Thin rounds of corn dough¹ turn blistered² and brown on a hot comal, the traditional griddles that have been used in Mexico since at least 700 BCE.

Whether folded into a taco or eaten out of hand, corn tortillas are one of the country’s most universally loved foods. The ground-corn dough is deceptively simple; made from just a few ingredients, it’s nonetheless a triumph of culinary ingenuity³.

Before being ground, the corn is mixed with an alkaline ingredient such as lime, a process called nixtamalization that makes the grain more nutritious⁴ and easier to digest.