The History of the Tortilla - The Original Grande (2024)

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The History of the Tortilla - The Original Grande? ›

The Origin Story of the Tortilla

The food itself, a thin flatbread made from dried and finely ground corn, can be traced back many thousands of years to people of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. It is thought that tortillas were first developed around 10,000 B.C.E., which coincides with the time corn was first domesticated in the area.

Mayan legend says that the first tortilla was a gift. As the story goes, a peasant invented the corn tortilla as a present for his hungry king over 12,000 years ago. In the ancient highlands of modern Mexico, tortillas were a staple in both Mayan and Aztec diets.

According to legend, tortillas were invented by a Mayan peasant for his hungry king. The first recorded use of tortillas dates to roughly 10,000 BC, and were made from corn. And when the Spanish arrived, they discovered native inhabitants like the Aztecs and others all ate some sort of maize bread.

According to legend, during the siege of Bilbao, Carlist general Tomás de Zumalacárregui invented the "tortilla de patatas" as an easy, fast and nutritious dish to satisfy the scarcities of the Carlist army.

The Aztecs and Mayans are credited with the invention of tortillas, using maize (corn) as a primary ingredient. The process of making tortillas involved grinding maize into masa, a dough that was then flattened and cooked on a hot surface.

Which is healthier: bread or tortilla? Is bread more fattening than tortilla? Bread and corn tortillas have a very similar nutrient profile. However, if you are choosing a flour tortilla, to get the most health benefit, be sure to choose one made with whole-wheat flour rather than refined white flour.

For many South Americans, corn tortillas represent the staff of life, just as wheat bread does for Europeans.

In addition to North America's Native American populations, the Mayan and Incan civilizations were also nearly wiped out by smallpox. And other European diseases, such as measles and mumps, also took substantial tolls – altogether reducing some indigenous populations in the new world by 90 percent or more.

The Aztecs and other Nahuatl-speakers call tortillas tlaxcalli ([t͡ɬaʃˈkalli]). The successful conquest of the Aztec empire by the Spanish and the subsequent colonial empire ruled from the former Aztec capital have ensured that this variation become the prototypical tortilla for much of the Spanish-speaking world.

Did Native Americans eat tortillas? ›

Tortillas, Tlaxacalli

In Mesoamerican Indigenous cultures, the tortilla is made from corn, specifically corn flour or masa harina. One kneads the corn flour with water until it reaches its right consistency.

Tacos are thought to come from Mexico, long before the Spanish arrived. Ancient Mexicans used freshly made, soft, flat corn tortillas and gave them with fillings like fish and cooked organs. It was a staple meal that provided vital nutrients and energy to those who consumed it.

Flour tortillas may have been an innovation by exiled Spanish Jews who may not have considered corn to be kosher, so they made tortillas using wheat brought from Europe. Many Jewish families — covertly practicing their faith or simply maintaining their traditions as Catholic conversos.

Peoples of the Oaxaca region in Mexico first made tortillas at the end of the Villa Stage (1500 to 500 BCE). Towards the end of the 19th century, the first mechanical utensils for making tortillas, called tortilla presses, tortilleras, or tortilladoras, were invented and manufactured in Mexico.

The Spanish tortilla is essentially an omelette with potatoes that is either fried on both sides or baked in the oven. In contrast, Mexican tortillas are thin, round flatbreads made of a special maize flour (masa harina) and water, cooked with or without fat on a hot plate or in a pan.

This flat, round, bread is ever-present and that's because it's one of Mexico's most valued foods and it's also at the core of many traditional dishes, including tacos, nachos, enchiladas, chilaquiles, and many more.

If by tortillas you mean the corn flatbread used to make tacos, then they are Mexican. But if you mean the omelet-like dish made with eggs and potatoes (also known as “tortilla de patatas”), then we're talking about a Spanish specialty.

Although it has its origin in Mexico, the flour tortilla was invented by the Spanish who arrived in the north of what we know today as Mexico.

For many South Americans, corn tortillas represent the staff of life, just as wheat bread does for Europeans. These hand-patted disks of fresh maize trace their roots to ancient Mesoamerica, where the tortilla held important ceremonial functions in addition to providing sustenance.

Tortilla Mexican Grill PLC (branded as Tortilla) is a Mexican fast-food restaurant based in the United Kingdom, founded in 2007 by Brandon and Jennifer Stephens. As of October 2022, it has 84 branches in the UK.