A Taste for Tortillas

“We only trust people who eat what we eat,’ she told me one day as she tried to explain the relationship between the guerillas and the Indian Communities.”—Riogoberta Menchu

The Mayans have always attached a particular importance and significance to maize. Believing themselves to be born and descended of maize. They treat the plant that gives them life with the utmost respect using every bit they can from the leaves or hojas, to the kernels in tortillas, tamales, or tamalitos. There is even a sweet drink, distinct to Guatemala—Atole, made from ground up corn, it is sugary and unusual. It has a decidely corn taste, sweet and thick with a few yellow corn kennels hidden at the bottom for texture. Chile or cinnamon is commonly added to the Atole based on the customer’s preference. Still and yet, the most famous signature maize staple is the torilla.

You will first hear the clap, clap, clap of tortillas being made on baked clay comals before you see them anywhere—correction everywhere: street side vendors, small shops, restaurants. This is very important as people here are used to having fresh tortillas right off the comal, or if worst comes to worst, prepared that day. There are no store bought tortillas here, that is absurd. Tortilla making appears to be a social activity as three or four women come together over the flashing hot comal, forming balls of dough that they clap between their palms to flatten out while they gossip, laugh, and smile. For festivals and celebrations, there are more tortillas vendors, and little comedors with table and chairs will walk to the vendors for fresh tortillas to accompany the ordered meal. But the vendors themselves will sell you their specialty. For a festival there are larger, sweeter tortillas sold with sugar added into their mix. Hearty and sweet, people will line up for these tortillas and the vendors need no advertising or hustling calls.

There are three types of tortillas blue, white and yellow reflecting the three types of maize that grows wherever the people can cultivate it. The blue tortillas, so dark blue as to appear almost black with brown spots from the heat of the comal; these ones are the best and are much rarer. Always a treat they are exotic, both slightly sweet and smoky with a rich thick bite.

Maize is undoubtedly the most important crop for Guatemala. Not because it’s a huge economic export like coffee. It’s a crop of the people, with a rich cultural and culinary history. So significant is maize that in a country filled with economic poverty, low sanitation standards, and social unrest still today, everyone from farmers to the people far removed from the field in the city, was aware of the plight of maize in 2009. Global warming, which is still not fully recognized in the United States, a first world country with the most access to technology, education, and free-flow of ideas, is being watched here. Here in Guatemala, it may not be given the same name as “Global Warming”, but it is given the same interest and concern. Last year for the first time ever, there was a serious lack of rain in Guatemala, rain that is counted on for the corn to grow. But the rain did not come and the corn could not grow. Crops failed prematurely, farmers lost everything, whole pueblas could not eat. The president of Guatemala, declared an emergency and ordered corn from the surrounding countries is Central America, El Salvador and Honduras, and onwards. Food was collected for pueblas without maize.

This year the weather is watched carefully, Guatemala is waiting for it’s customs to continue, it’s crops to grow.