An enchilada is a tortilla filled with various meats and vegetables then covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas are a fairly common Latin American food, originating in Mexico, and dating back to the pre-Colombian Mayans. There are many different types of enchiladas.  Many variations enchiladas are specific to a certain areas. For example, Enchiladas montadas are local to New Mexico and include green chili sauce in addition to the red chili sauce. Also often Enchiladas montadas are topped with a fried egg. In the United States enchiladas are often also considered a casual meal. One can even purchase an enchilada from Taco Bell for only a couple dollars. However, to Mexicans the enchilada is considered a versatile and commemorative meal. “It is served at milestone meals, such as baptisms, graduations, marriages and after-funeral get-togethers” (Hernandez).

Another variation is the Enchiladas con mole. Mole is the term for various Mexican sauces used in different meals. Oaxacan mole sauce is perhaps the most interesting because it includes chocolate. Nearly every Latin American country has its own unique take on the enchilada. For example, “In Costa Rica, an enchilada is really pastry puff dough stuffed with meat, which for many Mexicans is closer to an empanada” (Martinez).

Lexicographer: Teddy Tollin, Tulane University

  

 

Works Cited

"The recipe Enchiladas." Europe Intelligence Wire 24 June 2011. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.

 

Hernandez, Ruben. "The Enchilada." Latino Perspectives Magazine. Latino Perspectives, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

 

Ostler, Scott. "Big Enchilada." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

 

"History Of Chicken Enchiladas." History Of Enchiladas, Enchiladas, Chicken Enchiladas. Mexico Adventure, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

 

"Enchiladas in Latin America." Que Rica Vida. Silvia Martinez, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. <http://www.quericavida.com/en/what-is-rico/enchiladas-in-latin-america/>.