The difference between Mexican and Spanish tortillas
How can two completely different dishes have the same name? What do you get when you order a tortilla? It all depends on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you are on. In Mexico, a flatbread, but in Spain, a thick omelet with potato.
Spanish tortilla is a type of savory pie made mainly with egg and potato. It falls somewhere between a frittata and a quiche. It is usually served for breakfast or as tapas. The Latin American tortilla is traditionally made with corn flour and is more like a wrap. When you fill it, it becomes a taco or enchilada, and these are eaten for lunch or dinner.
Nowadays, Latin American tortillas are made with corn flour, but sometimes with wheat flour too. The wraps used to make burritos may have the same name, even though not a single kernel of corn is involved.
Here’s the story
When the Spanish invasion of Latin America took place, the Spanish learned about the Mexican tortilla. When they later returned to Spain, they found the round shape of their potato omelet similar enough to the Latin American wrap to give it the same name. A bit of a stretch, if you ask us, but there you go: the story behind the two tortillas.
Team Mexico or Spain?
So it was the Latin Americans who invented the tortilla, while the Spanish put their own spin on it and were particularly liberal in doing so. Are you team Mexico or team Spain?
