The artisan tortillerías opening across Spain

Something extraordinary is happening in Spain: more and more entrepreneurs, most of them Mexican but also passionate Spaniards, are opening artisan tortillerías that produce nixtamalised corn tortillas just as they are made in Mexico. We are not talking about the industrial wheat tortillas sold in supermarkets, nor the crunchy yellow-corn tex-mex kind. We are talking about real corn tortillas, made with fresh nixtamal masa, pressed and cooked to order.

This movement, which began timidly about five years ago, has accelerated enormously. Today there are artisan tortillerías in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Bilbao and other cities. And they do not only supply Mexican restaurants: more and more private individuals, Spanish chefs and foodies are discovering the vast difference between a fresh nixtamal tortilla and anything else.

Why are artisan tortillas different?

To understand the revolution, you have to understand nixtamalisation: the ancestral Mesoamerican process that transforms dried corn into masa for tortillas.

Nixtamalisation consists of cooking dried corn in water with lime (calcium hydroxide) for several hours. This chemical process:

• Releases the niacin (vitamin B3) in the corn, which is otherwise not bioavailable. This prevents pellagra, a disease that affected European populations who adopted corn without nixtamalisation.
• Increases the calcium content of the corn by up to 750%.
• Improves the amino-acid profile, making the corn's protein more complete.
• Transforms the texture, creating a flexible, cohesive masa that can be pressed into tortillas.
• Develops an aroma and flavour completely different from unprocessed corn: notes of damp earth, mineral and sweet-vegetal that are unmistakable.

Industrial tortillas (the ones you find in supermarkets) are made with pre-cooked corn flour (Maseca/Harina PAN style), which is corn that was nixtamalised, dehydrated and industrially ground. Although it is technically nixtamal, the result is vastly inferior in flavour, texture and nutrition to a tortilla made with fresh nixtamal masa.

The difference between an industrial tortilla and an artisan nixtamal one is comparable to the difference between industrial sliced bread and an artisan sourdough loaf. Technically both are bread, but in practice they are two completely different products.

How an artisan tortillería works

The process in an artisan tortillería in Spain faithfully replicates what is done in Mexico:

1. Corn selection: The best tortillerías import Mexican heirloom corn (blue, red, white, yellow) or use selected high-quality European corn.
2. Nixtamalisation: The corn is cooked with lime for 8-12 hours, left to rest overnight and washed to remove the excess lime and the grain skins (pericarps).
3. Grinding: The nixtamal is ground in a volcanic stone mill (industrial metate) that produces a smooth, moist masa with the perfect texture.
4. Forming: The masa is portioned and pressed in a tortilla press (tortilladora), forming uniform discs.
5. Cooking: The tortillas are cooked on a comal (hot griddle) at high temperature, turning them two or three times until they puff up (a sign of perfect cooking).
6. Packaging: They are wrapped in paper or cloth to keep the moisture and distributed fresh, usually the same day.

The artisan tortilla market in Spain

The market has grown thanks to several converging factors:

The Mexican community: With more than 40,000 Mexicans in Spain, the demand for authentic tortillas is real and constant. Many tortillerías started supplying Mexican families to order before opening to the general public.

The Mexican-cooking boom: Spain has more than 500 Mexican restaurants, and the most serious ones need quality tortillas. Artisan tortillerías provide them with a product that was previously impossible to obtain.

Spanish foodies and chefs: Spanish gastronomic curiosity is insatiable. Michelin-starred chefs and advanced home cooks have discovered that the nixtamal tortilla elevates any dish to another level.

The artisan trend: Spain is experiencing a moment of valuing the artisanal: craft beer, sourdough bread, farmhouse cheese. The nixtamal tortilla fits perfectly into this trend.

What to look for in a good artisan tortilla?

If you are going to buy artisan tortillas, these are the quality indicators:

• Ingredients: It should contain only corn, water and lime (calcium hydroxide). If it has preservatives, stabilisers or gums, it is not artisanal.
• Texture: It should be flexible but firm, not brittle or rubbery. A good tortilla folds without breaking.
• Aroma: It smells of fresh corn, damp earth and something mineral. If it smells of nothing or of plastic, it is industrial.
• Colour: It varies with the corn: white, yellow, blue-grey, red. It should never be a uniform bright yellow (that is colouring).
• It puffs up on the comal: A tortilla made from good masa puffs up like a balloon when heated. This indicates that the masa is well hydrated and the cooking was correct.
• Freshness: Artisan tortillas are best on the day they are made. After 2-3 days they lose flexibility (but are still excellent for chilaquiles or tortilla chips).

How to heat tortillas correctly

Heating tortillas seems simple, but doing it wrong can ruin even the best tortilla:

1. Hot comal or pan with NO oil: This is the correct method. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and put the tortilla on for 30 seconds per side. It should have golden spots.
2. NEVER in the microwave: The microwave leaves them rubbery and inedible within minutes. If there is no other option, wrap them in a damp cloth and heat for 20 seconds maximum.
3. Directly over the gas flame: A Mexican trick: put the tortilla directly over the stovetop flame for 10 seconds per side with tongs. It chars slightly and comes out perfect.
4. Keep them in a tortilla warmer: A tortilla warmer (insulated container) or simply a clean tea towel keeps the tortillas hot and flexible throughout the meal.

Making your own tortillas at home

If you do not have access to an artisan tortillería, you can make corn tortillas at home. With nixtamalised corn flour (Maseca or Minsa, available in Mexican shops), water and salt you can make decent tortillas in 30 minutes. They will not be the same as fresh nixtamal, but they will be infinitely superior to the industrial supermarket kind.

The boom in artisan tortillerías in Spain is one more indicator that Mexican cooking is ceasing to be an exotic curiosity and becoming part of the Spanish gastronomic landscape. And it all starts with the tortilla: the soul of Mexican cooking. Discover more about Mexican cooking in our recipes section and find the best Mexican restaurants near you.