Enchilada

Enchilada

Enchiladas with mole sauce, served with refried beans and Spanish rice
Place of origin	Mexico
Main ingredients	Tortillas, chili pepper sauce, meat
Cookbook: Enchilada  Media: Enchilada

Enchiladas 1

An enchilada (/ˌɛntʃᵻˈlɑːdə/, Spanish: [entʃiˈlaða]) is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables or combinations.

Etymology

The Real Academia Española defines the word enchilada, as used in Mexico, as a rolled maize tortilla stuffed with meat and covered with a tomato and chili sauce.^[1][2] Enchilada is the past participle of Spanish enchilar, "to add chili pepper to", literally to "season (or decorate) with chili".^[3]

The idiomatic English phrase "the whole enchilada" means "the whole thing".^[4]

History

Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least to Mayan times.^[5] The people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish. Writing at the time of the Spanish conquistadors, Bernal Díaz del Castillo documented a feast enjoyed by Europeans hosted by Hernán Cortés in Coyoacán, which included foods served in corn tortillas. (Note that the native Nahuatl name for the flat corn bread used was tlaxcalli; the Spanish give it the name tortilla.)^[6][7][8][9] The Nahuatl word for enchilada is chīllapītzalli [t͡ʃiːlːapiːˈt͡salːi] which is formed of the Nahuatl word for "chili", chīlli [ˈt͡ʃiːlːi] and the Nahuatl word for "flute", tlapītzalli [t͡ɬapiːˈt͡salːi].^[10] In the 19th century, as Mexican cuisine was being memorialized, enchiladas were mentioned in the first Mexican cookbook, El cocinero mexicano ("The Mexican Chef"), published in 1831,^[5] and in Mariano Galvan Rivera's Diccionario de Cocina, published in 1845.^[6][11] An early mention, in English, is a 1914 recipe found in California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook, by Bertha Haffner Ginger.^[12]

Varieties

In their original form as Mexican street food, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings.^[13][14] There are now many varieties, which are distinguished primarily by their sauces, fillings and, in one instance, by their form. Various adjectives may be used to describe the recipe content or origin, e.g. enchilada tapatia would be a recipe from Jalisco.^[15]

Varieties include:

• Enchiladas con chile rojo (with red chile) is a traditional red enchilada sauce, composed of dried red chili peppers soaked and ground into a sauce with other seasonings, Chile Colorado sauce adds a tomato base.^[16]
• Enchiladas con mole, instead of chili sauce, are served with mole,^[17] and are also known as enmoladas.^[18]
• Enchiladas placera are Michoacán plaza-style, made with vegetables and poultry.^[19]
• Enchiladas poblanas are soft corn tortillas filled with chicken and poblano peppers, topped with oaxaca cheese.^[20]
• Enchiladas potosinas originate from San Luis Potosi, Mexico and are made with cheese-filled, chili-spiced masa.^[21]
• Enchiladas San Miguel are San Miguel de Allende-style enchiladas flavored with guajillo chilies by searing the flavor into the tortillas in a frying pan.^[5]

Enchiladas with red and green sauces.

• Enchiladas suizas (Swiss-style) are topped with a white, milk or cream-based sauce, such as béchamel. This appellation is derived from Swiss immigrants to Mexico who established dairies to produce cream and cheese.^[22]
• Enfrijoladas are topped with refried beans rather than chili sauce; their name comes from frijol, meaning "bean".^[23][24]
• Entomatadas are made with tomato sauce instead of chile sauce.^[17]
• Enchiladas montadas, stacked enchiladas, are a New Mexico variation in which corn tortillas are fried flat until softened but not tough, then stacked with red or green sauce, chopped onion and shredded cheese between the layers and on top of the stack. Ground beef or chicken can be added to the filling, but meat is not traditional. The stack is often topped (montada) with a fried egg. Shredded lettuce and sliced black olives may be added as a garnish.^[25]

Fillings, toppings and garnishes

Fillings include meat (e.g. beef, poultry, pork, seafood) or cheese, potatoes, vegetables, and any combination of these. Enchiladas are commonly topped or garnished with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, olives, chopped onions, chili peppers, salsa, or fresh cilantro.

