Ecuadorian Tortillas de Tiesto - Maiz Tortillas in a clay pot

Tortilla de tiesto, or toasted tortillas are traditional for Ecuador and especially for the Andean Kichwa people.

They have long been part of Ecuadorian culinary history and some kinds of versions surely were made even before the first Spaniards came to Ecuador.

The oral and written history tells of Chuiquimarca sisters that sold tortillas de tiesto at the train station over a hundred years ago.

They were called “las longas de maíz negro”, or “longas of black maize”.

Longa in Kichwa means a young man but after the Spanish came it became an insult and pejorative meaning indigenous people.

Tortillas de tiesto are also part of lunch box culture in Ecuador.

Before lunch boxes little children would take tortillas de tiesto with them to school in brown paper bags.

These tortillas don’t spoil easily and maintain their delicious taste, even after they are not warm anymore.

They are also very nutritious and fill the stomach of an active child, unlike the modern French fries or other popular foods.

There are different kinds of tortillas de tiesto, some are made only from corn or maize flour, other just from wheat flour, and some use a mix of both.

The important thing is that the corn or maize tortilla isn’t fried but toasted on a clay pot or pan, without any kind of oil.

This gives the tortillas their special flavor, together with the cheese that is used in the mix.

The tortillas are eaten with black coffee with lots of sugar, or sweet hot cocoa made from chocolate leaf.

I enjoy them with iced tea and a bit of butter on them.

Whichever way you eat yours, they are sure to be delicious.

TORTILLAS DE TIESTO

900 gr of raw corn flour

100 g wheat flour

Butter 200 g

4 egg

Salt to taste

150g warm water

250g cheese (grated)

PREPARATION:

1. In a pan mix the corn flour and wheat flour.

2. Add the butter, salt and eggs one at a time while kneading the flour, add water sparingly until the dough is smooth and workable.

3. Let stand about 10 minutes.

4. Heat the clay pot well and proceed to form the tortillas with hands in the center put a bit of grated cheese.

5. Organize the tortillas loosely around the clay pot and let them cook from the both sides until they are nicely browned. remove from the heat and place in a covered a basket to keep warm.

6. Serve and accompany with your beverage of choice. In Ecuador tortillas de tiesto are enjoyed with brewed coffee or hot chocolate.

Enjoy!