to a common recipe in Spain, an omelette with stir-fried potatoes and chopped onion, often served as a staple food in Spanish bars and cafés. American versions of Spanish and South American tortilla are usually cooked in vegetable shortening, commonly with bell pepper and/or onion and/or chives; and typically served warm instead of cold. South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... An omelette Ham, cheese, and vegetable omelette served with fresh fruit. ... A portion of tortilla Full tortilla de patatas Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Spanish Omelette Tortilla de patatas (Spanish for potato omelette, but sometimes also referred to as Spanish omelette in English) is a popular dish in Spain that can be served either cold or hot. ... Binomial name Capsicum annuum L. For green peppercorns, see Black pepper. ... For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Allium schoenoprasum L. Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), is the smallest species of the onion family[1] Alliaceae, native to Europe, Asia and North America[2]. They are referred to only in the plural, because they grow in clumps rather than as individual plants. ...

In Panama, a tortilla is a deep fried cornmeal disk, slightly smaller than a hockey puck.

But it is the Mexican meaning of "tortilla" that is most familiar to North Americans, and possibly most of the world outside of Europe and South America, where the original Spanish meaning is best known.^{[citation needed]} North American redirects here. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

A thick, American-style pea soup garnished with a tortilla fragment

The flour tortilla is probably best known in the USA as the tortilla used to make burritos, a preparation originating in northern Mexico. Wheat tortillas are also a traditional staple of the peoples of northwestern Mexican states (such as Sonora and Chihuahua) and many southwestern US Native American tribes. As an easy solution to both the problems of handling food in microgravity and preventing bread crumbs from escaping into delicate instruments, wheat flour tortillas have been used on many NASA Shuttle missions since 1985. [1] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,600 Ã— 1,200 pixels, file size: 437 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A bowl of pea soup garnished with [[tortilla]. File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,600 Ã— 1,200 pixels, file size: 437 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A bowl of pea soup garnished with [[tortilla]. File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that... Dutch pea soup Pea soup is soup made, typically, from dried peas. ... For other uses, see Burrito (disambiguation). ... Sonora is a state in northwestern Mexico, bordering the states of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Baja California to the northwest. ... THEY SUC |native_name = |nickname = Lady of the Desert |settlement_type = |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = Mexico stateflags Chihuahua. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Astronauts on the International Space Station display an example of weightlessness Weightlessness is the experience (by people and objects) during freefall, of having no weight. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ...

Maize tortillas are known in the Basque region of Spain as talo and were a traditional Basque farmers' staple until the introduction of railborne wheat flour suitable for bread. There are maize tortillas in other regions of Northern Spain, such as Asturias, where they are called frixuelos, and Galicia, where they receive the name of filloas. Location of the Basque Country The Basque Country divided in seven provinces Capital Pamplona Official languages Basque, French, Spanish Demonym Basque Currency Euro The Basque-speaking areas This article is about the overall Basque domain. ... Anthem: Asturias, patria querida Capital Oviedo Official language(s) Spanish; Asturian has special status Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 10th 10,604 kmÂ² 2. ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Tortilla making

Traditional tortilla making. The mother is grinding the maize with a stone mano and metate as the elder daughter pats the dough into tortillas. (Oaxaca, Mexico, c. 1900)

The traditional tortilla has been made of corn or maize since Pre-Columbian times. It is made by curing maize in lime water in a process known as nixtamalization which causes the skin of the corn kernels to peel off (the waste material is typically fed to poultry), then grinding and pre-cooking it, kneading it into a dough called masa nixtamalera, pressing it flat into thin patties, and cooking it on a very hot comal (originally a flat terra cotta griddle, now usually made instead of light sheet-metal). Traditional Tortilla making, El Salvador, c. ... The Mexican state of Oaxaca (pronounced wa-HA-ka in English) is in the southern part of Mexico, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents. ... This article is about the maize plant. ... Lime water or milk of lime is the common name for saturated calcium hydroxide solution. ... Nixtamalization is the process whereby ripe maize grains are soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually lime based, to cause the transparent outer hull, the pericarp, to separate from the grain. ... Ducks amongst other poultry The Poultry-dealer, after Cesare Vecellio Poultry is the category of domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and feathers. ... Dough Dough is a paste made out of any cereals (grains) or leguminous crops by grinding with small amount of water. ... Masa, or masa nixtamalera, is a fine maize dough made from masa harina, ground hominy flour. ... A comal is a griddle or grill typically used for cooking foods based on a tortilla, including quesadillas, a folded tortilla filled with cheese and/or meat heated on the comal, or even the Arabic saj. ... Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... cast-iron iron enamel stainless steel The cooking pan is a type of food preparation utensil commonly found in the kitchen which includes many more specific cooking vessels such as saucepans and frying pans (or fry pans). ...