Photographs

• 
  Three enchiladas from Cartago, Costa Rica
• 
  Homestyle Honduran enchiladas
• 
  Enchiladas suizas
• 
  Pan of eight enchiladas suizas straight out of the oven.
• 
  Enchiladas in salsa verde

See also

Notes

References

• Galvan Rivera, Mariano (1845). Diccionario de Cocina o el Nuevo Cocinero Mexicano en Forma Diccionario (Second ed.). Mexico: Imprenta de I Cuplido. 
• El Cocinero Mexicano o coleccion de los mejores recetas para guisar al estilo americano y de las mas selectas segun el metodo de los cocinas Espanola, Italiana, Francesca e Inglesa, 3 vols. 1. Mexico City: Imprenta de Galvan a cargo de Mariano Arevalo. 1831. pp. 78–88. OCLC 34129684. 

External links

• Media related to Enchiladas at Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition of enchilada at Wiktionary

Mexican cuisine
List of Mexican dishes
Soups and stews	Caldo de pollo Caldo de queso Caldo de siete mares Caldo tlalpeño Caldo Xóchitl Clemole Mancha manteles Menudo Mole de olla Sopa de nopal Pinole Pozole Tortilla soup
Rice dishes	Arroz blanco Arroz negro Arroz rojo Arroz poblano Arroz a la tumbada Morisqueta
Egg dishes	Huevos divorciados Huevos motuleños Huevos rancheros Huevos con machaca Huevos a la mexicana
Vegetable dishes	Ayatitos Chile relleno Chiles en nogada Chileajo de vegetales Chipotle Elote Frijoles charros Frijoles negros Frijoles Puercos Guasanas Nopal asado Pepita Rajas con crema Refried beans Romeritos Esquites
Poultry dishes	Arroz con pollo Chicken feet Escabeche oriental Mole poblano Pollo motuleño Tinga de pollo
Pork dishes	Adobada Calabacitas con puerco Carne de chango Carnitas Chicharrón en salsa Chileajo de cerdo Chilorio Chorizo Cochinita pibil Poc Chuc
Beef dishes	Alambre Albóndigas al chipotle Beef brain Beef tongue Bistec Cabeza Carne asada Carne seca Carne a la tampiqueña Criadillas Machaca Pachola Picadillo Puntas Salpicón Tinga de res
Seafood dishes	Aguachile Cahuamanta Huachinango a la Veracruzana Mojarra frita Camarones al ajillo Mixmole de pescado Pescado al ajillo Pulpo a la campechana Pan de cazón Pámpano en escabeche Pescado zarandeado
Other protein dishes	Al pastor Barbacoa Birria Cabrito Chahuis Chapulines Discada Entomatada Escamol Jumiles Maguey worm Mixiote Moronga Pastel azteca
Cheese dishes	Chicharrón de queso Queso fundido/flameado Queso en salsa Queso con huazontle Queso relleno
Antojitos of corn dough	Corn tortilla Cazuelita Chalupa Chilaquiles Chochoyote Corunda Doblada Duros Empalme Enchilada Gordita Guajolota Huarache Infladita Molote Nachos Panucho Papadzules Peneque Piedra Polcán Quesadilla Salbute Sope o Memela Taco Tamale Taquito Tlacoyo Tlayuda Tostada
Antojitos of wheat dough	Wheat tortilla Burrito Cemita Empalme Enchilada Gringas Guajolota Mollete Nachos Pambazo Paste Quesadilla Sincronizada Taco Taquito Torta
Sauces and condiments	Adobo Chamoy Mole verde Mole blanco Mole poblano Mole sauce Salsa verde (spicy green sauce) Salsa roja (spicy red sauce) Recado rojo Salsa
Desserts and sweets	Alegría Arroz con leche Bionico Cajeta Capirotada Chongos zamoranos Churros Cocadas Panela Qurabiya Tres leches cake
Salads	Caesar salad Curtido Guacamole Ensalada de nopalitos Pico de gallo
Miscellaneous	Chile de bola Cueritos Quiote cocido Piedrazo Mango con chile Chiles en escabeche
Breads	Bolillo Buñuelo Cemita Cochinito de Piloncillo Cocol Concha Pan de muerto Pan dulce Rosca de reyes
Beverages	Agave nectar Beer Café de olla Chamoyada Champurrado Horchata de coco Mangonada Margarita Mexican tea culture Pópo Pozol
Related topics	Aztec cuisine Baja Med Comal (cookware) Cuisine of Chiapas Cuisine of Veracruz Escuela de Gastronomía Mexicana Oaxacan cuisine Taco stand Tex-Mex
Category   Commons   Food portal   WikiProject

