The tortilla has always been a very versatile bread. It was the original to-go food for people on the run, holding a multitude of nutritious fillings for those who needed to keep up their strength. Native peoples ate corn tortillas filled with native food and game while they fought wars to defend their land. They ate tortillas filled with the beans and vegetables that htey grew while they worked in the fields. Later, they carried wheat tortillas filled with meat as they went offf to work in the mines and for the railroad during the Industrial Age in New Mexico.
Today the tortilla is not only the most popular bread served in Mexico and in many Spanish-speaking homes throughout the United States, it is fast becoming a staple in mainstream America. It can be served at any meal or between meals as a snack. The tortilla can be eaten as it is - soft and warm - or it can be grilled, fried, or baked; rolled, stacked, folded, filled, or drenched in your favorite chile sauce. And it goes great with everything from a tossed salad to a multi-course traditional New Mexican meal. And even hundreds of generations later, the tortilla is still the perfect to-go food.