Gallo pinto and casado are often served with corn tortillas on the side. Last week, I had the opportunity to learn how to make them! Although I'm sure most families just buy them prepared from the supermarket, I learned that they are less complicated to make than I thought. I recently went on a group excursion to visit an indigenous community in Quitirrisi. After learning about the history and traditions of the community, which is made up of the Huetar people, we had the opportunity to observe the process of making corn tortillas.
After watching, we got to try it for ourselves! First, we ground down cooked corn using a board called a metate. This is similar to the idea of a mortar and pestle, only flat and large instead of bowl-shaped. The woman explained to us that her metate has been handed down for many generations of women in her family. Once we ground up the corn, we shaped it into tortillas on top of banana leaves, and then transferred them onto a metal pan over a fire. After a few minutes, we were able to enjoy hot, fresh corn tortillas that we made by hand, topped with butter and cheese. I was surprised by the simplicity of the process and found it very satisfying to create a delicious meal with my own hands.
Sometimes the connection between food and the local environment is more obvious, such as during our visit to the Quitirrisi community. We got to see different types of corn that were grown nearby, and how they were turned into delicious tortillas. The cooking method also incoporated banana leaves, which grow in the area, too.