Street food
Street foods	Acarajé Aloo chaat Aloo tikki Anticucho Arancini Arepa Asinan Bagel Bakpau Bakso Banana cue Bánh canh Bánh hỏi Bánh mì sandwich Bánh xèo Batagor Beguni Belgian waffle Beondegi Bhelpuri Binaki Biryani Bourekas Bratwurst Brochette Bublik Bubur ayam Bun cha Bunny chow Burrito Breakfast burrito Calzone Camote cue Cart noodle Chaat Chebureki Chiko Roll Chimichanga Chinese bhel Cockle (bivalve) Covrigi Coxinha Crêpe Currywurst Dahi puri Dim sum Dosa Douhua Empanada Enchilada Esquites Falafel Farinata Fish ball Focaccia French fries Fried chicken Navajo frybread Galette-saucisse Ginanggang Gorengan Ghugni Gukhwappang Gyeranppang Gyro Haleem Hot dog Isaw Idli Jhalmuri Jiaozi Kaassoufflé Kachori Kapsalon Kati roll Kebab Chapli kebab Doner kebab Kyinkyinga Shami kebab List of kebabs Kerak telor Ketoprak Khachapuri Khanom Tokyo Knish Laksa Lángos Luchi Malatang Maruya Masala puri Meat pie Australian or New Zealand meat pie Mie ayam Murtabak Naan Obwarzanek krakowski Pad Thai Pakora Paneer tikka Pani ca meusa Panini Panipuri Panzerotti Panzarotti Papri chaat Paratha Pasty Pav Bhaji Pempek Pepito Peremech Pho Picarones Pilaf Pirozhki Pizza al taglio Pizzetta Plăcintă Poutine Pretzel Punugulu Puri Quail eggs Quesadilla Ražnjići Rogan josh Rojak Roti Rumali roti Rustico Sabich Samosa Sandwich Sardenara Satay Sausage roll Scaccia Scallion pancake Seblak Sevpuri Sfenj Shao Kao Shashlik Shawarma Sicilian pizza Siomay Soto Souvlaki Stigghiola Taco Korean taco Tahri Tahu gejrot Tahu sumedang Takoyaki Tamale Tandoori chicken Tangbao Taquito Tauge goreng Tokneneng Ttongppang Turon Vada Vada pav Vastedda Vietnamese noodles Yakitori Zapiekanka
Food trucks	Big Gay Ice Cream Truck Chef Jeremiah Chi'Lantro BBQ Clover Food Lab Coolhaus Don Chow Tacos Grease trucks The Grilled Cheese Truck The Halal Guys Honeysuckle Gelato Kelvin Natural Slush Co. KIND Movement Kogi Korean BBQ Korilla BBQ Maximus/Minimus Off the Grid Philadelphia Mobile Food Association Pincho Man Pølsevogn Taco Bus
By location	Hong Kong street food Indonesian street food Thai street food Mexican street food Regional street food Street food of Chennai Street food of Mumbai
Mobile catering	Field kitchen Food booth Food cart Food truck Food truck rally Hot dog cart Hot dog stand Ice cream van Sausage wagon Taco stand Yatai Pojangmacha Würstelstand
Lists	List of street foods List of food trucks Food trucks in Tampa, Florida
See also	Food street