Corn tortillas are a Hispanic staple but more and more they are becoming an American staple too.
I guess this is partly because of the Hispanic influence in America but also a bit of ingenuity also. Tacos are so easy to make and delicious so it's no wonder more people are expanding their horizons when it comes to quick and easy to prepare meals.
Traditional corn tortillas are made of minimal ingredients: corn masa (meal), water, salt, and in some cases lime. But more and more companies are incorporating wheat flour into their recipes.
That's right, corn tortillas in general, whether store-bought or restaurant made, can no longer be considered gluten-free.
If you don't believe me, take a good look at the ingredients list of the corn tortilla section. In some stores I have actually had trouble finding a package that didn't contain wheat.
Traditionally corn tortillas are supposed to be tougher, less pliable and drier (less soggy), developing a somewhat crunchier texture when cooked.
However manufacturers claim that there is a growing consumer demand for a chewier, softer textured corn tortilla and have started to add wheat flour to their corn masa mixes. This is true of store bought packages and Hispanic foods restaurants.
Even if a restaurant does have pure corn meal tortillas, some or most will even flour their surfaces when rolling out all of their tortillas thereby cross contaminating pure corn meal tortillas as well as tortilla chips.
So what's a gluten-free person to do?
For starters, check the labels of your corn tortilla package; obviously if it says wheat anywhere, don't get it! Some packages state on the front of their package "Gluten Free!" but check the label just to be sure. And someone told me that if a package has "guar gum" or "xanthan gum" in the ingredients, it is automatically gluten-free because the gums add the desired chewiness but check carefully just to be sure.
When you go out to eat at a Mexican (or any Hispanic) restaurant, don't reach for the chip and salsa first! Mexican restaurants usually bring your chips and salsa to the table right away so ask about their corn tortillas AND tortilla chips before you eat anything.
More and more employees are being trained in food allergy sensitivity and most will be more than helpful. Sometimes the manager will personally come over to speak with you and serve as your personal liasion with the kitchen staff.
You might find that you can't eat anything or you might find one safe thing on the menu, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
One last tip for Mexican restaurants: if you find that the corn tortillas are gluten-free, one of the safest dishes for you to eat is a plate of green cheese enchiladas with a side of refried beans.
Enchiladas usually come in a choice of meat or cheese fillings and with a choice of one of two sauces, red and green. The sides that usually accompany this dish are rice and refried beans and sometimes a small mound of shredded lettuce with tomatoes.
Red enchilada sauce is usually made from dried spices which can contain wheat. The same can be said for the seasoning used to flavor the rice.
Green enchilada sauce is made from roasted tomatillos and other fresh ingredients. Refried beans are usually seasoned with onion and garlic and usually refried for flavor but sometimes they are just blended or mashed.
Hope these tips help you have happy eatings!
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