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History Of Chicken Enchiladas

The History Of Enchiladas

The history of enchiladas can be found pre-Colombian times when the Mayas first invented the tortilla. In the time of the Aztecs, they would wrap tortillas around small fish or other bits of meat. There is also evidence that they would fry the tortillas in grease, then put them on a plate and pour salsa over the top, add cheese, then another tortilla, cheese, salsa and so on. They would then top the stacked enchilada with a fried egg and some lettuce.

The history of enchiladas is actually quite interesting. It’s progressional history, I might say. We have taken an ancient dish, gave it a name; (in 1885, the word enchilada first appeared in print, meaning “chili filled”) and transformed it. We now stuff tortillas with cheese, shrimp, beef, pork, and the most famous of all, the chicken enchiladas. We have taken something from the past, and brought it through to the future. The Tex Mex enchiladas that are drowning in red sauce are a far cry from the Aztec times, but the enchilada has survived anyway.

We have quite a few enchilada recipes listed right here on Mex Adventure, so please feel free to browse around and take a few! Be creative and think of new inventions for enchiladas: crab and shrimp with spicy chipotle cream sauce or even spinach mushroom with a white wine cream cheese sauce might be a good place to start…