Why You Should Always Reach for the Second Tortilla

The Tex-Mexplainer series explores the ingredients, techniques, history, and culture of Mexican food in Texas. As I sat with a few friends outside Cholula, Mexico, I reached for the wooden lid of the chiquihuite, or woven basket, which contained a stack of corn tortillas. I unwrapped the cloth and began to grab the first tortilla on top, when one of my pals slapped my hand away. “Don’t you dare,” he admonished me. We both laughed, and the others at the table followed. He told me that every tortillero (the generic name for a tortilla holder or warmer) holds a secret, a sacred tradition. Luna Vela, a culinary anthropologist and founder of Austin’s Neighborhood Molino, tells me the tradition isn’t taught, but it’s more like “inherited knowledge, the…

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