Sopes: what they are, how to make them and toppings

What is it?

Sopes are one of the most popular and representative Mexican antojitos. They are made with small, thick tortillas (8 to 10 cm in diameter) of nixtamalised maize masa, which after being partly cooked on the comal are pinched at the rim to form a raised 'plate' or 'wall', and are then finished by frying in lard or oil. This shape allows the toppings to be held without spilling: a layer of refried beans, then a stew on top — chicken tinga, chorizo with potato, picadillo, shredded beef, mushrooms in chipotle — green or red salsa, shredded lettuce or cabbage, cream, crumbled fresh cheese and chopped onion. They are an emblematic dish of Mexican 'antojería', sold in markets, fairs, tianguis and traditional cooking restaurants across the country, but with their epicentre in central Mexico. Pati Jinich, Animal Gourmet and El Universal document them as an essential antojito of the popular repertoire.

Origin and history

Sopes are an antojito of clear pre-Hispanic origin. The word 'sope' comes from the Nahuatl 'tlatsopelic', meaning 'thick tortilla', and is documented in colonial codices and chronicles such as Sahagún's in the sixteenth century. The Mesoamerican cultures — Mexica, Tlaxcalan, Otomí — already made thick tortillas with a raised rim to serve thick stews without them running off. Larousse Cocina notes that the sope is one of the oldest antojitos of the national repertoire, alongside tlacoyos and gorditas. After the conquest, the introduction of lard allowed sopes to be fried or browned, a profile they keep to this day. Each region developed its own variant: the classic sope of Mexico City measures 8-10 cm; the small sope of Veracruz is smaller and is called 'picaditas'; Pueblan sopes are served with refried beans and egg; the Nayarit ones carry prawn and oyster. The industrialisation of nixtamalised masa and maize flour (Maseca, Minsa) has led to quick home versions, but fresh nixtamal masa is still considered superior. In the twentieth century the sope became popular as a street antojito in Mexico City markets such as La Merced and San Juan.

Characteristic ingredients

The masa used is fresh nixtamalised maize or maize flour (Maseca or another) hydrated with warm water and salt. The consistency should be firm but pliable. Balls of masa of 50-60 grams are formed and flattened in a tortilla press or between two sheets of plastic to a thickness of about 1 cm — thicker than a normal tortilla. They are partly cooked on a dry comal on both sides (1-2 minutes per side) until cooked but not browned. Immediately, while still hot, the edges are pinched with the fingers to form the characteristic 'plate' that holds the toppings. They are then lightly fried in lard or hot oil so they brown and crisp. The classic filling is refried beans — black in the centre and south, pinto in the north — as a base, with a stew on top, salsa, lettuce, cheese and cream. Regional variants: sopes of chicken tinga (Mexico City), of chorizo and potato (Bajío), of chicharrón in green salsa (State of Mexico), of oyster or prawn (Nayarit), of egg and bean (Puebla), of mole with shredded chicken (Oaxaca). Some stalls prepare them to order, others have pre-cooked batches ready to serve.

Cultural significance

Sopes are one of the pillars of Mexican street and traditional cooking, part of the corpus of 'antojitos' that also includes gorditas, tlacoyos, quesadillas, huaraches and tlayudas. The 2010 UNESCO declaration of traditional Mexican cuisine — the Michoacán paradigm — explicitly includes maize antojitos as living cultural expressions. Sopes are ubiquitous at patron-saint fairs, Sunday tianguis, markets, fondas, traditional cooking restaurants and events such as the national independence celebrations. In Mexico City, markets such as the Mercado de San Juan, Coyoacán and the Mercado Hidalgo are essential reference points. The community of traditional antojito cooks, such as those of the Coyoacán market, has five generations of cooks who keep up family recipes. Chefs such as Mónica Patiño, Yuri de Gortari and Pati Jinich have brought them into fine dining as an example of the elegance of popular cooking. Economically, sopes sustain thousands of family microbusinesses in markets across the country. In popular culture they appear in songs, novels and films as icons of the Mexican table.

Frequently asked questions