All this is to say that neither those round flat circles of cooked corn masa nor the ones made with flour are wraps. They are tortillas. They have a long tradition in Mexico and nothing that has been added to them in recent years—not the spinach that turns them green, nor the bell peppers that tint them red—has been an improvement.
In contemporary California the simple perfection of a tortilla has been eclipsed by the modern conceit known as a wrap, which refers both to the wrapper and to the mishmash of ingredients inside.
Yes, this humble staple is in trouble, and not just because the Mexican government has lifted price controls. In contemporary California the simple perfection of a tortilla has been eclipsed by the modern conceit known as a wrap, which refers both to the wrapper and to the mishmash of ingredients inside. Shiitake mushrooms, raw tuna, refried beans, brown rice, sun-dried tomatoes, couscous, tofu, arugula, grilled raddichio, basil oil, wasabi chutney, mango-ginger-soy salsa, all stuffed into an innocent tortilla: A wrap is convenience food at its most confused.
It’s a shame. A taco, two warm corn tortillas filled as they were meant to be, as they have been for centuries, with a little chopped meat, a few shrimp, or some grilled fish or vegetables, minced onions, a squeeze of lime, a whisper of salsa, a bit of cilantro, is a thing of absolute perfection. If you can eat it outside, near the ocean, at a taco cart under the Mexican full moon, all the better. If the tropical wind picks up, if the breeze turns chilly, then, and only then, will you need a wrap.
Related:
For the love of traditional tacos I have written for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat since April 1997. Here you’ll find links to many of my recipes that feature tortillas, including chorizo verde, potato and zucchini tacos, shrimp and avocado tacos, corn and poblano tacos, wild Gulf shrimp tacos with cabbage salsa and more.
