Tlayudas - At over 30cm, Oaxaca claims the title of having Mexico's biggest tortilla

According to the Popol Wuh, the sacred book of the Mayas, Ajaw Tepew and Ajaw K'ucumatz created heaven and earth and all the living creatures that populated the earth, the oceans and the sky. When they attempted to create Man, their first experiments failed. A first proto human was made of clay; he could talk but had no understanding and could not stand on his own. A second wooden man was created. He could talk but did not have a heart, wandered about but never remembered his creator and was punished. A third Man was created from maize. This man quickly learned and gained broad wisdom. Seeing this, the creators blurred his vision so he could only see what was in front of him and therefore had to learn slowly. This was the beginning of men: maize is what we are made of.

Maize was the base of all Pre-Hispanic societies -not only the Mayan. The establishment of sedentary societies was possible only when agriculture was mastered and maize was developed. Therefore, not only has this crop been the centre of Mexican diet but also the base of the entire culture.

In Mexico, some 300 million tortillas are eaten every day. There is a large variety of tortillas; size, colour, thickness and texture vary, but essentially, they are all tortillas. One of the most outstanding examples is the emblematic Oaxacan tlayuda. In general, the diameter of tortillas is less than 20 centimetres, but tlayudas are normally 30 or more centimetres in diameter. In addition, they are crispier than the usual tortilla used to roll tacos.

The process used to make a tlayuda is the same as a regular tortilla: the grains are boiled in water with a little bit of lime (calcium oxide). This is called nixtamalización. After an hour of boiling, the nixtamal is left to repose for a night and then it is washed and ground to make the masa (dough). This dough is pressed and round-shaped and is cooked over a comal, a kind of pan that can be metallic or stoneware, for one minute approximately, flipped and cooked for another minute. The crispness of tlayudas is obtained during a finishing roasting process through which normal tortillas do not go.

To meet the enormous demand for tortillas, modern machines are commonly used, especially in large cities. In rural areas, women make the majority of them. Tlayudas are made only in the traditional fashion. According to a study by the Technological Institutes of Veracruz and Oaxaca, women start making tlayudas when they are 14 years old on average, 95% of the women who make them are married (in small rural communities, people normally get married before 18) and each takes between six and eight hours a day to make 150 to 400 tlayudas.

The tlayuda variety of tortillas is used to make a dish that has the same name. Used as the base, the tlayuda is topped with asiento, beans, cabbage or lettuce, tomatoes, quesillo and meat. Tlayudas are the most popular after-party munchies. Street stands can be found around the city Peak time is normally after 2 am.