A torta ahogada (, ''drowned submarine sandwich'') is a typical dish from the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...

, particularly in the city of

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the 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 Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...

. Although it is popular in some other parts of Mexico, it is most popular in Guadalajara. It is called "drowned" because the sandwich is submerged totally or partially in a

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

made primarily of a dried

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

called

chile de árbol The Chile de árbol (Spanish for ''tree chili'' is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper also known as bird's beak chile and rat's tail chile. These chilis are about long, and in diameter. Their heat index is between 15,000 and 30,000 Scovill ...

. Less spicy versions of the sandwich, made with a

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

-based sauce, are also available.

History

Tortas ahogadas are made with birote bread, characteristic of the region. Specifically, they are made with birote salado, which has a thick, crunchy crust and softer interior, which is more salty than sweet. The consistency of the bread permits the sandwich to be submerged in sauce without crumbling or dissolving (which usually happens if using bolillo). The bread is sliced open on one side and the sandwich is filled with chopped, fried

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 ...

. Fillings of

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...

beans A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes thr ...

, and

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

are sometimes available. The sandwiches are served with

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

rings,

radishes The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw ...

avocados 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 ...

and chili peppers. The sauce can be either spicy or mild. The first is based on ground arbol chilies,

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a woody perennial ...

, and other spices. Sweet sauce, which is considerably less spicy, is made of red tomatoes and chili peppers. If the sandwich is ordered "media ahogada" or "half drowned", it is dipped partially in the sauce. If the sandwich is "bien ahogada" or "well drowned", the bread and meat are completely submerged in the sauce until no bubbles emerge. It is traditional to eat tortas ahogadas in

Estadio Jalisco The Jalisco Stadium is a football stadium located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the third largest Mexican football stadium behind Estadio Azteca and Estadio Olímpico Universitario. The facility is located in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, 4 ...

, the football stadium in Guadalajara, in spite of the difficulty in consuming them. They are usually eaten with bare hands, even though tortas ahogadas are messy due to the large amount of sauce used. This delicacy is usually available from street vendors, but it can also be found in restaurants. The origin of the torta ahogada was an accident, according to local lore, when a street vendor, De La Torre at Tortas Ahogadas El Güero dropped a sandwich into salsa. The legacy of the original stand continues at Tortas Ahogadas El Güerito. The torta ahogada is often said to hold a special place in the hearts of many people who are from Guadalajara or have spent time there. Some people go to great lengths to seek out tortas ahogadas in places outside of the region. The people from Guadalajara claim that no one really visits Guadalajara without making a stop to try a torta ahogada.

References

External links

{{Sandwiches Mexican cuisine Sandwiches Guadalajara, Jalisco

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links