tortillas
Also known as: Soft Tortillas
Thin, round flatbreads made from either wheat flour or corn, used to wrap or hold fillings as in tacos, burritos, and quesadillas; corn tortillas are smaller, firmer, and more prone to cracking, while flour tortillas are larger and more pliable.
Buying guidance
Check whether corn or flour is wanted specifically -- they behave differently enough (corn is sturdy once warmed but cracks easily cold, flour folds easily but tastes different) that swapping without adjusting technique gives disappointing results. Warming corn tortillas briefly in a dry pan or over a flame before folding is what keeps them from splitting; skipping this step is the most common reason they crack.
Substitutions
- Flour tortillas in place of corn, or the reverse -- changes flavor and pliability; corn is more traditional for many Mexican dishes, flour is far more forgiving to work with.
- Large lettuce leaves -- gluten-free, low-carb wrap, but structurally weaker and won't hold a wet filling as well.
Tips & common mistakes
Corn tortillas dry out and crack permanently if reheated too many times or left uncovered while still warm -- wrap a warmed stack in a clean towel or foil right away to trap steam and keep them pliable.
Storage
Flour tortillas are more prone to visible mold within a week at room temperature than corn tortillas, so refrigerate or freeze whatever won't be used within a few days once opened. Both freeze well stacked with a sheet of paper between each so individual tortillas can be peeled off frozen.