Quesadilla
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A quesadilla (pronounced ke-sah-dee-uh|[kɛsa'dija]) is a dish in Tex-Mex or Mexican cuisine, which involves cooking ingredients, most popularly cheese, inside a corn or wheat tortilla or a wrapping of masa dough. The word comes from Spanish, and literally means "little cheesy thing" (from queso, or "cheese", + ada, an adjectival suffix, + illa, a diminutive suffix). An alternative English spelling is quesadeyas; this Anglicized spelling is not widely used or accepted. Exactly what constitutes a quesadilla varies from region to region and between the US and Mexico, and is not universally agreed upon by aficionados and chefs, but there are certain similarities between the different versions that people generally agree upon, namely that the quesadilla is cooked after being filled or stuffed, while a taco or burrito is filled with pre-cooked ingredients. The purist faction may argue that only the folded-masa, empanada-style Mexican version is a "real" quesadilla, but some well known chefs such as Rick Bayless make more liberal interpretations. The word "quesadilla" is sometimes mispronounced by Americans, more often those further away from Mexico, who sometimes mistakenly think it is pronounced according to English orthography.
Quesadillas come in three basic types:
- Corn tortilla based cheese tacos: A corn tortilla thrown on a griddle to cook, then flipped and sprinkled with grated melting cheese such as Queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack. Once the cheese melts it gets a smear of guacamole and is folded and served. Fancier ones can add some shredded meat or other things to be warmed up with various types of cheeses.
- Wheat tortilla based Grilled cheese sandwiches: A flour tortilla is covered with cheese and some other things and then covered with a second tortilla. The whole package is grilled on an oiled griddle and flipped so both sides are cooked and the cheese is melted. This version is often cut into wedges to serve. The filling can be traditional Mexican or even something like Brie cheese and slices of pears poached in red wine and spices.
- Mexican Masa (Tamale like) version: (see below) Here the filling is stuffed into an uncooked masa pocket then the whole thing is baked or grilled.
In other countries, quesadilla may be an unrelated cheese-based food.
[edit] Typical preparation in the US
In the US, a tortilla is folded over shredded cheese or a cheese slice (often a Mexican-style soft farmer's cheese such as Chihuahua cheese or other light-colored melting cheese), which might also include cooked chicken, as well as grilled onions, peppers and/or other ingredients. It is then fried, deep-fried or toasted using a broiler, griddle, or open fire, and sometimes spiced with salsa. The term can also be used for a pair of tortillas, with the cheese and other fillings between them, similarly cooked. A super quesadilla is a quesadilla that has been overstuffed with ingredients like refried beans, so it is almost like a very large, very cheese-filled soft taco.
Quesadillas are sometimes cut into strips before being served as an appetizer to a meal of Mexican food. Mexican pizzas can also be made in the same form as a quesadilla but with additional ingredients that are typically found in a pizza such as tomato sauce and meats.
In the United States, flour tortillas are used with Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, while in Mexico, most of the people use corn tortillas and the most common cheese used in quesadillas is Oaxaca cheese. This is a type of string cheese which originates from the Mexican state of Oaxaca.
[edit] Mexican quesadillas
Portions of following have been paraphrased from the article Quesadilla in the Spanish Wikipedia
Originally, in most regions (especially the central region), of Mexico Quesadilla refers to a corn tortilla folded by half and filled with cheese, then warm up until the cheese has melted. Been usually considered than the best quesadillas are made with freshly baked tortillas and Oaxaca chesse warmed on a Comal. However variations include the use of wheat flour tortillas, especially in the northest part of Mexico, which are more like que US style cheese tacos, and the use of other easly melting chesses.
Quesadilas can be stuffed with other ingredientes to change the flavour depending on the antojo of the moment. This stuffings may include: Flor de Calabaza, Chorizo, Rajas, Jamon de York (ham), Frijoles, potatos, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, etc. Of this, one of the most popular is Flor de Calabaza for Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza.
Also in the tradition of using Salsas in Mexican food, they can be added to spice up the flavor.
A derivation of the wheat flour tortilla's quedillas known as Sincronizada (Spanish for "synchronized") is a tortilla dish frequently confused with quesadillas by tourists because it is what is typically called a quesadilla in most Mexican restaurants outside of Mexico. Sincronizadas are made with a flour tortilla covered with cheese and then covered with another flour tortilla. And usually other ingredients like ham or chorizo are used, just like in the regular quesadillas.
Also the quesadillas have additional variations or have influence the Tacos related food. For example the Gringas and the Pochas, which are tortillas(corn flour and wheat flour respectively) with melted cheese(like quesadillas), and adding Carne al Pastor or Carne de Bisteck respectively, from the Tacos al Pastor and Tacos de Bisteck, also respectively. In such the same manner as the sincronizadas have further variations using pita bread and Carne de Bisteck.