Soaking the maize in lime water is important because it liberates the vitamin niacin and the amino acid tryptophan. When maize was brought back to Europe, Africa and Asia from the New World, people left out this crucial step. People whose diet consisted mostly of corn meal often became sick, because of the lack of niacin and tryptophan, with the disease pellagra, which was common in Spain, Northern Italy and the southern United States. Lime water or milk of lime is the common name for saturated calcium hydroxide solution. ... Tryptophan (abbreviated as Trp or W)[1] is one of the 20 standard amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, and an essential amino acid in the human diet. ... Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease caused by dietary lack of niacin (vitamin B3) and protein, especially proteins containing the essential amino acid tryptophan. ...

In Mexico, particularly in the towns and cities, corn tortillas are often made nowadays by machine and are very thin and uniform, but in many places in the country they are still made by hand, even when the nixtamal is ground into masa by machine. In Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras they are still often made by hand and are thicker. Corn tortillas are customarily served and eaten warm; when cool, they often acquire a rubbery texture. The largest tortilla producer in the world is a Mexican company called Gruma, headquartered in Monterrey. Gruma SAB de CV (NYSE: GMK, BMV: Gruma) is the largest manufacturer of corn flour and tortillas in the world[1]. Its brand names include Maseca, Mission (or MisiÃ³n, in Mexico), and Guerrero. ... Nickname: Motto: El Trabajo templa el EspÃritu Location of Monterrey in northern Mexico Coordinates: , Country State Founded 20 September 1596 Government - Mayor Adalberto Madero ( PAN) Area - City 860 kmÂ² (332 sq mi) Elevation 537 m (1,762 ft) Population (2005) - City 1,133,814 - Density 1,989/kmÂ² (5...

Traditionally throughout Mesoamerica from Pre-Columbian times into the mid 20th century, the masa was prepared by women using a mano (a cylinder shaped stone like a rolling pin) and metate (a stone base with a slightly concave top for holding the corn). This method is still used in some places in Mexico. This article is about the culture area. ... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Wooden rolling pin A rolling pin is a food preparation utensil consisting of a cylinder with a handle at each end, used to flatten dough. ... A metate is the large stone slab on which grain is crushed with a mano. ...

The wheat flour tortilla was an innovation after wheat was brought to the New World from Spain while this region was the colony of New Spain. It is made with an unleavened, water based dough, pressed and cooked like corn tortillas. These tortillas are very similar to the unleavened bread popular in Arab, eastern Mediterranean and southern Asian countries, though thinner and smaller in diameter. In China, there is the laobing (烙餅), a pizza-shaped thick "pancake" that is similar to the tortilla. The Indian Roti, which is made essentially from wheat flour is another example. map of New Spain in red, with territories claimed but not controlled in orange. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... DIAMETER is a computer networking protocol for AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting). ... Laobing (Pinyin: LÃ obÇng, Simplified Chinese: çƒ™é¥¼) is a type of unleavened bread that is similar to the wheat flour tortilla. ... It has been suggested that Chapati be merged into this article or section. ...

Tortillas vary in size from about 6 to over 30 cm (2.4 to over 12 in), depending on the region of the country and the dish for which it is intended. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 86 KB) http://pdphoto. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 86 KB) http://pdphoto. ...

