Tetelas: what they are, what they are filled with and how they are made

What is it?

Tetelas are triangular Mexican antojitos made from filled nixtamalised dough, typical of the Puebla-Mixtec-Oaxacan culinary tradition. To make them, a tortilla is flattened, a filling is placed in the centre (ground refried beans, fresh cheese, asiento de chicharrón, ayocote beans or requesón) and the dough is folded in three flaps towards the centre to form a sealed triangle. They are cooked on a clay or iron comal until the dough is golden and crisp on the outside and soft within. Tetelas are a staple of markets, fondas and patron saint festivals in the Mixteca Poblana, the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca and parts of central Mexico. Their geometric shape and the combination of dough, filling and comal make them one of the most singular and recognisable preparations in the Mexican repertoire of maize-dough antojitos.

Origin and history

Tetelas are a product of the pre-Hispanic and colonial cooking of the Mixtec region, which spans parts of the present-day states of Puebla, Oaxaca and Guerrero. Their name comes from the Nahuatl tetelli or tetela, meaning mound or little hill, in reference to the antojito's triangular shape. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún does not mention tetelas explicitly, but he describes various forms of folded and filled tortillas in Mexica cooking that may have been their forerunners. Tetelas as we know them today are documented in Mexican recipe books of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, always associated with the Mixteca Poblana (Tepexi de Rodríguez, Huehuetlán, Acatlán) and the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. Larousse Cocina and the Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana record them as a heritage antojito. In recent decades, tetelas have travelled beyond their home region thanks to chefs such as Margarita Carrillo and movements to revalorise traditional Mexican cooking. Mexican restaurants in Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca now offer them as a premium antojito with creative fillings.

Characteristic ingredients

Making tetelas starts with nixtamalised dough (preferably freshly made, from white, yellow or blue maize). Small balls are formed and flattened in a tortilla press or by hand into a medium tortilla (12-15 cm). A spoonful of filling is placed in the centre: the most traditional is ground refried black beans seasoned with avocado leaf (the Mixtec bean tetelas); other classic fillings include asiento de chicharrón (Puebla), fresh cheese with epazote, requesón, refried ayocote beans or, in contemporary versions, mushrooms, huitlacoche, Oaxaca cheese and others. To form the triangle, three edges of the tortilla are folded towards the centre, overlapping to seal in the filling (the edges form the three sides of the triangle). The tetela is cooked on a hot comal, first on the folded side (to seal it) and then on the smooth side, until both are golden and crisp (5-7 minutes in total). They are served hot with spicy salsa, crema, crumbled cheese and sometimes avocado.

Cultural significance

Tetelas are the gastronomic emblem of the Mixteca Poblana and the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, regions where they form part of both everyday and festive heritage. Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, includes tetelas as a representative antojito. In markets such as that of Acatlán de Osorio (Puebla), Huehuetlán el Grande and various Mixtec villages, traditional cooks prepare tetelas on clay comales over embers, serving customers who eat them hot at the stall itself. At patron saint festivals, weddings and community celebrations, tetelas are ritual food and are prepared in large quantities. Contemporary Mexican cooking has brought tetelas to Mexico City and to international restaurants: chefs such as Margarita Carrillo, Mónica Patiño and Liz Galicia present tetelas with innovative fillings that keep the traditional spirit alive. Gastronomic interest in tetelas has also boosted the economy of Mixtec villages, where women organised in cooperatives offer traditional cookery experiences to tourists.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a tetela and a quesadilla?

The tetela is triangular, with three flaps of the tortilla folded towards the centre, creating three edges and a thicker layer of dough around the rim. The quesadilla is semicircular: a tortilla folded in half over the filling. Tetelas are typically from Puebla, the Mixteca and Oaxaca; quesadillas are found everywhere in Mexico. The shape and the folding distinguish one from the other.

What do tetelas taste like?

They have a deep flavour of nixtamalised maize toasted on the comal, with the filling integrated into it (beans with avocado leaf, cheese, asiento). The texture is crisp on the outside and soft within, with the filling warm and melting. Traditional Mixtec tetelas have a pronounced flavour of black beans with avocado leaf, herbal and aniseed-like, considered the most authentic taste.

How are tetelas served?

They are served hot and freshly made on an individual plate, accompanied by molcajete-ground salsa (green or red), crema, crumbled fresh cheese and sometimes sliced avocado. In markets they are served on a banana leaf or a clay plate. They can be eaten as a midday antojito or a light supper; some people pair them with brothy beans or a glass of atole.

Where do tetelas come from?

Tetelas originate from the Mixtec region, particularly the Mixteca Poblana (Acatlán, Tepexi de Rodríguez, Huehuetlán) and the Mixteca of Oaxaca (Huajuapan, Tlaxiaco, Nochixtlán). Their tradition is pre-Hispanic-colonial and mestizo, tied to the milpa system and to the use of beans and maize as dietary staples. Today they are eaten throughout central and southern Mexico.