The earliest type of tortilla is the corn tortilla, originating in the ancient societies of Mesoamerica. Corn (maize) was the main staple of these societies since its cultivation in the 6th millennium BC; they developed the process of nixtamalization to produce masa, a dough that would become the basis of corn tortillas. It is unknown when tortillas originated, but they became popular with the development of civilizations, such as the Oaxaca Valley in 500–100 BC. They became a central dish of Aztec cuisine by the time of the Aztec Empire. Aztec influence may have popularized the tortilla among the Maya, among whom tortillas were previously not present.
Wheat was introduced to Mesoamerica during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, which began with the arrival of Hernan Cortés in 1519. The Spanish began eating wheat loaf bread while the indigenous population ate corn tortillas. The Spanish territory of New Spain (later Mexico) expanded northward into regions including Sonora. Settlers of Northern Mexico began eating flour tortillas made of wheat grown in the region, creating a regional division between wheat and corn tortillas. Mexican populations in Texas and in California were displaced by Americans in the 19th century, but tortillas remained common in these areas. Corn tortillas also increased in consumption among indigenous Mexicans, despite views of the Porfirio Diaz administration opposing them.
After the end of the Mexican Revolution in 1920, electrification made tortilla making more efficient, and workers in cities began purchasing tortillas from tortillerias. The tortilla became a national symbol of Mexico around this time and became popular among the urban middle class. Tortilla machines for industrial production gained widespread use in the 1950s, although there had been earlier attempts. This change was marked by the use of dried masa flour, or masa harina, which was produced by two Mexican firms: Maseca and the state-owned Minsa. Government policies known as "Tortilla Welfare" promoted the use of masa harina for its efficiency.
The tortilla industry grew in the late 20th century as technology decreased production costs. The industry saw significant growth in the United States amid the growing popularity of Mexican cuisine in the country. As Mexico's economy shifted to neoliberalism, corporations such as Gruma (the parent of Maseca) saw the most growth. Tortilla prices in Mexico increased as the government lifted subsidies and the corn industry became globalized. In 2007, protests against high prices culimated in the Tortilla Price Stabilization Pact. The popularity of tortillas increased worldwide in the early 21st century, reaching Europe and Asia, but decreased in Mexico.
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica Origin
The history and culture of the tortilla is connected with that of corn (maize); the corn tortilla is the oldest form of tortilla. Corn was first cultivated by the 6th millennium BC, an adaptation of the crop teosinte. It became the main staple food for all the ancient societies of Mesoamerica, and its cultivation was a major factor in the development of civilizations in the region. This grain became ingrained in the religions and lifestyles of these civilizations. Some Mesoamerican creation myths, such as the one described in the Mayan Popol Vuh, saying that humans were created from corn. Early forms of tortillas may have originated as soon as maize was cultivated.
In early Mesoamerica, most foods involved nixtamalization, the process of treating corn with alkaline limewater. Earlier societies performed this process using wood ash; the development of using lime was possibly to improve taste. Early Mesoamerican cultures used stone metates to grind masa, or nixtamalized corn. This would become the basis of tortillas and several other dishes, including tamales.
The exact origin of tortillas is unknown. The first versions may have been baked against hot stones. Archaeologically, tortillas are associated with the presence of the comal, a clay griddle, which may have been designed for optimal tortilla baking but could have been used for other foods. Remnants of a comal and processed lime dating to circa 700 BC were discovered by archaeologist David Grove at the site of Chalcatzingo in the state of Morelos, the earliest likely evidence of tortillas.
Aztec folklore states that the tortilla was invented by a peasant for a king who was visiting his village. Working quickly, the peasant roughly shaped some masa and cooked it on a stone slab before salting it and serving it to the king. One Maya folktale states that a king, to choose his wife, held a contest for the best idea to serve the Maya people. A peasant who loved the king received a divine vision of the tortilla, which won the king's affection.
Tortillas were a development of complex societies such as city-states, requiring time-intensive labor; tools such as pots, strainers, grinders, and griddles; and reliable sources of corn, limewater, and fuel. They became a convenient and palatable food that could easily be carried by workers. It is likely that these cultures prepared tortillas in roughly the same way as they are prepared thousands of years later; there is no archaeological evidence that the process changed.
In Mesoamerican cultures
Tortillas became more common as more people lived in settlements with agriculture. In the Oaxaca Valley, which experienced economic and population growth around 500–100 BC, tortillas may have become popular as people spent more time outside the house; archaeological findings of comales are concentrated around the Monte Albán, a capital city during this era. As farmers began working beyond the household, they packed tortillas for lunch, folded around beans or game meat for an early form of taco. The Aztecs were initially nomadic and created simple tortillas without nixtamalization before they established cities such as Tenochtitlán.
