ORIGINAL Quesadilla?

Question

how and where did quesidillas orginate? Where are the most common tortilla factorys?

I need to talk to my class about quesidillas for AT LEAST 15 minutes....does anyone have ANY facts on them??

Answer 1

The origins of traditional foods such as quesadillas cannot usually be traced to a particular year or person. They are foods that evolved because the ingredients and technology needed to cook them were readily available. The history of quesadillas begins with the story of corn and the cooking of tortillas:

"Tortilla...a round, thin unleavened bread made from ground maize, a basic food of Mesoamerica. It is not known how many millennia this has been a staple; but when the conquistadores arrived in the New World in the late 15th century, they discovered that the inhabitants made flat corn breads. The native Nahuatl name for these was tlaxcalli and the Spanish gave them the name tortilla...The art of tortilla-making was highly developed by the native Mesoamericans; 17th century Spanish observed, Francisco Hernandez, remarked on the fine, almost transparent tortillas prepared for important people....Fresh tortillas are eaten as bread, used as plate and spoon, or filled to make composite dishes such as tacos and enchiladas....A quesadilla is a 'turnover' made by folding a fresh tortilla in half around a simple filling such as cheese, epazote (a pungent herb), and pepper, or potatoes and chorizo, and deep frying it..."
---The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson (p. 803)

"Queso...the Spanish word for 'cheese', forms part of some names of cheese of Spain and Latin America."
---The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson (p. 644)

"Quesadillas are one of the Mexicans' favorite simple snacks. They are, in fact, uncooked tortillas stuffed with one of various fillings and folded over to make a "turnover." They are then toasted on a hot griddle or fried until golden. In many parts of Mexico they are filled with strips of Chihuahua cheese, which melts and "strings" nicely--a Mexican requirement...the farther south one goes the more complicated they become. For instance, in central Mexico the simplest ones are filled with some of the braided Oaxaca cheese, a few fresh leaves of epazote and strips of peeled chile poblano. Potato and chorizo filling--that used for tacos...--is also a favorite version, while the most highly esteemed of all are those of sauteed squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) or the ambrosial fungus that grows on the corn blossoms (huitlachoche), both of which are at their best during the rainy months of summer and early fall."
--The Tortilla Book, Diana Kennedy [Harper & Row:New York] 1975 -(p. 106)

As such, quesadillas are a blend of Old World tradition and New World foods. Recipes for turnover-type foods (aka portable filled pastries, both sweet and savory) were popular fare in Medieval Spain. About portable pies. Chicken (chicken quesadillas) is also an Old World food, introduced to Mexico by the Spanish settlers in the 16th century. New World fowl included turkey, strikingly similar in flavor and composition. The turkey, however, was not used for simple snacks. It was saved for special holidays. Cheese (queso/quesa) is also an Old World food.

Answer 2

Heat up a pan on medium-high heat. Put a flour tortilla in the pan and leave it until the tortilla begins to puff up or turn a light toasty brown, then turn the tortilla over and brown the other side as well. Move the tortilla to a plate and brown another tortilla in the pan. Put sliced or shredded cheddar and/or mozzarella (any cheese you like, really) on top of one of the tortillas, making a thin layer, then cover with the other tortilla. Move the whole thing into the heated pan again until cheese is melted, making sure to flip at least once so both sides receive equal amounts of heat. Cut quesadilla into slices and enjoy.

Answer 3

Go to MissionTortilla company, they have tons of recipes and stories.

It is actually an American food, typically told to be Mexican.
The totilla is the most common food in mexico and they are currently trying to TAX the outside farmers, since they have raised the prices to this food.

I'm texan.