SAN ANTONIO – Few things are more comforting in South Texas than a warm and fresh flour tortilla. It’s a staple on dinner tables, at taquerias and in lunchboxes.
Beyond its delicious simplicity lies a rich history that stretches back hundreds of years.
Dr. Ellen Riojas-Clark, professor emerita of bicultural-bilingual studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the flour tortilla’s origins can be traced to the blending of cultures that began when the Spanish arrived in the Americas.
“When the Spaniards came into the Americas, they brought wheat,” Riojas-Clark said. “Some people say there’s Jewish and Moorish influence because Jewish people couldn’t eat corn. With the arrival of many different cultural groups into the Americas — ta-da — the flour tortilla was born.”
The flour tortilla has since become a culinary mainstay across the United States. Today, tortillas generate more than $6.5 billion in annual revenue nationwide — surpassing bagels, English muffins and pita bread in popularity.
For Riojas-Clark, making tortillas is more than a cooking technique. It’s an act of love.
“What other food in the United States is made with such caring, such heart?” Riojas-Clark said. “As I make them, I think of all the grandmothers who made tortillas de harina to feed their families.”
She believes passing down that tradition is key to preserving cultural identity.
“It doesn’t take much, just like making Christmas cookies,” Riojas-Clark said. “Take your kids and teach them what a tortilla is. It represents us; our contributions to the culinary arts.”
For Riojas-Clark and others, the humble tortilla is more than just food. It’s a piece of history, culture and home.
For a closer look at Dr. Riojas-Clark’s story and her homemade tortilla recipe, watch the video below:
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