Doña Raquel prepared the harina (flour) and masa (dough) ahead of time and then showed us how to shape the dough into perfect circles. To make the masa, you need to wash and cook the corn and then grind it in a mill, which turns the corn into masa. You start forming the tortillas by grabbing a chunk of dough a bit smaller than the size of your palm and then rolling it into a ball. After that, you begin to flatten the dough by making a clapping motion back and forth, using your palms to flatten the ball into a flat circle. The trick is to put a little dry flour on your hands so that the dough doesn’t stick. Then you keep the dough constantly moving in your hand until you are ready to place it on the comal. A lady named Paola makes tortillas here in Palestina, and I always buy mine from her. Paola uses a metal comal powered by gas. She says she prefers this type of stove because the ones powered by wood create a lot of smoke. She has been making tortillas for 13 years and learned the techniques from her mother! She told me that when I have time, she will teach me, too. I am excited to work on my tortear-ing skills and to practice with an expert.
Yes! Tortillas are very connected to the local environment, as corn is extremely important to Guatemalan culture and is bountiful. Since arriving in Guatemala, I have learned how important it is to communicate respectfully when you don’t want to eat something. Food is commonly given when you visit someone’s house or when you have a meeting with someone, for example, so I have been in a lot of these situations.
