torta

Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelettes.

Usually, it refers to:
* cake or pie in South America, much of Europe, and southern Philippines
* flatbread in Spain
* a type of sandwich in Mexico
* a type of omelette in northern Tagalog-speaking areas of the Philippines.

’Torth’- Welsh for ‘loaf’ is of the same derivation (Latin: torta)

Etymology

The word comes from the Spanish ''torta'' (), itself from Late Latin ''torta'', an abbreviation of ''torta panis'' ("twisted bread"). The English word "tart" is related.

Cakes

Latin America

In some countries of Latin America, the word ''torta'', in a very common usage, is for sweet cakes (tortes), such as a wedding or birthday cake. This meaning is also present in other European languages. For example, the Italian ''torta'', German ''torte'' or French ''tarte''. In Mexico, the sweet cake is normally referred to as ''pastel'', which is also used in other parts of Latin America with this meaning. ''Huevo en torta'' (not to be confused with ''torta de huevo'') is a typical pastry from Sobrarbe, Aragon, Spain. It could also mean a sandwich made from a bread called bolillo, with a filling of meat and vegetables, which can include beef, cochinita pibil, and many others.

Philippines

In the southern Philippines, in the Visayas and Mindanao islands, ''torta'' is generally used to refer to small cakes. It usually refers to ''mamón'' or ''torta mamón'', a native porous sponge cake delicacy that resembles a large cupcake with butter, sugar, and/or cheese on top, traditionally served with ''sikwate'' (a thick, hot drink made of ground roasted cacao seeds) for afternoon snack or merienda.

Europe

In Hungarian, Slovak, Slovene, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Swedish, Italian and Macedonian and Bulgarian, it is a word for cake, typically made with layered sponge and cream, chocolate or fruit filling. In Portugal, it designates specifically a Swiss roll.

Middle East

Also in Arabic all kinds of tarts are called torta, in Greek, Tourta is a name for cakes

Flatbreads

Spain

''Torta'' in Spain originated in different regional variants of flatbread, of which the ''torta de gazpacho'' and ''torta cenceña'' still survives in certain areas of Central Spain. Tortas are also mentioned in Leviticus 24:5-9, in the Spanish translation of the Bible. Presently, however, the word ''torta'' is also applied to different kinds of bread and pastry products according to the region.

Historically, the difference between ''torta'' and bread was its round and flat shape, as well as the use of baking soda/powder as the proofing agent instead of yeast. In most regions, a ''torta'' was traditionally considered an inferior form of bread, as the well known Spanish aphorism expresses:

Latin America

In Mexico a variation says: ''A falta de pan, tortillas'' ("Where there is no bread, ''tortillas''"). However, the term "torta" in Mexico typically refers to a sandwich made with bread (see Mexico section, below, for more details).

''Torta frita'' is a fried flatbread eaten in Uruguay, Argentina and the Chilean Patagonia.

Omelettes

Philippines

In the northern Philippines, particularly among Tagalog-speaking provinces and islands, ''torta'' refers to a class of omelettes made by mixing eggs with various ingredients.

Tortas can be served any time during the day. There are many variations on Filipino tortas, such as:

* '' Tortang alamang'' or ''tortang hipon'' – an omelette with krill or small shrimp. Also known as shrimp fritters, although this term usually refers to ''okoy'', a fritter made with shrimp and various vegetables (as well as other variations without shrimp).
* '' Tortang giniling'' or ''tortang picadillo'' – an omelette with ground meat (usually beef or pork) and sautéed vegetables.
* '' Tortang gulay'' – an omelette with peppers, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
* ''Tortang kalabasa'' – an omelette made with finely julienned calabaza, eggs, flour, and salt.
* '' Tortang kamote'' – an omelette made with mashed sweet potato, eggs, flour, and salt.
* ''Tortang talong'' – an eggplant fritter.
* '' Tortang okra'' – an omelette with thinly sliced okra, onion, and garlic.

Spain and Latin America

'' Tortilla de huevo'' is a small fried mixture of scrambled eggs, usually eaten sandwiched in bread.

Pies

Italy

In Italian, "" means either cake or pie, however sweet or savoury. However, in the US, it came to have a different meaning within the Italian-American community.

The Italian ''torta'' is differentiated from ''crostata'' by the filling: a ''crostata'' has an inconsistent chunky filling, whereas a ''torta'' has a consistent filling made of blended ingredients.

Some falsely believe that an Italian crust torta is a combination of layered cheeses and tomatoes to be spread onto bread. Italian torta is a pie similar to quiche and served as a brunch item. However, torta is different than quiche as the crust is mostly made of cheese, not egg. The crust can also be made from pizza dough. Ingredients vary as there are many variations of this torta. Traditional Italian torta usually includes ricotta, parmesan, parsley, and onion. There are also variations that contain meat and some that are completely vegetarian. These vegetarian torte sometimes contain artichokes and spices for flavor. This torta is made in a springform pan instead of a traditional pie pan.

Brazil

Torta in Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese speaking countries refers to a moist cake or a pie which can be a sweet or savory dish.

Malta

Torta in Malta means a pie, which can be sweet or savoury.

Most "tortas" are generally savoury, with a classic Maltese dish being "torta tal-lampuki" (lampuki, singular lampuka, are a type of common fish found in Maltese waters).

A common example of a sweet Maltese torta is "" (, singular , means almonds in Maltese. Almonds are a very common ingredient in Maltese cuisine, although some people prefer to use marzipan over almonds, either because of ease, taste preference or cost.

South America

In Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, and Uruguay, people typically refer to dessert cakes as "tortas."

Sandwiches

Mexico

In Mexico, a ''torta'' is a kind of sandwich, served on one of two types of white sandwich rolls. The first is similar to a small baguette, and may be referred to as a bolillo, birote, or ''pan francés'' depending on region. The second is a flat, oblong, soft roll called a telera. Tortas can be eaten cold or hot, and grilled or toasted in a press in the same manner as a Cuban sandwich

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