.jpg) A tuna tostada dish in a Mexico City restaurant | |
| Course | Appetizer orsnack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Mesoamerica |
| Main ingredients | Tortillas,Vegetables |
Tostadas (/tɒˈstɑːdə/ or/toʊˈstɑːdə/;Spanish:[tosˈtaða],lit. 'toasted') are various dishes inMexican andGuatemalan cuisine based on toasted tortillas.
They are generally a flat or bowl-shapedtortilla that isdeep-fried or toasted, but may also be any dish using atostada as a base.[1] They can be consumed alone, or used as a base for other foods.Corn tortillas are usually used for tostadas, although tostadas made ofwheat or other ingredients are also found.
Just as stale bread can be made palatable astoast, a stale tortilla can be repurposed as a tostada by frying it in boiling oil until it becomes golden, rigid, and crunchy. Commercial tostadas are similar in taste and consistency totortilla chips.[2]
Tostadas are a standalone dish in Mexico and theAmerican Southwest, and are also served as a companion to variousMexican foods, mostlyseafood andstews, such asmenudo,birria andpozole. Tostadas can be found across Mexico.
Toppings for tostadas are mostly the same as those used for tacos: a base layer of beans, cheese, sour cream, chopped lettuce, sliced onions, andsalsa, which is then topped with diced and fried meat, usually chicken or pork, and also beef. They are also popular with seafood such astuna,shrimp,crab, choppedoctopus, andceviche.Vegetarian tostadas, while not as common, can also be found. Due to the fragile nature of a tostada, the main topping (usually beans or cream) must be pasty enough to stay on; this keeps the other toppings or garnishes from falling off while being eaten. TheOaxaca region is known for its largetlayuda tostada, which is the size of apizza and sometimes topped with friedchapulines (a variety ofgrasshopper).[3]
Tostadas can be an appetizer ("botana"), cut into smalltriangles to maketortilla chips to dip intosalsa,guacamole, beans, cream,cream cheese or served withchile con queso. This version of the tostada has its origins both in thetotopos de maiz and theNew Mexican andTex-Mex cuisine. Commercial tortilla chips, sometimes known asnachos, are also commonly sold in stores and supermarkets.
In Guatemala, tostadas are often prepared withblack beans,parsley, ground beef, andcurtido.
Media related toTostadas (tortilla) at Wikimedia Commons
