Mexican tostadas: the classic antojito of golden tortilla with tinga

What is it?

Tostadas are one of the most iconic antojitos of Mexican cuisine: a maize tortilla fried or dehydrated to a crisp texture that becomes a canvas for all kinds of stews. They are usually topped with refried beans, lettuce, cream, fresh cheese, salsa and a main filling, where shredded chicken tinga in chipotle is the most popular version. They are eaten almost throughout the country, in fondas and markets as well as at family suppers and gatherings, and have very distinct variants: pata or chicken tostadas of the centre, Monterrey-style regias tostadas with melted cheese, or the ceviche tostadas of the coast. Their apparent simplicity hides a precise technique to keep them from breaking at the first bite.

Origin and history

The tostada is a direct heir of the pre-Hispanic totopo: in Mesoamerican cooking, leaving tortillas in the sun to dehydrate them was a method of preservation that allowed them to be carried on long journeys. Sahagún already describes in the Florentine Codex toasted tortillas as food for travel and the market. After the conquest, the use of pork brought the lard with which they began to be fried, giving rise to the modern tostada. In the twentieth century, the industrialisation of masa allowed packaged tostadas to be mass-produced, and brands such as Charras or Tia Rosa made the product a national pantry staple. In parallel, the tostadas regias were born in Monterrey, with tortillas smeared with lard and cheese melted on the comal, while on the Pacific coast the ceviche or tuna tostada took hold. Tinga, originally from Puebla and popularised by Josefina Velazquez de Leon in her mid-twentieth-century cookbooks, finished consolidating the tostada-tinga pairing.

Characteristic ingredients

The base tortilla is made with nixtamalised maize; it is fried in oil or lard until rigid and golden, although lighter baked versions also exist. The classic tinga is made with cooked and shredded chicken, onion, tomato and chipotle chilli in adobo, which brings the characteristic smokiness; some variants include chorizo or are made with beef or pork. The toppings always include refried beans as an adhesive layer, shredded lettuce or cabbage, sour cream, crumbled fresh cheese, avocado and salsa. On the coast, the tostada is topped with ceviche, aguachile or tuna with mayonnaise; in Yucatan there is the cochinita tostada; in Sinaloa, the prawn tostada. The regias tostadas from Monterrey are distinct because the tortilla is smeared with lard and cheese before going on the comal, without frying. Today nopal, chia or gluten-free tostadas are also sold for specific audiences.

Cultural significance

Tostadas represent the thrift and ingenuity of Mexican cooking: they use up day-old hard tortillas and turn any stew into a complete dish. They are part of the ritual of suppers at home, wakes and weekend gatherings, and are stars of fondas and street carts in markets such as La Merced or Coyoacan. Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, includes tortilla and its derivatives - among them tostadas - as pillars of gastronomic identity. Economically, the packaged-tostada industry generates billions of pesos a year and sustains tortillerias and processors across the country. The tostadas regias of Monterrey are considered a regional hallmark of Nuevo Leon, while pata tostadas are an emblem of Mexico City cooking. Their versatility has also made them a star dish of the Mexican diaspora in the United States.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a tostada and a totopo?

Both are dry, crisp maize tortilla, but the tostada is a whole, flat, round tortilla, while the totopo is a triangular or irregular piece, smaller, designed for dipping in salsas and guacamoles. The tostada is eaten with toppings on it; the totopo as an accompaniment.

What does a tinga tostada taste like?

The base brings the toasted, slightly earthy flavour of fried maize. On top, the tinga combines the sweetness of stewed tomato with onion, the intense smokiness of chipotle and the juiciness of shredded chicken. The cream and fresh cheese soften the heat, while the lettuce brings freshness and a crisp texture.

How are tostadas served?

They are assembled at the moment so they do not go soggy: first a layer of refried beans as glue, then the filling (tinga, chicken, pata, ceviche), then shredded lettuce, cream, crumbled fresh cheese, slices of avocado and salsa to taste. They are eaten with the hand, held carefully so they do not break.

Where do tostadas come from?

The tostada is the heir of the Mesoamerican pre-Hispanic totopo, a tortilla preservation technique documented from before the conquest. The version fried in lard arose after the introduction of pork in the sixteenth century. Each Mexican region has developed its variant: regias in Monterrey, pata in Mexico City, ceviche on the coasts and cochinita in Yucatan.