Discover Benelux | Food & Drink | A Taste of the Netherlands
A love for Mexican gastronomy resulted in the idea to create a traditional tortilla bakery in the Benelux.
T O R T I L L E R Í A TA I YA R I :
A taste of Mexican gastronomy TEXT: ELLA PUT | PHOTOS: TORTILLERÍA TAIYARI/WHERETHEFOODIS/CULINESSA
Established in 2016 out of a love for Mexico’s rich culture and gastronomy, Taiyari became the first traditional tortilla bakery in the Netherlands, crafting fresh organic corn tortillas, completely made from scratch, using only certified organic and non-GMO corn. Founders Kelly van Harten (from the Netherlands) and Karla Plancarte (from Mexico) travelled to Karla’s hometown of Mexico City where they learned the craftsmanship of making fresh corn tortillas in a local tortilleria. “The original idea was to open a Mexican taqueria, but because there were no authentic corn tortillas available, we decided to start from there and focus on fresh corn tortillas first,’’ explains Kelly. ‘’We 42 | Issue 52 | April 2018
wanted to introduce a high-quality tortilla made from organic ingredients and without any preservatives.’’ The corn tortillas made by Taiyari are naturally gluten-free, salt-free and vegan.
Mesoamerican superfood The story of the corn tortilla originates more than 3,000 years ago, to the ancient Aztecs and Mayas, who nixtamalised corn and stoneground it with volcanic stones to make fresh corn dough. By cooking the corn in a bath with slaked limestone, an alkaline connection was made for the body to absorb the created nutrients. ‘’It can be seen as a Mesoamerican superfood,’’ explains Kelly. A good analogy was once made by Mexican chef Gerardo, who said that a
real corn tortilla made from scratch can be compared to freshly brewed coffee from whole beans, while an industrial tortilla can be compared to instant coffee. “By using real corn instead of cornflour, we protect the natural nutritional value of the corn.”