Among tortilla variants (without being, strictly speaking, tortillas) there are pupusas, "pishtones, gorditas, sopes, and tlacoyos. These filled snacks can be found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. They are smaller, thicker versions to which beans, chicharrón, nopales or other ingredients have been added. They are customarily cooked on a greased pan. A pupusa is a thick, hand-made corn tortilla (made using masa, a corn flour used in Hispanic foods, or rice flour) that is stuffed with one or more of the following: cheese (queso) (usually a soft Salvadoran cheese called Quesillo), fried pork rind (chicharrones), chicken (pollo), refried beans (frijoles... A well stuffed gordita. ... A sope - pronounced soh-peh - is a traditional Mexican dish originating in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. ... Tlacoyos are oval shaped fried cakes made of masa. ... This article is on the plant. ... Pork rinds are a snack food made from chunks (called pellets) of cured pork skin (sometimes including portions of meat as well), deep-fried and puffed into light, irregular curls, and often seasoned with chilli pepper or barbecue flavoring. ... Nopales are a vegetable, made from the young stem segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. ...

In Nicaragua, tortillas are called Güirilas. They are made from young white corn . Güirilas are thick, sweet and filling. They are enjoyed as a snack by itself, with crumbled cheese, or accompanying a dish. Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... A GÃ¼irila is a tortilla made from young white corn. ...

In Argentina, Bolivia and southern Chile, the size of the tortillas is smaller. They are generally saltier, made from wheat or corn flour, and roasted in the ashes of a traditional adobe oven. This kind of tortilla is called Sopaipilla (not to be confused with a puffy fry bread of the same name common in New Mexico, United States). In Chile and Argentina it may also be sweetened after being cooked by boiling in sugar water. A New Mexican sopaipilla. ... A Creek U.S. Army soldier preparing frybread during a 2004 pow-wow in Iraq. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ...

Automatic tortilla machine (explanation)

In commercial production and even in some larger restaurants, automatic machines make tortillas from dough. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 571 KB) Explanation of the machine: Image:Tortilla machine explained. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 571 KB) Explanation of the machine: Image:Tortilla machine explained. ...

A simple tortilla recipe:

4 C flour 1/2 C shortening 1 t salt 1 C warm water

Mix 2 C flour, all of the shortening and salt until the mixture has the consistency of small crumbles. Add warm water. Mixture will be sticky. Add remaining flour and knead until dough is pliable and springy. May not need all of the flour. Let sit covered for a minimum of one hour. Take small portions and form a ball. Roll out with rolling pin and cook over medium heat on a cast iron skillet until brown spots form.

Etymology

"Little cake"

Torta, cake, plus the diminutive -illa. For other uses, see Cake (disambiguation). ...

References

^ torta in Diccionario de la Real Academia Española.

The Real Academia EspaÃ±ola (Spanish for Royal Spanish Academy, RAE) is the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. ...

External links

Tortilla making in the Tezoatlán Mixtec culture, with a video showing the process

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Results from FactBites:

Tortilla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (761 words)
	In Mexican and Mesoamerican terms, a tortilla is a kind of unleavened bread, generally made from maize (corn) and with the introduction of wheat by the Europeans, also with wheat flour.
	The terms Spanish tortilla, tortilla española or tortilla de patatas all refer to a common recipe in Spain, an omelette with stir-fried potatoes and chopped onion, often served as a staple food in Spanish bars and cafés.
	Tortillas vary in size from about 6 to over 30 cm (2.4 to over 12 in), depending on the region of the country and the dish for which it is intended.

How are Tortillas Made? (1941 words)
	The tortilla should puff as you bake it, but if air bubbles form in the dough as it bakes, or if is too wet and pasty, or too dry and burns, or is toasted as it bakes, then the resulting tortilla is ruined.
	When the "tortilla" is made from wheat flour, producing a thick, white flat-bread, then the taco you make from it is a "burrito." Wheat flour tortillas and burritos are specific to northern Mexico and are unknown and/or disliked in central/southern Mexico, where corn rules.
	This wheat-flour tortilla is a post-conquest confection (the Spaniards introduced the wheat crop) and is probably based on imitation of the corn version, though this wheat flat bread is similar to Mediterranean flat-breads, such as "pita" bread.

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Contents

Tortilla making

See also

Etymology

References

External links