Tlayuda (), sometimes spelled clayuda, is a handmade dish in traditional

Oaxacan cuisine Oaxacan cuisine is a regional cuisine of Mexico, centered on the city of Oaxaca, the capital of the eponymous state located in southern Mexico. Oaxaca is one of Mexico's major gastronomic, historical, and gastro-historical centers whose cuisine i ...

, consisting of a large, thin, crunchy, partially fried or toasted tortilla covered with a spread of

refried beans Refried beans (from es, frijoles refritos, ) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular ...

, ''asiento'' (unrefined

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the o ...

), lettuce or cabbage,

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...

, meat (usually shredded chicken,

beef tenderloin A beef tenderloin (US English), known as an eye fillet in Australasia, filet in France, filé mignon in Brazil, and fillet in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is cut from the loin of beef. Description As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin ...

or pork),

Oaxaca cheese Oaxaca cheese ( es, queso Oaxaca) ( ), also known as quesillo and queso de hebra, is a white, semihard, low-fat cheese that originated in Mexico. It is similar to unaged Monterey Jack, but with a texture similar to mozzarella or string cheese. H ...

, and

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

. A popular ''

antojito Mexican street food, called ''antojitos'' (literally "little cravings"), is prepared by street vendors in Mexico City, street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Street foods include tacos, tamales, gorditas, quesadillas, Empalme ( ...

'', the tlayuda is native to the state of

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

. It is regarded as iconic in the local cuisine, and can be found particularly around

Oaxaca City Oaxaca de Juárez (), also Oaxaca City or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec languages, Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surr ...

. Tlayudas are also available in the center-south region of Mexico, such as

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

, or

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

. The dinner plate-sized tortilla is either

seared Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as beef, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms ...

(usually on a ''comal'') or charred on a grill. Refried beans are then applied, along with lard and vegetables, to serve as a base for the main ingredients. The rules for topping a tlayuda are not strict, and

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

s and

street vendor A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...

s often offer a variety of toppings, including "'tasajo" (cuts of meat typical of the Central Valley of Oaxaca), ''

chorizo Chorizo (, from Spanish ; similar to but distinct from Portuguese ) is a type of pork cured meat originating from the Iberian Peninsula. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked meat, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, or ...

'', and ''cecina'' enchilada (thin strips of

chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

-encrusted pork). They may be prepared open-faced or folded in half. Its main characteristics are its large size (even more than 40 cm in diameter); its completely different flavor from other types of tortillas; and the slight hardness in its consistency (without being toasted, but rather leathery), which it acquires when it is cooked in a comal, usually made of clay. It is left there to semi-toast, that is, it is cooked for longer than other types of tortillas, and then stored in a tenate, a basket made of palm leaves. It thus acquires its characteristic consistency: flexible to semi-brittle, very slightly moist, fresh, difficult to chew for those who are not used to it, very light aroma like burnt tortilla, almost imperceptible. A very light amount of salt in the nixtamal dough with which it is prepared in some cases, as well as its cooking almost until it is toasted, make the tlayuda last longer without decomposing, unlike what happens with common tortillas.

In popular culture

Tlayuda was featured on the Netflix TV series, ''

Street Food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

'' volume 2, which focuses on Latin American

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

References

Oaxacan cuisine Tortilla-based dishes Baked foods {{Mexico-cuisine-stub

In popular culture

See also

References