Totopo facts for kids
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| Place of origin | Mexico |
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| Region or state | Oaxaca |
| Created by | Zapotec peoples |
| Main ingredients | corn Masa, salt |
A totopo is a crispy corn snack from Mexico. It's a bit like a tortilla, but it's usually toasted, fried, or baked until it's crunchy. Totopos can be round or shaped like a triangle. They are made from a special corn dough called masa. Sometimes, this masa is made using a process called nixtamalization, which makes the corn easier to digest and more nutritious.
Totopos first came from the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, a state in Mexico. Zapotec women traditionally bake these totopos in a special clay oven called a comixcal. While they might look like tortilla chips, totopos are different because salt is added to the dough. Also, small holes are often made in the dough before baking.
Sometimes, the word "totopo" is used for the triangular fried tortillas we know as tortilla chips. If a whole, round tortilla is baked or fried until it's crispy, it's usually called a tostada.
Why Totopos Last Longer
One cool thing about totopos is how long they can last! Regular tortillas have a lot of moisture. This means they need to be eaten quickly or kept cold so they don't go bad or grow mold.
Totopos, on the other hand, are baked or fried until they are very dry. This drying process helps to preserve them. Because they have less moisture, totopos can be stored for a long time, much like dry crackers. This made them a great food for people who needed to store food for later.
Totopos Today
Today, you might see bags of fried tortilla chips in stores in Mexico and the United States labeled as "totopos." However, these are often just regular tortilla chips. They are not made in the traditional way that the Zapotec people make their totopos in Oaxaca. The traditional Oaxacan totopo has a unique texture and flavor because of its special baking process and the added salt.
What's in a Name?
The name totopo comes from an ancient language called Nahuatl. This was the language spoken by the Aztec people. In Nahuatl, the word totopochtli means "toasted thing" or "something that crunches when you eat it." It comes from the verb totopotza, which means "to crunch" or "to toast."
To make sure people knew they were talking about a toasted tortilla, sometimes the longer word tlaxcaltotopochtli was used. This word roughly means "tortillas that are noisy to chew." So, the name perfectly describes this crunchy snack!
See also
In Spanish: Totopo para niños
