Corn tortilla
The corn tortilla is a thin, round flatbread pressed from nixtamalized maize dough and cooked on a hot comal. It is the default wrapper for the Mexican taco and one of the foundations of the country's cuisine.
History
The tortilla predates the Spanish conquest. The Mexica called it tlaxcalli and made it in many shapes and sizes. Its dough comes from nixtamal, maize that has been cooked and steeped in an alkaline solution of lime or ash, a technique that maize-growing peoples of the Americas used for centuries before the grain spread around the world without it.
For most of history tortillas were patted out by hand. Machines have since taken over much of the work, and in Mexican cities the tortillería selling tortillas by weight or by the dozen is now the usual source, although handmade tortillas, generally smaller, softer and better tasting, are still sold in markets.
Characteristics
Larousse's dictionary of Mexican gastronomy puts the standard modern tortilla at 12 to 18 cm across and 30 to 40 g. A ball of masa is pressed into a thin disc that puffs gently when it meets the hot comal. Each tortilla has two faces: the derecho, which keeps the outer skin, and the revés, a thinner side that peels away easily and is where the filling traditionally goes.
The yellow tint of some tortillas is often blamed on ground corncobs, but the same dictionary attributes it mainly to a larger dose of lime in the nixtamal. Tortillas pressed from commercial corn flour are convenient and retain nutrients, though many Mexicans find their flavor inferior to fresh nixtamal masa.
Use in tacos
Taquerías usually serve small tortillas, often doubled so the taco holds juicy fillings. The tortilla is warmed on the comal or plancha, sometimes dipped in the cooking fat, and folded around the meat. Beyond tacos the same disc becomes enchiladas, chilaquiles and totopos.
Regional variations
Regional forms are numerous. Oaxaca alone has the large tlayuda, the soft blandita of the Central Valleys, the chewy correosa of the Mixteca and the crisp, very large Chinantec tortillas that keep for weeks. Colima has sun-dried duritas, Jalisco scraped raspadas, and the Tabasco and Yucatán region penchuques. Some communities enrich masa with plantain, yuca, beans, squash seeds or cooked maguey.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh nixtamal masa, or 2 cups masa harina mixed with about 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- Water as needed
Steps
- If using masa harina, mix it with the water and salt and knead until the dough is soft, moist and does not crack at the edges when pressed. Rest it covered for 15 minutes.
- Heat a comal or heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Roll the masa into balls about the size of a walnut and keep them covered with a damp cloth.
- Line a tortilla press with two pieces of plastic and press each ball into a thin disc about 13 cm across.
- Peel the tortilla off the plastic and lay it on the comal. Cook about 30 seconds until the edges dry, flip and cook 45 seconds, then flip again; a good tortilla puffs.
- Stack the cooked tortillas in a cloth or tortilla basket so they steam and stay soft.
If the edges crack when pressed, the masa is too dry; knead in a little more water.
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See also
References
- "Tortilla". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Nixtamalización". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Nixtamalization: An ingenious solution for healthier maize-based diets". CGIAR. Retrieved 2026-10-10.