A delicious dish to be enjoyed by both Mexicans and non-Mexicans alike, the enchiladas are a savoury dish that is infused with an abundance of ingredients, from different kinds of meats and vegetables.
In Mexico, enchiladas sold by street vendors tend to be more crunchy and savoury compared to ones sold in restaurants outside of Mexico. No two enchiladas are the same as Mexican restaurants and vendors worldwide cater to local flavours and tastes with various kinds of fillings and sauces.
What are Enchiladas?
Enchiladas is a Mexican dish that is made out of a rolled maize tortilla that is loaded with different kinds of ingredients, such as meat, beans, potatoes, cheese and chile sauce and then baked to perfection. Enchiladas are similar to burritos as the tortillas for both dishes are rolled around the fillings and smeared with chilli pepper and tomato sauce.
In Spanish, enchiladas can be translated to “to season with chilli”.From an economic standpoint, enchiladas can be made with leftovers as fillings for the dish. This savoury meal can be versatile, in terms of the kinds of fillings and sauces being added into the corn tortilla.
Today, the modern enchiladas have steered from the traditional Mexican dish of enchiladas, which mostly used cheese as the main toppings with more varieties of meats, seafood and vegetables as toppings.
History of Enchiladas
Originated from Mexico, there is a long history of rolling tortillas that can found as far back as during the Mayan times in the region. The first enchilada to have ever been made involved rolling the tortillas to wrap around a fish.
Records from the Spanish conquistadors showed that enchiladas were a staple meal for the local people in Mexico and the records also showed how the enchiladas were made everywhere within the region.
Back then, the Spanish conquistadors were dining with the locals consuming, what was described as meat wrapped in a tortilla with chilli. The first written documentation of enchiladas was in the 1800s by a Mexican chef that wrote the recipe of the enchiladas in his cookbook.
Types of Enchiladas
Much has changed since the first appearance of enchiladas, as today, there are more varieties of enchiladas available for your consumption. The different kinds of enchiladas can be distinguished by the fillings used, sauces and in certain cases, the shape of the enchiladas.
The traditional enchiladas are called the Enchilada Con Chile Rojo, which is made out of the traditional red sauce, comprised of dry red pepper and other seasonings and Chile tomato sauce, which acts as the tomato base.
Big eaters may enjoy the Enchiladas Montadas, also known as the stacked enchiladas that came from New Mexico, which uses fried soft corn tortillas and then stacked with chopped onions, cheese and red or green sauce, on top of the stack or in between the layers.
First introduced by a restaurant in Mexico City, Enchiladas Suiza (Swiss-style) gives tribute to Swiss cuisine with its rendition of enchiladas using a lot of cream-based and cheese sauces, such as the béchemel.
The lesser-known sibling of enchiladas is the Enfrijoladas, which uses red bean (frijol) instead of chile sauce, infused with a smoky chipotle and garlic to enhance the flavours of the dish. People of San Luis Potosi, Mexico have created their own version of the traditional enchiladas made with corn tortillas filled with cheese and chilli masa.
Where to find Enchiladas
Curious to know the flavours of enchiladas? Check out Sombrero Foods or even Quechos to indulge in Mexican flavours. Find more International cuisine on foodora!
