Corn or Flour?

Corn or flour? 

In my case, at dining establishments, I choose corn, almost always. I figure that if a restaurant can present me with a tender, not crumbly, even house-made, corn tortilla, then everything else on my plate stands a chance at being food perfection.

It’s hard to get corn tortillas right. One thing I had my heart set on, after pocketing my first paycheck out of college, was to purchase a tortilla press.  (Have you ever seen one of these? Not something you’d want to drop on your foot…)

 I have since squished hundreds of little balls of masa, sometimes with amazing results, although most times nominally. Granted, my version of amazing, with an almost complete lack of culinary talent, is laughable to most of the moms of my Latino students, who pump out perfectly round corn-masa tortillas in their kitchens…without the aid of a tortilla squisher.

So, here’s a story:

It´s the summer that I turn 20, and I find myself on this birthday in Hildalgo, TX for two weeks, helping a team distribute beans, rice, and clothing to churches across the border in Reynosa, Tamaulipas Mexico--A very cool gig, I’d say, for a temporary college-drop out. Armed with a couple of years of high school Spanish plus a course or two at the university, I attempt to be a communicator and try very hard to not be an ugly American. 

One day the older college drop-outs in the group venture into the rougher part of Reynosa for the morning to go to mass and to hand out supplies.  I am made to stay behind, not being 21 yet. Disappointed? Feeling left out? Yep. But… I end up with the better deal. ‘Door Number 2’ involves helping to get lunch ready, which means hanging in the outdoor kitchen with some amazing, kind, generous, and oh-my-gosh-can-they-cook Abuelitas. Oh the smells of that kitchen! (Next LAFT installment, I´ll describe that kitchen and its surroundings)--And the abuelitas--they are so patient with me! It is the first time I have ever watched tortillas being made, or have even considered how they are made.

They let me try. I think they are letting me try just so they can enjoy a good chuckle. How on God’s green Earth can you take a little ball of corn masa and press it into a perfectly flat, perfectly round circle…with just the palm of your hand? My tortilla attempts look more like squashed cocoons.  I chuckle as well and humbly resign my post –I do better with the tomato and onion chopping. Never have I tasted a lunch more appetizing or more meaningful. The pinto beans, seasoned to perfection, are beyond my realm of understanding.   They’re also beyond delicious, and a mystery as to how to get them soaked, sorted, and prepared properly. 

THIS—this is the day I fall in love with Mexico, Mexicans, Mexican cooking, Mexico Everything. I know finally what I´m meant for, and when I eventually return to college, I will be studying my newly adopted culture… if for no other reasons than that Mexicans are beautiful people and their food… ISTHEABSOLUTEBESTFOODONTHEPLANET.

Back to Corn or Flour:

Corn just feels more authentic to me. I always choose it if it’s available. This practice, however, is tortilla roulette. Did I mention that it’s not so easy to get corn tortillas right? 

Story Number 2:

 This past fall after a morning of goofing off in various plant nurseries with my bff the gardener, we find ourselves amply hungry at Teresa’s in Minneapolis. I like the atmosphere. Teresa’s is casual, a store front “lonchería”, where they serve your food on a wooden board topped with parchment paper.  Messy. Delicious and Messy. Of course they have fish tacos cupped in corn tortillas on the menu and of course I order them.  They come in a set of 3—seems like it´s always that way—and I buckle down to try mine. The fish has been grilled, broken into chunks, and topped with fresh salsa and lettuce.  

One bite in, however, and the bottom drops out of my world…or at least out of my fish taco. The disappointment is real—real Teresa´s Messy. Instead of bending nicely like good little corn tortillas, ours are stubborn and dry, cracking down the middle and laughing at us as our first mouthful contained mostly air. But my bff and I are resilient and resourceful. We finish our tacos with a fork and spoon.  Will I eat at Teresa´s again? Oh sí…I´ll just bring a bib with me next time.

Choosing flour tortillas, on the other hand, is a more sure bet—they seem more consistent and easier to manage; but I don´t like flour tortillas all that much. They feel like cheating, like using a fork instead of chop sticks in an Asian restaurant. I´d rather fumble ungracefully and try with the chop sticks than give in to the American fork…until I my food world bottoms out and I end up using the fork, as in the example above.

I decided that I´ll do some reading on the history of the corn tortilla and the beauty that is masa flour. So far I have turned up claims that even before 3,000 BC, the tortilla had been perfected by the Maya. One article I read purported that relics and artifacts from corn products in Central America from as far back as 10,000 BC, have been excavated.  I also found quotes from an article by Sophie Avernin entitled Tackling the Taco: A Guide to the Art of Taco Eating. I haven't found the original article yet, but I did find Sophie on FB and Twitter. Yep, I'm a follower now. Maybe it will improve my masa-ball squishing skills.