Tarascan women making tortillas by hand, cooked on a wood fire; 1978.
To make tortillas the masa [corn dough] is passed once over the metate and patted into the typical and well-known thin disks which are toasted on the clay griddle, or comal. Tortillas made for home consumption are quite large, averaging 20 to 25 cm. in diameter. But for guests they are made small and dainty, 12 to 18 cm. in diameter. Since about the same amount of work goes into each size, it is time-saving to make the larger ones. Usually the housewife spends an hour or more making a day's supply of tortillas each morning, placing them in a round tascal basket of just the right diameter to hold them wrapped in a napkin. For subsequent meals these are heated on the griddle (1948).
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