La Tortilla

The humble tortilla is Mexico’s national bread. It is available from wheat flour which yields a smooth, pliable tortilla, or from corn flour which crafts a thicker but less pliable counterpart. Edge to edge the basic tortilla is approximately six inches across. Larger models, used for quesadillas and smaller models, doubled up and used for small tacos exist. These sub-groups fall into the category of specialty versions. Current pricing on a kilo of fresh tortillas is 9 pesos ($0.75 USD)  

In Yelapa, there is actually a fully mechanized tortilleria.  A large stainless steel, twelve foot long machine consumes raw ingredients via a hopper at one end and emits perfectly shaped warm corn tortillas out the opposing end. Work begins early enough so that one kilo packages (roughly twenty tortillas) can be packed into thermal coolers and delivered first to the handful of markets sprinkled throughout the village and then to a dozen restaurants plus the numerous taquerias. This delivery system consists of one young man on a small but nimble blue scooter. His movements throughout the village are announced by blasts from his metallic horn.  With commercial deliveries completed by mid-morning, he straps a blue cooler onto his scooter and cruises the streets marketing his remaining product to passersby or repeat household clients. As before, his progress is punctuated with the scooter’s brassy horn followed by his announcement “llegaron tortillas.” (Tortillas have arrived) By late morning, all product has been delivered and he retires for the day. This cycle repeats itself seven days per week, three hundred sixty-five days per year.

The combination of high humidity plus the absence of preservatives dramatically limits the shelf life of these life-sustaining disks. A paper wrapped kilo (just over two pounds) of product can be stored no more than two days. One way of extending this shelf life is to cut the tortilla into strips or triangles and fry them. This now alters the original product into chips/strips (totopos/nachos). These are placed alongside a bowl of salsa and disappear in countless Mexican kitchens before dinner.

I recently attended a birthday party for the twelve year old daughter of a good friend. The parents, both of whom are accomplished chefs, decided to produce a large pot of spaghetti topped with a rich meat and chili sauce. Seated immediately adjacent to me was a gregarious five-year old muchacho. Now, understand that pasta is not something you’re likely to see coming out of a Mexican kitchen. There is little, if any use of pasta in general. My diminutive table mate appeared quite perplexed. His repeated attempts to stab, spear or otherwise impale the spaghetti onto a fork proved futile. He paused pensively for a moment and then did what every kid in Mexico would do. He reached into a napkin which folded neatly over a nest of tortillas. His little hand re-emerged with a single item in tow. Transported to the plate in front of him, the tortilla lay empty for a second before a fork, surgically employed scooted spaghetti up and over it. Filled to some predetermined level, my neighbor carefully rolls the tortilla, pinches it and transports his tortilla full of spaghetti and meat sauce directly into his tiny mouth. Dilemma dissolved.

Commercial Break

In observation of today’s topic, I will offer a free fresh half kilo of tortillas to any new kayak booking throughout the balance of March. Some rules do apply but they’re pretty minimal. See you on the Playita.