A corn tortilla is three ingredients: corn, water, lime. The variation across Mexico is still enormous, because the corn itself, the grind, and the thickness all change from region to region.
The corn
White corn is the national default: mild, slightly sweet, and pale. Yellow corn is sturdier with a deeper flavor and is common in the north. Blue corn, associated with the central highlands and Oaxaca, is nuttier, softer, and prone to tearing. Red and speckled criollo varieties show up in Oaxaca and Chiapas with distinctly earthy, almost floral notes.
Thickness and size
- Mexico City: thin, about 12 cm, made for two-tortilla street tacos.
- Northern Mexico: flour tortillas dominate; corn versions are larger and thinner.
- Oaxaca: thicker blandas and enormous crisp tlayudas.
- Yucatan: thin and pliable, made to hold saucy cochinita.
Nixtamal versus masa harina
Tortillas made from freshly nixtamalized corn taste sweeter and more aromatic than those made from dried masa harina. The difference is roughly the difference between fresh pasta and dried. Most tortillerias now use a blend; the best still grind their own.
How to judge one
A good tortilla puffs when it hits the comal, smells like sweet corn, folds without cracking, and tastes like something on its own. If you would not eat it plain with a little salt, it is not carrying your taco.
Buying better tortillas
Find a local tortilleria and buy them warm the same day. Store them wrapped in cloth inside a plastic bag, not in the refrigerator, which stales them quickly. Reheat on a dry comal, never in a microwave alone.
Our homemade corn tortilla recipe and our nixtamalization guide will take you the rest of the way.
