The Mexican flatbread made from corn or flour is called a tortilla. It is a thin, round, unleavened bread that serves as a staple of Mexican and Central American cuisine and as the foundation for foods such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and quesadillas.
Corn tortillas are the older form. They are made from masa, a dough produced by soaking corn in limewater through a process called nixtamalization. This treatment improves the dough’s flexibility and nutritional value before it is shaped and cooked on a comal, or griddle. Flour tortillas became common in northern Mexico after Spanish settlers introduced wheat.
The word tortilla comes from the Spanish torta, meaning “cake,” with a diminutive ending that suggests “little cake.” In Mexico, tortilla normally means the flatbread; in Spain, however, tortilla commonly refers to a potato omelette. Pita, naan, and arepa are different flatbreads with distinct origins and preparation methods.