The History of Tortillas
Considered the "bread of Mexico," tortillas are made from corn, which is a vegetable considered sacred by the Mexican people. The word "tortilla" is derived from "torta," the Spanish word for "round cake." Tortillas have been around for centuries and were originally grilled on earthen utensils. They're considered a healthy food, containing protein and some fat for supplying energy. Besides just eating them, Mexicans use tortillas as plates, and sometimes even use them as forks and spoons. Does this Spark an idea?
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3000 BC
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Excavations have found that as far back as 3000 B.C., ancient people living in Mexico's Sierra Mountains hybridized wild grass to make corn. Mexican historian and anthropologist Arturo Warman believes the development of corn is linked with the advancements of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations that were also advanced in other fields such as math, art, architecture and astronomy.
Indians' Grinding Process
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Ancient Indians living in what is Mexico today used a stone mortar and pestle for grinding whole corn kernels into meal, making corn gruel or atole. This procedure required much time and effort. A better system involved heating corn kernels in a lime solution, which caused skins to come off. These skinless kernels, called nixtamal, were dried, stored, then boiled in fresh limeless water. This caused the kernels to swell, becoming as soft as spaghetti and producing a dish called posole.
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Spanish Conquest in 1519
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When the Spanish, led by Hernando Cortes, conquered Mexico in 1519, the Aztecs were the dominant culture in what was then called Meso-America. Spanish conquerors, who were searching for gold, found an abundant supply and sent it back to Spain. When they approached the Mexico highlands, they also discovered a new type of treasure in the civilization's food. Although the native name for tortillas was tlaxcalli, the Spanish called them tortillas.
Bernardino de Sahagun's Book
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A Franciscan friar, Bernardino de Sahagun, went to New Spain (Mexico) to record the country's customs. As a result of his trip, he wrote "General History of the Things of New Spain" in 1529. In his book, de Sahagun, who's considered one of the fathers of culinary history, described the Aztec diet based on tortillas and corn.
1940s through 1960s
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As a result of electric motors and small-scale gas engines, tortillas became more widespread and were produced in large quantities beginning in the 1940s. Electric motors were able to wet grain grinders to make masa. Hand patting or hand presses formed the masa into tortillas. However, by the 1960s tortilla-making machines were able to make tortillas even faster.
Contemporary Tortilla Industry
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Today the tortilla industry ranks second to sliced bread in bread products, surpassing muffins and bagels. According to Tortilla.com, the Tortilla Industry Association estimates that the tortilla business has grown to become an industry yielding about $6 billion annually, just in the United States. This includes tortillas along with by-products such as taco shells, tortilla chips and shells.
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