The Magic of Chilaquiles

When I think about making a hearty breakfast for my family on a Sunday "morning" (almost noon), I always think about chilaquiles! For so many years Chilaquiles was not a common dish that you could find in a Tex-Mex restaurant here in the US. You really had to dig around to find an authentic Mexican restaurant that offers them in their menu.

 

Recently chilaquiles are gaining popularity and more people are getting enchanted by its taste and appearing in more and more restaurants. 

                                       My mom at age 82 preparing Chilaquiles for us! 

Chilaquiles are a very easy and simple dish to make that has been a tradition on the tables of Mexican families for so many centuries. The origins of them are still not certain, some think that the Aztecs invented them. Others think they were invented in the colonial times where the Aztec and the Spanish culture collided. Furthermore there is some information that traces them all the way specifically to a convent. It was not until the 1800's that a Chilaquiles recipe appeared on a recipe book and the basic recipe is still the same. 

What I know to be true, is that the process of making tortillas was invented in Mesoamérica and I am sure that they found ways to enjoy them by dipping them in a delicious freshly made salsa, who knows maybe chips and salsa were invented by the Aztec community!

 

According to Real Academia Española dictionary the word CHILAQUIL  comes from the Náhuatl chilli 'chile', atl 'agua' y quilitl 'hierba comestible'.

The chilaquiles nowadays are basically deep fried corn tortilla chips, dipped in your favorite salsa, topped with cheese, drizzled with sour cream and adorned with some onion rings and avocado slices, with a side of beans.  The purpose of making chilaquiles was to use the leftover tortillas and later on the protein source was added, like eggs, chicken, pork or beef to make them a complete meal. 

 

But really the magic of chilaquiles is that after you try them for the first time, you will be enchanted by its fabulous flavor and crunchy texture. I can assure you that after that if you see the name chilaquiles on a restaurant's menu, you will be ordering them again, again and again.

 

 

Please join me each Monday during the month of August, I will be sharing delicious Chilaquiles recipes for all of you, click here to set a reminder! 

 

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