Los Angeles is celebrated as a mecca for diverse and incredible regional Mexican cuisine. You can find tacos that seem to represent perfection itself – filled with expertly cooked meats like flame-kissed, juicy al pastor, accompanied by vibrant salsas, and fresh toppings. Yet, there’s often a missing element that prevents the city from truly claiming the crown for the best Mexican food: the tortilla.
Too frequently, the experience is marred by corn tortillas that are sadly reminiscent of cardboard, carrying an off-putting taste and aroma of baking soda. This is a common issue in Los Angeles, a city paradoxically known for its exceptional Mexican food scene. The reliance on pre-packaged tortillas, often loaded with preservatives and metallic-tasting additives, is a secret that holds back the city’s potential to be a genuine paradise for authentic Mexican flavors.
Alt text: Nixtamalization process of corn for authentic Mexican tortillas, a crucial step in creating the best Mexican food experience in Los Angeles.
As someone deeply connected to East Los Angeles and its Mexican-American heritage, it’s a difficult truth to acknowledge. Having spent years admiring local taqueros, the reality of subpar tortillas became starkly clear when my girlfriend, newly arrived from Mexico, experienced the city’s acclaimed taco spots. While Angelenos might rave about the fillings, she, accustomed to fresh, daily-made corn tortillas in Mexico, would often eat only the taco toppings, leaving the tortilla behind.
In Mexico, corn tortillas are valued like fresh French baguettes, a daily staple of quality and freshness. This contrasts sharply with the American tendency to prioritize convenience over flavor, a choice that unfortunately pervades the tortilla landscape in Los Angeles and beyond.
Alt text: Traditional masa being mixed at a Los Angeles tortilleria, highlighting the importance of fresh ingredients for the best Mexican food.
Alt text: Grinding masa at a local tortilleria in Los Angeles, a step towards crafting authentic tortillas for superior Mexican food.
Tortillas in the United States have, unfortunately, undergone a transformation similar to mass-produced bread. Just as a quality loaf of bread requires simple ingredients like flour, water, and salt, an authentic tortilla should only contain corn, water, and lime. The simplicity of a good tortilla makes any added preservatives or additives immediately noticeable. The subtle sourness and a faint aroma resembling burnt tires, often found in store-bought tortillas, are telltale signs of processing. While these processed tortillas are widely available and perhaps acceptable to those unfamiliar with truly fresh tortillas, especially when combined with flavorful fillings, they represent a compromise in quality.
For Los Angeles to truly boast the best Mexican food in the United States, this dependence on inferior tortillas needs to change. Gustavo Arellano, editor-in-chief of OC Weekly and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, explains that the prevalence of convenience tortillas was somewhat accidental. As tortillas became mainstream in the US during the 1960s and 70s, major brands like Mission and Guerrero emerged to meet the growing demand. While providing accessibility, this shift often prioritized mass production over quality, impacting the overall Mexican food experience.
To truly appreciate and find the best Mexican food, we must value corn and corn tortillas with the same dedication that world-class bakers apply to bread. This means seeking out places that prioritize fresh, quality tortillas.
Alt text: “Conico” maize blue corn tortillas at Taco Maria in Los Angeles, exemplifying the artisanal approach to tortillas for the best Mexican food experience.
Fortunately, a “maize revolution” is underway, led by chefs like Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria in Orange County. Salgado recognized the tortilla discrepancy early on and established his restaurant with a commitment to combating the low standards of mass-produced tortillas, often made with cheap, commodity corn and even GMOs. “I discovered all of the social and economic complexities of corn tortillas, so packaged tortillas like those from Maseca [were] never on the table for us,” Salgado states.
Alt text: Chef Carlos Salgado, a champion of heirloom corn tortillas and elevating the standards for Mexican food in Los Angeles and Southern California.
For Salgado, named Food & Wine’s Best New Chef in 2015, tortillas are a matter of principle. Growing up in his family’s Mexican restaurant, he witnessed firsthand the resistance to even minor price increases on tacos, highlighting the perception of Mexican food as inherently cheap. This realization fueled his determination to elevate the value of corn and tortillas to the level of fine bread, even if it meant undertaking the laborious process of milling his own masa.
To achieve this, Salgado sources heirloom maize from Masienda, a New York-based company specializing in high-quality corn varieties for chefs who value exceptional ingredients. While Salgado’s tortillas are significantly more expensive than standard packaged options, he emphasizes that the cost is not about profit but about quality. By purchasing corn in bulk and milling his own masa, he can offer superior tortillas and even supply other renowned Los Angeles restaurants like Broken Spanish and Otium.
Alt text: Taco de camarones showcasing the superior texture and flavor of Taco Maria’s heirloom corn tortilla, essential for truly the best Mexican food in Los Angeles.
Salgado describes the flavor of heirloom corn tortillas as a revelation, noting their enhanced moisture and the intense aroma reminiscent of a traditional tortilleria. Whether this dedication to quality tortillas will inspire widespread change in Southern California’s Mexican food scene remains to be seen. However, for those who, like Salgado and discerning diners, recognize the crucial role of tortillas, there’s no turning back. To truly experience the Best Mexican Food Los Angeles has to offer, seeking out restaurants that prioritize fresh, quality tortillas is paramount.
