February 21, 2007

How to buy good corn tortillas

1. Look at the ingredients.

2. Good tortillas have 3 ingredients: corn, lime, water. That's it. If anything else is listed in the ingredients you your tortillas are no good. If your supermarket doesn't have tortillas with these ingredients (and these ingredients only), go somewhere else. As far as I know there is no national brand of real tortillas. Those circular things Mission calls tortillas are lifeless tasteless cardboard-like abominations.

3. If there are no tortillas in your supermarket, find one of my fellow Mexicans. If he has any love of eating at all he will be able to tell you where you can find real tortillas.

In Brooklyn you can find good tortillas here: Tortilleria Mexicana 271 Starr St., between Wyckoff and St. Nicholas Ave, Brooklyn 718-456-3422

In LA you can find good tortillas in little bodegas all over Echo Park. Also at Acapulco Tortilleria @ 1309 S Vermont Ave or at the Santa Fe Tortilleria 1715 W Sunset Blvd

Bonus:

Good flour tortillas:

1. Look at the ingredients. Good flour tortillas generally contain lard, salt, flour, salt, baking powder and water.

2. Good flour tortillas are virtually impossible to find in the US because Americans are terrified of lard. "Lowfat tortillas" are an abomination. Why even bother?

3. Your best bet is to make them yourself. This is a good flour tortilla recipe.

Double bonus:

Sugar tortillas: Right after you put your tortilla dough on the comal you can smear it with a little bit of sugar. Then instead of flipping the tortilla you fold it over to make delicious sugar tortillas, my favorite childhood breakfast treat. Instead of sugar you can also substitute a bit of honey. Equally delicious.

posted at 02:14 AM by raul

Filed under: eating

TAGS: corn (2) eating (3) flour (1) tortillas (1)

Comments:

02/21/07 11:28 AM

So you're saying my all wheat no fat wraps don't count as tortillas.

03/01/07 02:08 PM

this is excellent we might try to make flour tortillas tonight

08/09/07 08:29 PM

Thanks! I just went vegan and was trying to figure out whether or not I could still eat good corn tortillas, as we're on our way to Mexico on Saturday (and I live in a wonderful part of California where I can get fresh tortillas). I'm so pleased to learn that I can!
!Muchas gracias!

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