Tortillas became one of the main foods in Mesoamerica during the Classic period, which began in 300 BC. Making tortillas, like other foods, was generally women's work. They were prepared daily as tortillas do not last long. Ancient Mesoamericans made tortillas with a diameter of about eight fingers, with their thickness varying to paper-thin. They used various types of corn—white, yellow, blue, brown, or purple. They ate them with beans or chile sauce. The Aztecs also created a food similar to tortilla chips, , consisting of wedges of tortillas toasted on a griddle for increased shelf life. Other tortilla-like foods, including totopos, tlayudas, tlacoyos, and memelas, were found in various regions of ancient Mesoamerica.
The Maya did not make tortillas during the Classic period, instead using masa for tamales. Archaeological findings from the region are dominated by pots, with almost no evidence of comals. Tortillas are not mentioned in texts of the Maya script or depicted in undisputed Maya sculptures. Tortillas were introduced to the Maya much later, likely by migrants from Central Mexico.
Tortillas were associated with occasions such as birthdays and religious festivals. They held religious significance as corn was sacred. In one Maya tribe, tortillas were put in graves, believing that the spirits of dogs that were eaten by humans would wish to enact revenge, but would instead eat the tortillas. The Classic-period Zapotec also buried their dead with tortillas and other foods such as cacao.
Aztec Empire era
Tortillas were important in the Aztec Empire, as documented in many Aztec records. The popularity of tortillas in this era may have been associated with a demand for portable food. They were also faster to prepare than other foods. Tortilla vendors arose in the Aztec era, perhaps serving visitors from beyond the city as well as households that wanted to spend less work and fuel on cooking. As annual tribute from the city-state of Tepeacac, Tenochtitlán received enough corn and lime to regularly produce tortillas. Tortillas featured in Aztec poetry and ceramic art, while the Codex Mendoza depicted the use of the comal for tortilla baking.
In Aztec cuisine, a typical meal included tortillas, a bean dish, and a sauce. The proper way to eat a tortilla was to gently fold it and take multiple bites. Aztec girls learned to make tortillas before they were fifteen. Aztec culture created a dichotomy between good cooks, who could create tortillas of various sizes, shapes, and flavors, and bad cooks, whose tortillas were salty, sour, or smoky. Servings of tortillas for children were strictly based on age, receiving half a tortilla at age 3, one from age 4, one and a half from age 6, and two from age 13. Housewives believed that, if a tortilla folded while baking or got accidentally knocked over, it signalled the arrival of a visitor or a husband returning from travelling.
Tortillas were eaten by all social classes of Tenochtitlán. Peasant families made tortillas every day; they ate it with mole using three fingers of the right hand. Street food vendors at marketplaces sold tortillas with ingredients such as squash, nopales, and amaranth seeds, as well as tacos with scrambled turkey eggs, a street food for the wealthy. Vendors of good tortillas were associated with the virtue of discipline, and fallen crumbs were picked up by young boys to avoid waste and divine retribution. Warriors brought tortillas to battle, as described by a chronicler of the siege of Coyohuacan.
Some types of tortillas were created for Aztec nobility and emperors. Nobles regularly ate versions including , which were large and thick; , which were thin; , which were folded; , which were multi-layered; , made of soft corn; and , made of white corn and beans. The last independent Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, ate variations including , which were large and thick, and , which were very thin and made of white corn, as well as tortillas made with eggs or shaped like butterflies or leaves. A version uniquely prepared for him and the nobility was made of red corn, linseed flowers, and various medicinal herbs and roots.
Tortillas frequently featured in Aztec religious practices. The Aztecs believed that tortillas had souls. Peasant households had idols of Huehueteotl, the god of fire, to which they offered pieces of tortilla with every meal. Tortillas and poultry were offered to Quetzalcoatl to pray for the coming of the wet season. Tortillas mixed with tamales, beans, and honey were eaten to honor the god Xipe Totec, while tortillas made of green corn and amaranth were eaten to honor the goddess Chicomecōātl. Aztec temples hung pieces of tortillas from strings to be used as offerings, and temple priests wore S-shaped tortillas around their necks. Priests offered a basket of five tortillas topped with a frog during feasts of Centeōtl, god of corn, and holy virgins prepared very light tortillas or tortillas shaped like hands and feet as offerings to Huītzilōpōchtli. Human sacrifices were compared to tortillas that fed Huītzilōpōchtli. To prepare for sacrifices priests used dried tortillas to act out a sacrifice on the victim. Healers treated sick children by placing one and a half green corn tortillas on their chests. During Aztec fasts, tortillas were made without nixtamal.