Imagine biting into what seems like the perfect taco, the best you’ve ever encountered. The meat, expertly prepared al pastor, juicy pork sliced directly from the spit, is flawless. The salsas – a rich, taqueria-style guacamole, a zesty salsa verde, and a deep, smoky salsa roja – are equally impressive. Fresh, finely minced onion and cilantro complete the picture.
However, the corn tortilla beneath it all has the texture of cardboard and an odd, baking soda-like taste and smell.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common when seeking out tacos in Los Angeles. Despite the city’s celebrated and diverse Mexican culinary scene, a significant issue often goes unmentioned: the widespread reliance on pre-packaged tortillas. These tortillas, laden with preservatives and additives that impart a metallic taste, prevent Los Angeles from fully realizing its potential as a true haven for exceptional Mexican food.
As a Mexican-American, born and raised in East Los Angeles, admitting this reality is personally challenging. For years, I have admired the taqueros throughout the city. However, the issue became undeniable when my girlfriend, newly arrived from Mexico, joined me on my culinary explorations of LA’s top-rated taco spots. While Angelenos generally raved about these places, she would consistently eat only the taco fillings, leaving the tortillas behind.
Her perspective stems from a culture where corn tortillas are valued as much as fresh French bread, purchased daily for their peak flavor. This contrasts sharply with the American tendency, even among Mexican-Americans like myself, to prioritize convenience over authentic flavor – a preference that unfortunately defines many tortillas available today.
Tortillas, once a staple of simple, wholesome cuisine, have undergone a transformation similar to that of mass-produced white bread. A truly good tortilla, like a quality loaf of bread, should contain only a few basic ingredients: corn, water, and lime.
The simplicity of a tortilla makes any added preservatives or artificial ingredients glaringly obvious. The subtle sourness and faint aroma of burnt rubber often detected in store-bought tortillas are telltale signs. These processed options are readily available, and for those unaccustomed to authentic tortillas, the difference in flavor might be less apparent, especially when masked by flavorful meats and toppings.
However, for Los Angeles to truly claim the title of having the best Mexican food in the United States, this must change.
Gustavo Arellano, editor-in-chief of OC Weekly and author of the food history book Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, believes the shift towards convenience in tortillas was largely accidental. “When tortillas became widely popular in the 1960s and 1970s, there wasn’t a dominant brand. Then, major brands like Mission and Guerrero emerged to capitalize on this demand, understanding that Mexicans need their tortillas, regardless of quality.” His book details the rapid rise of tacos in American cuisine, even recalling a time when tortillas were sold in cans.
Despite the prevalence of mass-produced tortillas, a dedicated group of chefs and restaurants are leading a “maize revolution,” prioritizing quality and tradition.
Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria in Orange County is a prominent figure in this movement. He recognized the discrepancy in tortilla quality early in his career and established his restaurant with the explicit goal of challenging the low standards perpetuated by the influx of North American GMO corn into Mexico and the blandness of commodity corn. “I became aware of the complex social and economic issues surrounding corn tortillas, so pre-packaged tortillas like those from Maseca were never an option for us,” Salgado explains.
For Salgado, named Food & Wine’s Best New Chef in 2015, the issue of tortillas is deeply personal. Having grown up in his parents’ Mexican restaurant, he witnessed firsthand the customer backlash when they slightly increased the price of their tacos. “The turning point for me was realizing I didn’t want to be confined by the expectation of ‘cheap’ Mexican food. I decided to value corn and corn tortillas as highly as world-class bakers value bread – even if it meant milling everything ourselves.”
To achieve this, Salgado has become a top client of New York-based Masienda, a company specializing in sourcing premium heirloom maize varieties for American chefs committed to quality.
Salgado’s tortillas cost roughly ten times more than standard packaged tortillas, yet he doesn’t profit from them. “We don’t make any money from the masa business; we sell it because our corn mill produces more than we need for our restaurant.” By purchasing corn in large quantities, he manages to keep costs down and has developed a small-scale economy, selling his heirloom tortilla masa to other renowned Mexican restaurants in downtown LA, such as Broken Spanish and Otium.
“In terms of flavor, each heirloom corn variety is a revelation. Our tortillas are moister and have an intense, authentic tortilla factory aroma,” Salgado describes.
Whether Salgado’s dedication will inspire widespread change among chefs and taco lovers in Southern California remains to be seen. However, for those who, like my girlfriend and myself, recognize the crucial role of a quality tortilla, there’s no turning back. The pursuit of truly Good Mexican Food In Los Angeles must include a renewed focus on the foundation of the taco: the tortilla itself.
