The Mexican Focus Blog

A quesadilla is a Mexican cuisine where the ingredients are cooked inside a wheat or corn tortilla or alternatively a wrap of masa dough. Loosely translated from Spanish the word means “little cheesey thing”.

The exact ingredients used in a quesadilla varies between different US and Mexico regions and there is no universal agreement between chefs. Normally however there are similarities between the versions that are agreed on, the main similarity being that the quesadilla is only cooked after being stuffed or filled. This is different from a burrito or a taco where they are, in contrast, filled with pre-cooked ingredients.

For those purists looking for the “real” quesadilla it is generally accepted as the folded-masa empanada style Mexican version. If you are wanting to cook your own quesadilla try our quesadilla recipe.

The origins of authentic Mexican food can be derived from the Mayan Indians. The Mayan Indians traditionally were roaming hunter-gatherers around the Yucatan regions in Southeast Mexico.

They survived back then on wildgame like deer, rabbit, fish, turkey as well as beans, corn and tropical fruit. Corn tortillas spread with bean paste was also a common food in these times.

The Aztec Empire thrived during the mid 1300’s and chili peppers and salt gained popularity in cooking. Also the wild duck and turkey were now domesticated.

The biggest influence on Mexican cuisine that makes it the food that it is today came about after the conquest of Mexico in 1521 by Spain. They introduced sheep, cows and pigs as well as dairy products like cheese. Many herbs including garlic, coriander and an abundance of wheat and spices were also becoming more common place.

This period also saw the incorporation of other cuisines and ingredients from other colonizing countries including French, Carribbean, Portugese, South American and West African.

The tasty cuisines from all these countries became the melting pot of culinary specialties that we now know as Mexican Food. The tastes of Mexican are constantly changing even today due to outside influences and the mix of the old an the new.