Tortilla - in Spanish means "little cake" although, the Tortilla is one of the oldest known foods to the civilized world, dating back to 10,000 BC. Anthropologist have found in 3000 BC that the Mesoamerican civilizations of the Mayans and the Aztecs did hybridized wild grasses that produce a large nutritious kernels we know as corn.
Tortillas are made from corn meal (maize) or Wheat flour and used to serve with many different Mexican foods that have influenced Tex-Mex and Southwest cuisine. Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes in 1519, arrived in what is today, Mexico. He found the indigenous Mesoamericans natives had a sophisticated and flavorful cuisine based on native fruits, game, cultivated beans and corn and domesticated turkeys.
Traditionally grilled on earthenware utensils, they are used as bread that is often filled or stuffed. The original Indian method of preparation consisted of kneading the cornmeal dough (masa) on a stone called a metate. Then the masa is shaped into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1/8th inch thick. The tortilla has become a common staple for Vaqueros and Cowboys and served with nearly every meal of Mexican, Tex-Mex or Southwest Cuisines:
 | |
| Tortillas - Staple of Cowboy Cooking |
 |
| Pete Garcia working dough at King Ranch photo by Roger Edison |
No comments:
Post a Comment