Tortas
(Mexican Sandwiches)
Mexican tortas are luscious traditional sandwiches filled with delicious, mostly authentic Mexican ingredients. They are a unique Mexican creation, considering they are served in bread rolls, an ingredient that is not so often associated with Mexico.
There are two bread varieties usually incorporated in tortas, the traditional French influenced bolillos, and the similar round teleras, which are an authentic Mexican product from Puebla. The rolls are sliced horizontally, buttered, and stuffed with the most popular Mexican ingredients such as beans, avocados, ham, queso, jalapeños, and a myriad of other typical Mexican dishes like fried beef or chicken, shredded beef, roasted pork, and even tamales.
Tortas are traditionally served cold, but in the 1960s, the hot, grill-heated varieties started to appear and soon became equally famous. There is not much known about the origin of this hearty sandwich, but it is believed that during the French colonization, French bakers introduced their tradition of baking bread to Mexicans, who modified it and created their popular varieties, which later became a staple of Mexican cuisine. Read more
The birthplace of the torta is usually associated with the city of Puebla, the place where traditional telera originated, but the location where they flourished was Mexico City. Although tortas have not been widely recognized outside of Mexico as tacos, burritos, and tortillas, they are a favorite meal eaten throughout the country.
Tortas are usually sold at food stalls and small restaurants, popularly called torterias, widespread across Mexican cities. The variations and regionally influenced creations of tortas are endless. The most common ones are cubana, which usually combines at least four meat varieties and two types of cheese; pepito, made with marinated sliced steak; cochinita, made with slowly roasted pork; and agohada, a Guadalajara favorite made with pork and served in tomato sauce.
