I always assumed flour tortillas were an offshoot of corn tortillas, which have been made in Mexico and Central America since prehistoric times.
Not so, says Gene Chavez, a Kansas City-based scholar specializing in Mexican-American history. Chavez believes the flour tortilla’s precursor originated in North Africa and was similar to what we know as pita or chapati bread. It reached Spain when Moors and Berbers invaded and inhabitated the Iberian peninsula from about 700 to 1492.
“The Spanish said, ‘Oh, they’re making little tortes’” — from the Latin for flat cake or round loaf of bread — Chavez said during a free Senior Wednesday program sponsored by Kansas Humanities at the Museum of World Treasures last month. “That is the etymology of the word.”
The Spaniards brought tortillas along when they conquered Mexico in 1521, Chavez said. There they found the Aztecs and other groups making their own flatbread, out of corn. Chavez said that many groups in southern and central Mexico today don’t call their staple bread a tortilla, but rather tlaxcalli, after the name of a corn-growing region near Mexico City.
“If you ask for tlaxcalli (there), you’ll get freshly made corn tortillas,” he said.
Flour tortillas became more popular in northern Mexico because wheat grows well there (giving us burritos and quesadillas — gracias!) And as Chavez noted, the Spanish Empire at one time stretched through much of what’s today the United States.
Of course, flour tortillas could have sprung from the corn variety, or developed in more than one place and time independently. Today, a tortilla in Spain refers to a type of open-faced omelet. There is a tortilla-like bread in Spain called tortas de pan.
However flour tortillas got here, I’m glad they did. Corn tortillas, too. As Chavez said, “American food is not one thing, it’s many things.”
About the recipe: The easiest way to experience fresh tortillas is to visit a tortilleria, of which there are several in Wichita. If using a storebought mix (available in Mexican groceries), Chavez suggests adding a little salt. The recipe on this page is close to that of his mother, who made them for her family every day when he was growing up.
Fresh Flour Tortillas
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup warm water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Knead gently until smooth, adding flour or water if the mixture seems too dry or sticky. Cover with a damp towel and let rest about 10 minutes. Divide the mixture into about 8 to 10 golf ball-size pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll out (Chavez said the key to a round tortilla is to turn and flip it several times during this step). Cook each tortilla in an well-seasoned, ungreased skillet over medium-high heat about 45 seconds per side or until bubbles start to appear and the bottom browns in spots. Set on plate and cover with towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Enjoy while warm or store in airtight container for up to 3 days.
Ways to Use Flour Tortillas
Cut a tortilla into 6 or 8 wedges and fry a minute or two to make tortilla chips. Flour tortilla chips have a light and slightly puffy texture quite different from their corn counterpart. Be sure to sprinkle with a little salt and/or cojita cheese (can substitute parmesan) while still hot.
Make a quick breakfast burrito by scrambling one or two eggs with salsa and a slice of cheese and wrapping them in a tortilla. Better than anything you’ll get in a fast-food drive-thru.
Make a PB&J quesadilla by spreading peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla, topping it with another and toasting it in a skillet or electric grill until the fillings are oozing out.
Just butter ‘em while still hot and enjoy (with honey for an extra treat).
