Corn or Flour Tortillas: Both Will Please Your Taste Buds in Authentic Mexican Cuisine
Corn tortilla or flour tortillas. Which do you prefer? It really all comes down to your tastes – and maybe even your mood. Both feature heavily in Mexican cuisine to create outstanding dishes, ones that will please your taste buds and bring you back for more.
At El Mariachi, we know tortillas. We are an authentic Mexican restaurant in Parkersburg, WV, serving customers from all across the Mid-Ohio Valley. Whether a dish features a corn tortilla or a flour tortilla, El Mariachi is the Mexican restaurant where you can experience it!
But as we consider the use of corn tortillas and flour tortillas in Mexican cuisine, it is a good thing to become more familiar with both. What exactly are the differences between a corn tortilla and a flour tortilla?
The History of the Tortilla
Tortillas are now such a staple in everyday cuisine in general, and specifically in Mexican cuisine, that many take them for granted. But when and where did the tortilla first originate?
The oldest tortillas date back thousands of years to the Aztec civilization. They were first made of dried kernels of maize. The Mayan civilization also made tortillas a principal part of their diet, and Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes wrote in 1519 of natives eating a flat maize bread, known as “tlaxcalli” in their Nahuatl language. The word “tortilla” comes from Spanish and means “small cake.”
According to historyofbread.com, from the tortilla’s earliest origins, people made them by using a technique called nixtamalization. They would soak corn kernels in a solution of lime and water to remove the skins, and then grind the grains into dough called “masa.” They would pat a golf-ball sized piece of masa into a flat circle and bake it. This method is still used today in many places around southern Mexico.
Flour tortillas can trace their origins to the northern areas of Mexico, where wheat was a more viable crop than corn. They consist of a dough made from wheat flour, shortening, and other ingredients.
Corn Tortillas vs. Flour Tortillas
The first, and obvious, difference between corn tortillas and flour tortillas is the main ingredient. Due to these contrasting ingredients, they also differ in texture. A corn tortilla is thick and fragile, while a flour tortilla is much softer, can be much thinner, and will not break as easily.
They both serve many purposes in many different dishes in Mexican cuisine. Corn tortillas are the outer shell of a hard taco and make up tortilla chips, and chefs include them in enchiladas, tostadas, and other Mexican cuisine delights. Due to their flexibility and durability, chefs will use flour tortillas for burritos and other such dishes which feature heavy fillings.
From a nutritional viewpoint, flour tortillas generally have more calories with more fat, as they contain either shortening or lard. Both are comparable in carbs and protein. Flour tortillas are vastly higher in sodium content, while corn tortillas contain more fiber.
Which Tortilla Do You Prefer?
So which tortilla do you like? Are you Team Corn Tortilla or Team Flour Tortilla? Do you love Mexican cuisine that incorporates the corn tortilla’s crunchy goodness, or do you crave a flour tortilla wrapped full of amazing tastiness? If you want to compare and contrast, come try some of the amazing dishes at El Mariachi! Bring your family and friends, and see which type of tortilla appeals to each of them. Put them to the test, your very own taste test! You never know, you may come away with an appreciation for a new, tasty meal featuring either tortilla. We always welcome our customers to get crazy and try something new!
Authentic Mexican Cuisine, Right Here in Parkersburg, WV
Whether you prefer corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or both in your Mexican cuisine, you can always enjoy them both at El Mariachi. We are an authentic Mexican restaurant, right here in Parkersburg, WV. We have served authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine to customers from all across the Mid-Ohio Valley since 2005.
El Mariachi offers many tasty options for every member of your family, including fajitas, enchiladas supreme, and chori pollo. We also offer 14 flavors of margaritas.
You can’t sit down and eat here? No problem! We always provide convenient online ordering for take-out dining. You can also call El Mariachi, and we will have unbelievable Mexican cuisine waiting for you!
We also cater events for parties of ten or more people at our Mexican restaurant at 2107 Pike Street, Suite 2, in Parkersburg, WV, or at your location. Remember to ask us about our fundraisers, too!
Whenever you crave amazing Mexican cuisine from an authentic Mexican restaurant, come to El Mariachi!
To get a wonderful taste of authentic Mexican cuisine right here in Parkersburg, WV, check out El Mariachi. Call us today at (304) 420-9005, or like us on Facebook.